Month: November 2024

Springfield City Utilities has issued a Boil Water Advisory for over 30-thousand customers.

The Boil Water Advisory comes after a water main break early Saturday morning that caused a significant drop in water pressure.

The area affected runs from Mount Vernon Street and Campbell and runs south along Campbell and includes area east of Campbell.

Customers impacted will receive a call from City Utilities.

Customers are asked to boil their water for one minute then let it cool before drinking it.

Here the steps that Springfield City Utilities says you can take during a Boil Water Advisory:

1. If commercially bottled water is not available, boil your tap water. To kill germs, bring water to a full rolling boil for 1 minute. To avoid burns, allow boiled water to cool before you use it.
2. Boil your tap water even if you filter it. For example, boil tap water if it has been through a home water filter or a pitcher that filters water.
3. Use commercially bottled water or boiled water for drinking and to prepare and cook food.
4. Please be mindful if you have an infant that is fed formula and use ready-to-use formula if possible.
5. Be careful not to swallow any water when bathing or showering.
6. Use caution when bathing babies and young children. Consider giving them a sponge bath to reduce the chance of them swallowing water.
7. Brush your teeth using boiled water or commercially bottled water. Do not use tap water that you have not boiled first.
8. If possible, use disposable plates, cups, and utensils during a boil water advisory.

Once all tests are returned and samples are good, typically in approximately 24 -hours, customer will receive another call with that information. Additional information is available on the City Utilities website.

Charges have been filed in a Springfield homicide in June.

Springfield Police say 34-year-old Aaron Altic of Republic is facing charges of alleged second-degree murder, armed criminal action, unlawful possession of a firearm, and resisting arrest.

A probable cause statement says Altic allegedly got into a fight with 60-year-old Darryl Douglas, at a house at 803 South Douglas, and shot him.

Douglas was transported to a hospital where he died from his injuries.

Altic is being held in the Greene County Jail without bond.

Just a week after a closed door meeting regarding new Missouri State University President “Biff” Williams and the federal lawsuit he is named in, MSU’s Faculty Senate is considering a potential “no confidence” vote.

University officials say next Thursday, November 21, the group will make a decision regarding a motion for the “no confidence” vote that was introduced during a meeting with the MSU Board of Governors Thursday night.

If it were to pass, it would lead to Williams’ resignation.

During the meeting, President Williams expressed remorse for his actions, and apologized to members of the Senate for the negative attention it has brought to the university.

Williams, who was hired by the university in March, was named in a federal lawsuit earlier this month by three former colleagues from his time as the President of Utah Tech University.

Allegations against him include discrimination, retaliation, and other actions against the three by Williams and others regarding the implementation of Title VII and Title IX, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and other factors.

Williams is also accused of an obscene prank in which he arranged vegetables on the front porch of a colleague in the shape of a penis after the co-worker had recently had a vasectomy.

He has taken responsibility for the display, calling it a “mindless prank”, but has denied the other allegations in the case.

One person is dead, and three others injured after one car allegedly ran a stop sign and crashed into another vehicle in north Springfield.

Investigators say a juvenile was driving a vehicle southbound on Kellett Avenue when they drove through a stop sign, hitting a car traveling westbound.

The crash caused the westbound vehicle to flip onto the passenger side of the car. A passenger in that vehicle, 22-year-old Jayde Campbell, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the westbound vehicle, as well as the juvenile and another passenger in the southbound car, suffered non-life threatening injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital.

The crash is still under investigation by the Springfield Police Department. It is the 21st fatal car crash in Springfield this year.

University officials are dealing with racist graffiti inside the restroom at the Plaster Student Union on the MSU campus.

Director of University Safety Rob Rowley says a suspect was not identified by security cameras, so the university installed new cameras and positioned them so a suspect can be identified if another incident occurs.

Springfield Police are looking for a careless driver who left the scene of an accident early Thursday morning.

Officers responded to East Pythian Street just before 5 AM for report of a hit and run driver striking a bicyclist.

The bicyclist suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Police noticed several traffic cones in a road construction area were knocked down.

Investigators say they are looking for a vehicle with damage to the front.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol has issued an Endangered SILVER Advisory for a St. Clair woman, who may be in the Ozarks.

The Highway Patrol says 65-year-old Lois Ellen Pappademos was reported missing from St. Clair on September 9.

She has not been in contact with her family.

She rented a U-Haul truck on September 7.

The truck, which has Arizona plates A-J-95-506, was seen in Stone County on Thursday.

Pappademos has been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

If you know where she is, you are asked to call 9-1-1 or the Highway Patrol Troop C.

The Missouri State University Board of Governors is reporting that they were unaware of the allegations being described in a federal lawsuit against new President Richard “Biff” Williams when they offered him the position as the institutions President.

President Williams is one of many people being named in a federal lawsuit by three staff members at Utah Tech University.

The lawsuit alleges that he, along with other high ranking members of the university, were hostile towards Title VII and Title IX, and gave constant pushback against the implementation of the guidelines and regulations.

Those who filed the lawsuit say when they were met with “discrimination, intimidation, abuse, harassment, and retaliation.”

Also included in the suit is an allegation that Williams perpetrated an obscene prank in which two eggplants were placed next to a zucchini, made to look like a penis, on the front porch of a fellow colleague who had recently undergone a vasectomy.

The three staff members say Williams placed the blame on the prank on them, and took no responsibility for his actions.

The Board of Governors at Missouri State University have said they were informed of an incident, but were not given details of the case until after the hiring was made.

Just over a year after a new law went into effect to combat district driving, authorities across Missouri are now preparing to limit the illegal act across the state.

The Hands-Free Law was signed in August of last year, aimed at preventing drivers from using their phones while operating their vehicles.

Law enforcement across Missouri gave an ample grace period for drivers, giving warnings rather than citations for breaking the newly-implemented law.

However, Sergeant Mike McClure with the MSHP now says tickets will be given to those behind the wheel who fail to abide by the law.

Distracted driving is still considered a secondary law in Missouri, meaning authorities cannot pull you over simply for being on your phone, but must observe a traffic violation being committed.

The fine for first-time distracted drivers is $150, while the second is $250. A third offense will incur a fine of $500.

McClure also says if distracted driving leads to a crash, more penalties can be stacked on top of the initial fine.

Missouri is now asking for federal disaster relief for counties effected by severe storms earlier this month.

The state is asking for aid in 14 counties in central and southern Missouri. Governor Parson says the storms caused major damage to roads, bridges, and other Infrastructure.