Month: May 2024

Almost 2,000 City Utilities customers in Springfield were without power this morning after storms moved through the area Monday morning.

Weather experts say strong winds and heavy rainfall hit the Queen City early this morning, which knocked at the electricity for many people in the northwest part of Springfield.

Nearly 1,800 people in northeast Springfield reported being without power, while there was also reports coming in from south and eastern part of the city, but they were far less frequent.

A portion of the outages were still being reported as of 10:00am.

Four people have died in a house explosion near Goodhope in Douglas County.

It happened around 9 p.m. Saturday when the home on Highway 442-B that had been undergoing renovations blew up.

The Springfield Bomb Squad and ATF also responded.

The fire marshal said the explosion was a flash, blowing up so quickly it didn’t have a chance to burn the house.

The four victims are believed to be two adults and two sons, but the Douglas County sheriff has not yet released their identities.

Showers and thunderstorms moved into southwest Missouri Monday morning, and we’ll have several chances for severe storms through mid-week.

There is a marginal risk for an isolated strong to severe storm Monday afternoon and early evening between 3 and 7 pm.

The National Weather Service says the primary risks are hail up to the size of quarters and damaging wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour.

Many areas may remain completely dry through Monday evening.

There are better chances for severe weather on Tuesday.

Forecasters say a line of strong to severe storms will move through the area Tuesday evening into Tuesday night between 4pm and 12am.

The highest chances for severe weather on Tuesday will be along and north of a line from Nevada to Osage Beach, where there’s a level 3 “enhanced risk.”

Primary hazards from Tuesday’s storms will be damaging wind gusts, with severe hail, a brief spin-up tornado and localized flash flooding.

There’s also the potential for strong to severe thunderstorms on Wednesday, with hail and winds being the biggest threats. Chances of bad weather are greatest along and south of I-44.

We’ll keep you up to date with the changing forecast, as well as any watches and warnings, on 93-3 and A-M 560 KWTO.

The 2024 legislatives session ended Friday around 3 PM.

It was a contentious session, and some are saying there may have to be a special session.

Lawmakers approved a roughly $51 billion state budget before the deadline.

Overall, the Missouri House passed 46 bills this session with 18 of those bills being appropriation bills.

A resolution to reform the initiative petition process failed to pass.

It had been the subject of much debate during the session including a 50-hour filibuster.

Governor Parson has signed six bills so far this year including one which bans Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood.

Here is a statement released from Missouri Right To Life:

The following is from Steve Rupp, President of Missouri Right to Life:

The 2024 legislative session ended today, Friday, May 17. While we are thankful to see the final passage of legislation to defund Planned Parenthood, we are disappointed that passage of Initiative Petition Reform to protect the Missouri Constitution and unborn babies by Concurrent Majorities, did not pass.

The House sent the Senate two bills with language that would have put on the ballot the question for Missourians to vote and determine if they want to increase the protection of our Missouri Constitution. This concurrent majority package of 50+ 1 and a vote of a majority of 5 of 8 Congressional Districts in order to change our Missouri Constitution would have gone to the voters of Missouri. The best chance we had to do that was through Senate Joint Resolution 74 (SJR 74).

The sponsor of SJR 74, Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman, failed to hold to the language of the bill that included election integrity language to ensure that only citizens can vote and that foreign countries could not influence the amending of our Missouri Constitution. When SJR 74 was stripped of the election integrity language in February without the sponsor of the bill speaking against it, we know now that the bill was on a path to fail.

After much debate and the final filibuster of the session by pro-abortion Democrats, the refusal by the Sponsor of SJR 74, Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman, to work to call the previous question to shut down the filibuster and come to a vote on protecting our Missouri Constitution, the failure of the President Pro-Tem of the Senate, Senator Caleb Rowden and the failure of the Majority Floor Leader, Senator Cindy O’Laughlin to lead and give support in passing SJR 74, the bill died.

Although some Republicans have abandoned their constituency base of conservatives and conservative values, there are many Missourians who will remember those who failed to pass SJR 74.

Pro-Life Missourians will continue to work to save babies and protect women from the abortion industry. We pray for Missouri and our pro-life work ahead.

Beginning at 2:00pm. this afternoon, the Nixa community will welcome in people from around the area for their 66th annual Sucker Days.

The event, which is located on Main Street in Nixa, will go through Sunday and features many different activities for people.

There is a fried suckerfish stand, a beer garden, vendors, arts and craft opportunities, mechanical rides, live music, and more!

Patrons will be able to enjoy the event from 2:00-10:30pm Friday, 9:00am-10:30pm on Saturday, and from noon-6:00pm on Sunday.

MODOT has closed a bridge on Route P-P over I-44 near Halltown.

Crews will close I-44 between 7 PM Saturday night and 4 AM Monday to demolish the bridge on Route P-P.

They will detour traffic around the project.

One person was injured in a fire at a Springfield custom cabinet factory.

Springfield Firefighters were called to K-D Products near Glenstone and Chestnut Expressway.

Investigators say the fire was contained to a hopper on a vent system that removes sawdust from the building.

An employee had to be hospitalized with minor injuries.