Month: December 2024

One woman from Springfield is dead after her vehicle was hit by a truck near Fair Play.

Highway Patrol Troopers say the crash happened just after 6:00pm Sunday on Highway 32 just east of Fair Play, when a pickup driving eastbound peaked a hill along the highway and hit the 33-year-old woman.

According to the report, the woman was standing in the road, which was the cause of the crash.

Authorities pronounced the woman dead at the scene.

For MSHP Troop D, it is the 107th fatal crash of the year for its area.

The State of Missouri will soon have a new director for the Department of Public Safety, with Governor-elect Mike Kehoe nominating Mark James for the position.

In a release from Kehoe’s office on Monday, the soon-to-be Governor announced he will assume the role on January 13, 2025.

James’ permanent appointment will also require approval from the Missouri Senate.

With over 40 years of law enforcement experience, he brings a strong knowledge of the criminal system and needs of the community in the safety space.

James began his career as a uniformed trooper and undercover operative for the Missouri State Highway Patrol, stationed in both Greene and Christian Counties.

He later spent 20 years working for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) before retiring and being named as the U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Missouri.

That Marshal appointment was overseen by President Donald J. Trump during his first term in office.

A statement from Governor-elect Kehoe on James’ can be read below:

“Mark James brings decades of valuable law enforcement and leadership experience to this role,
and we’re going to get to work on day one to bring safety back to our communities. We need a strong, experienced leader who will be tough on crime, and I am confident Mark will be an excellent leader for the Department of Public Safety.”

A man is dead after a two-vehicle crash on an off ramp on MO-76 west of Bull Creek.

The Highway Patrol says a 52-year-old motorcyclist was trying to avoid a Chevy Impala that had turned onto the MO-76 off ramp from Route ‘F’, when it struck the Chevy and overturned, throwing the rider from the bike.

He was transported to a Springfield hospital where he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A man from Buffalo is dead following a car crash along Highway 65.

Authorities say the crash happened Thursday night when the car the man was driving going northbound went off the left side of the highway, crossed the median, then the southbound lanes.

The car eventually collided with trees and an embankment and came to a stop.

The 59-year-old man was transported to a Springfield hospital, but later died of his injuries.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop D investigated the crash. It is the 103rd fatal car crash in the group’s area in 2024.

A Springfield developer says he plans to restore The Missouri Hotel.

Titus Williams of “Prosperiti Partners” says he’s been working for years on plans to overhaul the former campus kitchen, which includes The Missouri Hotel.

Williams says part of the delay was getting historic tax credits before starting construction. He says construction could start as soon as next year.

A man is in jail for robbing a bank in Monett Thursday afternoon.

Monett Police responded to the United Missouri Bank on Broadway Thursday for a report of a robbery.

The suspect allegedly demanded money and fled on foot.

He didn’t display a weapon.

Officers found him within six minutes of the robbery.

He was taken into custody after a brief struggle.

The money was recovered.

The suspect is in the Monett Justice Center Jail.

The mother of a girl who was the subject of an Amber Alert earlier this year has pled guilty to kidnapping.

Court documents say Arisha Caldwell entered a guilty plea to first-degree kidnapping, interference with custody and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

Two-year-old Arukia Ganis was found safely after an Amber Alert was issued on April 9, 2024.

 Arisha Caldwell and Frank Ganis were caught on camera leaving Bass Pro with the child during a supervised visit.

A sentencing hearing will be held in February.