Missouri’s Director of Public Safety is retiring.
A news release from Governor Mike Parson’s office says Sandra Karsten will retire next month.
She was appointed by Governor Parson in 2018 and was the first woman to serve as Director of Public Safety.
Karsten was previously with the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
One man is dead after the car he was driving crashed into a Ford F-150 near the intersection of Jefferson and Sunshine.
Springfield Police say 54-year-old Donald Abraham was driving a Chevy Sonic on Wednesday and crashed into the F-150, which was travelling southbound.
The driver of the pickup suffered minor injuries, but Abraham died of the injuries he suffered in the crash.
The investigation into the crash is still ongoing. It is the 22nd traffic death in SPD’s jurisdiction this year.
(Photo courtesy of the U.S. House of Representatives)
A former Missouri congressman and K-W-T-O morning show host has been nominated by President-elect Trump to head the I-R-S.
The President-elect announced on Truth Social Wednesday that he has nominated former southwest Missouri Congressman Billy Long to be the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service.
Trump sited Long’s his experience as a congressman and business owner.
Long represented Missouri’s 7th Congressional District from 2011 – 2023.
He also hosted K-W-T-O’s Morning Line show (the forerunner of Wake Up Springfield!) for many years.
Here is the text of President-elect Donald Trump’s post on Truth Social about nominating former Congressman Billy Long for the position:
“I am pleased to announce that former Congressman Billy Long, of the Great State of Missouri, will be appointed to serve as the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Billy brings 32 years of experience running his own businesses in Real Estate and, as one of the premier Auctioneers in the Country. He then served 12 years in Congress, because he “felt it was important for his constituents to have a Representative who has signed the front of a check!”
Since leaving Congress, Billy has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations. I have known Billy since 2011 – He is an extremely hard worker, and respected by all, especially by those who know him in Congress. Taxpayers and the wonderful employees of the IRS will love having Billy at the helm. He is the consummate “people person,” well respected on both sides of the aisle.
Congratulations Billy!”
Branson Police are warning people not to believe a social media post about a suspected serial killer hiding out in the area.
Branson Police says the post circulating on social media is “warning” Branson residents that a serial killer named Robert Thibodeau is going door to door and attacking people.
The post claims he attacked a young mother with a knife and stole a 83-year-old woman’s car.
Branson Police said the story is fiction and none of these incidents have been reported to the police department.
They also say spreading misleading information causes unnecessary fear.
After months of limbo, Mercy is officially announcing a new agreement with Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield for folks in the area who receive medical coverage through the health insurance group.
In a release Wednesday, the two sides reported a multi-year agreement that will give Anthem members complete access to doctors and care sites throughout the Mercy Health system.
This includes those receiving Medicare Advantage and Affordable Care Act marketplace plans.
There was a growing fear that access could be cut if any agreement between the two sides could not be made by the end of the year.
HealthyBlue members also retained medical access to the Mercy system with this new deal.
A woman from Niangua is currently in police custody awaiting potential charges in connection with the shooting deaths’ of both her mother and her stepfather.
The Webster County Sheriff’s Office says the shooting happened along Bowen Creek Road Monday night at around 8:00pm, when the woman allegedly got into an argument with her mother and stepdad regarding the care of her own child.
Deputies say the argument escalated, and she shot both her parents to death before fleeing the scene.
The suspect was later identified at a home on Tower Road, and was eventually arrested following a lengthy standoff.
Webster County Sheriff Roye Cole says the woman is still in custody, awaiting formal charges. Her identity, as well as those of the two victims, have not been released at this time.
Stockton Police are warning people about a scam going around. Sergeant Justin Daniels says several people have been contacted and told they have outstanding warrants, and must pay over the phone to settle them.
Sergeant Daniels says scammers find phone numbers and other personal information online from websites that sell such data.
Law Enforcement Agencies do not call people and demand personal information, or threaten people with warrants.
An Aurora woman is in jail after she threatened two children with a knife and bit a police officer.
Court documents say 33-year-old Brittany Gould is facing seven charges including endangering the welfare of a child, assault of a special victim and resisting arrest.
A probable cause statement says Gould allegedly threatened two juveniles and two other people with a large kitchen knife.
She bit an arresting officer breaking skin.
She threatened to break another officer’s nose.
Gould is being held without bond in the Lawrence County Jail.
Springfield Police are investigating the shooting of a juvenile.
Police say the juvenile went to a hospital Tuesday morning with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.
Officers then obtained a search warrant and went to the home of the juvenile on South Kansas Avenue.
One person was detained, but no arrests have been made.
Investigators have not determined a motive for the shooting.
The State of Missouri has executed Christopher Collings for the 2007 killing of 9-year-old Rowan Ford.
Collings was given a lethal injection and pronounced dead at 6:10 PM at the state prison.
Governor Mike Parson denied clemency and the U-S Supreme Court turned down an appeal.
Collings sexually assaulted Rowan Ford before strangling her and dumping her body in a sink hole.