Month: May 2025

A group of 81 veterans and 81 guardians are in Washington D-C Wednesday, visiting the war memorials as part of the first Honor Flight of the Ozarks mission for 2025.

Unlike previous flights, the group is flying into Dulles International Airport instead of Reagan National Airport, which will allow the return flight from Washington to depart earlier.

If you’d like to be a part of a special welcome home for our veteran heroes, be at the Springfield-Branson National Airport by 7:00pm Wednesday.

The flight is expected to arrive between 7:15 and 7:30pm.

Of the veterans on the flight, five served in Korea and 76 served in Vietnam.

Springfield City Council, in a split 5-4 vote, has approved a proposed contract with David Cameron as the next City Manager.

Council members Bruce Adib-Yazdi, Brandon Jensen, Monica Horton and Craig Hosmer voted in opposition to the contract.

Cameron has a start date of July 7th, 2025.

Cameron, who previously served in a similar position with the city of Republic, says he wants to express his deep appreciation for the trust the mayor, city council, and community has extended to him. “This is not about one individual, it’s about what we can accomplish together in Springfield, across the region, and throughout Missouri,” Cameron said. “I understand this decision was not unanimous, and I respect those who voted differently. Their commitment to public service is evident, and I look forward to earning their trust through our shared work ahead,” Cameron said.

Cameron also thanked the city of Republic and the community for allowing him to come back home and serve over the past nine years. “We built something special together, and I carry that same regional mindset with me into this next chapter,” Cameron said.

Governor Kehoe is holding a press conference at the Missouri State Capitol Tuesday (10:00am) to announce details of a special legislative session next month.

The Governor is calling back legislators so they can take up his stadium funding bill for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals.

An unsuccessful wide-reaching House measure dealing with statewide construction projects could also be a topic.

Leadership has told legislators to be ready to get back to work June 2nd through June 13th.

Despite the wet Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer was busy as usual at the Springfield-Branson National Airport.

Employees say the airport’s busiest time of the year started this weekend and will last until the beginning of August.

Some travelers at the airport say they felt minor turbulence while flying due to the weekend storms, while others experienced flight delays because of the weather.

Well over a half foot of rain fell in parts of southwest Missouri over the Memorial Day weekend, leading to flash flooding and impassible and damaged roads.

The National Weather Service says the highest official rain totals were around 8 inches, measured in Douglas and Ozark Counties southeast of Springfield.

We had reports of 8.75 inches in Springfield, 8.5 inches in Willard, and 8 inches in Fordland.

Get updated reports of highways closed in the Ozarks with MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map.

Flooding in the Ozark area caused part of Riverside Road to ripple and crumble under the weight of the water.

The road was closed over the holiday weekend because of asphalt damage on the road.

This area is well known for flooding during prolonged heavy rains.

(Photo courtesy of the Tri-County Fire Protection District)

A fire destroyed a single-story apartment multiplex in Richland on Sunday morning.

Tri-County Fire Protection District responded to a report of a fire at the Walnut Apartments on South Walnut Street in Richland just after 4 AM Sunday.

They could see visible flames going through the roof from a distance, so they put out a call for mutual aid and seven fire departments responded.

All of the occupants were evacuated safely.

The Missouri Division of Fire Safety is investigating the fire.   

Heavy rains overnight Friday night into Saturday morning have led to flooded roads and some water rescues in the Springfield metro area.

The National Weather Service says by 5am Saturday, 3-6 inches of rain had already fallen in the Springfield area, with rainfall rates of 1.5 to 2.5 inches per hour.

See what highways are closed due to flooding around the Ozarks and across the state with the MoDOT Traveler Information Map.

By 6am, we had reports from law enforcement of flooded roads and water rescues underway in and around Springfield.

A portion of eastbound Chestnut Expressway was closed due to flooding two miles northeast of Springfield.

We’ve had reports of Highway A flooded near Diggins in Webster County, and delays on southbound Highway 13 near Ebenezer because of flooded.

Many counties on the Ozarks are under a Flash Flood Warning Saturday morning, with more rain expected through the holiday weekend.