Month: December 2024

Monday was the first day Missouri State Legislators could begin submitting bills for the upcoming legislative session, which begins January 8th.

Over 300 bills were filed on Monday alone.

Last year’s Speaker Of The House Dean Plocher placed a limit on the number of bills each member could file in the 2024 session, but incoming Speaker Jon Patterson has placed no such limit.

A man from Newton County convicted of killing a nine-year-old girl had his clemency request denied, pushing forward his soon-to-be execution.

Governor Mike Parson upheld the death sentence sentence for 49-year-old Christopher Collings on Monday in connection with the death of Rowan Ford in 2007.

According to court documents, he lived with the Ford family for several months in Stella, Missouri, southeast of Neosho, leading up to the murder.

Investigators say Collings sexually assaulted the nine-year-old girl on November 3, 2007 before murdering her and attempting to hide her body in a sinkhole.

He later confessed to the crime, along with Ford’s stepfather, David Spears, who was sentenced on lesser charges and served just seven years in prison.

Parson’s decision to uphold the death sentencing conviction is in line with previous decisions, he has overseen 13 clemency requests as Governor, denying each one.

Collings will be put to death Tuesday at 6:00pm at the state prison in Bonne Terre, Missouri. It will be the fourth execution performed in Missouri this year.

The Springfield community could soon have another professional sports franchise in the city.

Reports say that the USL (United Soccer League) sent a letter of intent to the Springfield City Council earlier this year, expressing their interest in bringing professional soccer to Springfield.

The City Council will discuss the matter Tuesday on a measure that, if passed, would have Springfield commit to partially pay for the USL to run feasibility research.

The cost would be split 50/50, and will allow league executives to look at the city to determine a possible stadium location, fan base demographics, etc.

Many believe that, despite already having a strong soccer coalition in the city, a professional soccer franchise would only increase fans of the sport in Springfield and surrounding areas.

If the measure is considered Tuesday, the Springfield City Council will vote on December 16.

Drury University and its athletic department is mourning the loss of beloved former coach and athletic director Dr. Edsel Matthews.

University officials announced Monday that Dr. Matthews passed away Sunday at the age of 83.

His legacy began as an assistant coach for Drury Panthers basketball in 1967-68 before becoming the head coach in 1971.

He was the head coach of the Panthers until 1978, and was also the Director of Athletics at Drury that final season.

Dr. Matthews later became the Director of Athletics for Springfield Public Schools, a role he held for 25 years.

He then returned to Drury, and was essential in the programs move to the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

The visitation for Dr. Matthews is scheduled for this Thursday, December 5, from 9 am to 11 am and will be followed by the funeral service at 11 am at Northside Christian Church on Highway H in Springfield.

The votes have been counted, and Jeffrey Reed from Bolivar is the winner of $500 in KWTO’s Big Ol’ Bucks contest, powered by Honda of the Ozarks.

From November 11th through November 24th, our listeners submitted photos of the deer they bagged this hunting season.

For the past week, you’ve had the opportunity to vote for your favorite photo at 933kwto.com and the KWTO app.

The photo (below) is of Jeffrey’s stepson, Gage, who bagged his first buck this deer season. Jeffrey submitted the photo of Gage, which received the most votes and is our winner!

Congrats to Jeffrey, Gage and their family and thanks to all of you who submitted a photo or cast a vote in our contest.

Here’s the winning photo:

One person is injured after a car crash flipped an SUV in Springfield.

Investigators say the crash happened along Chestnut Expressway near the Division intersection, when the SUV hit a utility pole and then flipped onto its side.

The driver of the SUV suffered minor injuries.

Police are investigating the potential cause of the crash.

The Better Business Bureau is reminding consumers to “be careful” when shopping online over the holiday season.

BBB regional director Pamela Hernandez is advising folks people to take their time, and do some research before making online purchases.

Shoppers should, according to Hernandez, be extremely cautious when clicking on ads from social media sites, and social media based shops like the “TikTok Shop”. She says clicking on these ads could lead to fake, scammer-ridden websites.

A man from Eldon is dead just days after he was hit by a Miller County Sheriff’s deputy.

Highway Patrol Troopers say the deputy was driving along Highway 17 northeast of Miller on Thursday, November 21, when a man was hit by the deputy while standing in the middle of the road.

The man who was hit, described as a 26-year-old from Eldon, was transported to University Hospital in Columbia. He died of his injuries on Wednesday, November 27.

The Miller County deputy was not injured in the crash. MSHP Troop F has reported the death as 48th traffic fatality of 2024.