Month: September 2024

A woman from Joplin is dead after losing control of her vehicle and crashing on I-44 in Joplin earlier this week.

Highway Patrol troopers say 22-year-old Jessica Chapman was driving eastbound on I-44 near mile marker 6.2 in Joplin early Tuesday morning when her car went off the right side of the road.

According to the report, her vehicle then hit a guardrail, and flipped before coming to a stop.

Chapman was pronounced dead at the scene. It is the 73rd fatality in MSHP Troop D’s area so far this year.

A man from Springfield is now preparing for a 20-year prison sentence after he was found guilty and sentenced for trafficking drugs and being in possession of illegal firearms.

35-year-old Darrell Smith was sentenced Tuesday for his role in illegally possessing eight firearms, and distributing an analogue form of fentanyl.

He was convicted by a jury in January of this year in federal court.

The case stems from a search of Smith’s home in August of 2019, in which investigators found 69 separate packages of fentanyl, ranging from small bags to a large plastic bag, body armor, and several loaded guns.

There were also bags of valeryl fentanyl, an analogue of normal fentanyl that is considered a “designer drug”.

Smith’s co-defendant, 51-year-old Eugene Sanders, pleaded guilty to his charges last year and was sentenced to three years in prison.

The Missouri State Supreme Court has ruled that an amendment to restore abortion rights will be on the November ballot.

The ruling came just hours before the deadline to make changes to the November ballot.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft had decertified the measure Monday, removing it from the ballot.

Constitutional amendments guaranteeing abortion rights are on the November ballot in 8 other states as well.

Just days after being involved in a three-vehicle crash, a man from Springfield is dead of his injuries.

Officers with the Springfield Police Department say the crash happened last Monday, September 2, at the intersection of Sunshine and West Bypass when a Ford Ranger began turning onto Sunshine eastbound from West Bypass. A Mitsubishi Endeavor ran a red light and hit the Ranger before hitting a third vehicle.

The driver of the pickup, 69-year-old Michael Zapatka, was taken to an area hospital before being released. He died at his home on September 5 of his injuries.

Circumstances revolving around the crash, including the cause of the collision, are part of an ongoing investigation by SPD. If you have any information about the case, contact Springfield Police at (417) 864-1810.

The question of allowing sports betting to take place in the state of Missouri will be on the November ballot, per a judge’s recent ruling.

Under the proposed initiative, at least Five Million dollars a year from licensing fees and taxes would go towards “problem gambling programs” with the rest going to elementary, secondary, and higher education.

Neighboring states like Illinois, Arkansas, and Kansas have already legalized sports betting.

A man from Cabool is dead after a car crash northeast of the town.

Investigators with the Missouri State Highway Patrol say 22-year-old Gedeon Mori was driving on Highway AC northeast of Cabool Sunday night when the vehicle went off the road and flipped.

He was ejected from the vehicle during the crash, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

It is the 16th death in MSHP Troop G’s area this year.

A fire that broke out in the parking lot of the Springfield-Branson National Airport has damaged five vehicles.

Officials at the airport say a man had pulled into the short-term parking lot to check his vehicle Saturday morning, which he thought was overheating due to the radiator.

It turns out the vehicle had caught fire. Airport firefighters and crews with the Springfield Fire Department were called to the scene to battle the flames.

Investigators say a total of five cars were damaged by the fire, but no injuries were reported.