Daily brief (5/19): Top picks from the Springfield media

Today will be mostly sunny, with a high of 86. A steady south breeze will cut some of the heat, and gusts of close to 30 mph are possible.

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms moves into the forecast tomorrow. It will be mostly cloudy, and a high of 82 is expected.

But the rain should clear by Monday, and next week is expected to be like this one: sunny with highs in the 70s and 80s.

Today’s picks

• News-Leader: Authorities capture fugitive. Matthew James Allen, 27, of Nixa was captured in the 2300 block of West Lakota Street in Springfield after four days on the run. He is wanted on at least three warrants, including first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle. (Other coverage: KSPR, KY3, OzarksFirst)
• KY3: Farm land prices reaching record highs. Farm land prices have been increasing in the Ozarks, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, and though some farmers are selling their land, demand remains high.
• KSPR: Bolivar pool over budget, behind schedule. Bolivar’s new aquatic center is $2 million over budget, and the project missed its May 1 deadline.
• KSMU: United Arab Emirates contributes $5 million to Mercy Hospital in Joplin. The small Persian Gulf country of United Arab Emirates has contributed $5 million to build a new neonatal intensive care unit at Mercy Hospital in Joplin.

Daily brief (5/18): Top picks from the Springfield media

Today will be mostly sunny and hot, with a high of 85. Tomorrow will be more of the same with a high of 86.

But clouds move into the forecast Sunday, bringing a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Rain chances should disappear by Monday, though, clearing the way for another sunny week.

Today’s picks

• News-Leader: Springfield mail facility gets temporary reprieve. According to plans released by the U.S. Postal Service, no Missouri mail-processing centers will close before at least February 2014. (Other coverage: KY3, OzarksFirst)
• OzarksFirst: MSU hopes to name new president by Nov. 1. Candidates for Missouri State University’s presidential post must submit applications by July 13. The university’s search committee hopes to narrow the field to three finalists for interviews in October.
• KSMU: Lawmakers approve flat budget for higher education. Missouri’s public universities will receive flat budgets for the next year in a state budget passed by legislators this week.
• KSPR: Fair Grove tornado shelter delayed. Three years ago, a tornado damaged parts of Fair Grove High School, and the community developed a plan for a community tornado shelter on the school grounds. But high bids have pushed the project back.
• KY3: Parkview secretary retires after 55 years. Trish Chrisman retired this week after 55 years at Parkview High School in Springfield. (Other coverage: News-Leader, OzarksFirst)

Daily brief (5/17): Top picks from the Springfield media

The streak of sunny days continues today, and the high is expected to hit 83. Tonight will remain clear, with the low dipping to 59.

The clear skies will stretch into the weekend, with highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s. The first chance of precipitation is not expected until Saturday.

Today’s picks

• KY3: Study examines options for Republic 911 center. Greene County’s 911 advisory board is looking at a number of options with Republic’s 911 call center including closing the location or keeping it as a backup facility. (Other coverage: News-Leader)
• News-Leader: Authorities shift tactics in hunt for fugitive. Law-enforcement officials have spread over a 10-mile area looking for Matthew James Allen, 27, of Nixa, who fled from a Greene County sheriff’s deputy after a traffic stop. He had three outstanding warrants, including first-degree tampering with a vehicle. (Other coverage: OzarksFirst)
• OzarksFirst: State’s first Walmart Neighborhood Market opens in Springfield. Missouri’s first Walmart Neighborhood Market opened Wednesday at 3150 W. Republic Road. The store is smaller than a Walmart Supercenter but does offer a grocery store.
• KY3: Nixa, Ozark trying to navigate future. Nixa and Ozark have both grown to the point that their school districts must consider the possibility of a second high school.
• KSPR: Air quality alert for today. Springfield’s Department of Environmental Services has issued an air quality alert for today after high readings of ground-level ozone, and is urging people to carpool, ride a bike, or take other action to reduce driving.
• KSMU: Health department to recognize daycare facilities. The Springfield-Greene County Health Department has given the “Child Safe Facility” designation to six daycare centers, which grades locations on several criteria including emergency preparedness, indoor and outdoor safety, and safe sleep practices.

Daily brief (5/16): Top picks from the Springfield media

The streak of nice days will continue into the weekend.

Today will be sunny with a high of 82. The rest of the week will be much of the same, with sunny skies and highs in the 80s. Lows overnight will dip to the 60s.

The next chance of rain moves into the forecast on Sunday.

Today’s picks

• News-Leader: Authorities still hunting for fugitive. Law-enforcement officials tracked Matthew James Allen, 27, to the Nixa area on Tuesday after he was reportedly seen around noon. Three Nixa schools including the high school were locked down while authorities searched for Allen. They aren’t sure whether he is armed, but they are presuming he has a weapon. (Other coverage: KSPR, KY3, OzarksFirst)
• OzarksFirst: Missouri lawmakers give final approval to adding cell phones to no-call list. The Missouri Senate gave final approval Tuesday to a measure that will add cell phones to the state’s no-call list. The House approved the bill last month. (Other coverage: KY3)
• OzarksFirst: Sheriff defends deputies’ actions in video. Stone County Sheriff Richard Hill says his deputies acted appropriately in a recorded arrest that has made its way to the Internet.
• KY3: Illegal panhandling targeted by Springfield police. Nine people were arrested this week as police cracked down on panhandlers asking people for money.
• KSPR: Work to begin on new traffic signal east of MSU. Construction is scheduled to begin next week on a new traffic signal at National Avenue and Monroe Street.
• KSMU: Bolivar law firm to celebrate 100 years. Douglas, Haun, and Heidemann has been on the Bolivar square near the Polk County Courthouse since 1912. Partner Kerry D. Douglas, a third-generation attorney, is continuing the firm started by his grandfather.

Daily brief (5/15): Top picks from the Springfield media

Today will be sunny with a high of 79. And expect a similar forecast for the next several days.

The temperature will get gradually warmer: A high of 81 is expected tomorrow, and a high of 83 is expected Thursday. Lows will be in the 50s and 60s over the next week.

Today’s picks

• KY3: Authorities searching for fugitive in Greene County. Matthew James Allen, 27, of Nixa fled last night into the woods near the 2400 block of  Peach Tree Lane (North Highway 125). Allen is described as white, 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, with blue eyes, brown hair, and wearing a gray t-shirt and black athletic shorts. Residents at 125 and YY are urged to lock up all buildings. (Other coverage: KSPR, OzarksFirst)
• KSPR: Rolla soldier killed in Afghanistan. Pfc. Richard McNulty III of Rolla, who graduated from Rolla High School in 2010, was killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan on Saturday. (Other coverage: KY3, OzarksFirst)
• KY3: Care to Learn hits milestone. In its five years, Care to Learn of Springfield has supplied 100,000 children in the Ozarks with food, supplies, and health care.
• KSPR: City Council to meet in special session today. Proposed rules under consideration today would change some of the procedures for getting an amendment to the Springfield City Charter on the ballot. Among the proposed changes: Having five Springfield residents be sponsors of the initiative.
• News-Leader: Some say sound walls making noise worse. Some residents of Cinnamon Square near U.S. 65 say the sound wall across from their neighborhood reflects sound toward their homes, making the highway noise worse than before.
• OzarksFirst: $2.8 million grant to help build safe rooms in Joplin. Missouri is providing $2.8 million to help build safe rooms in Joplin schools that can withstand tornado-force winds. (Other coverage: KY3)

Daily brief (5/13): Top picks from the Springfield media

Happy Mother’s Day!

After a foggy start, skies will clear, and Mother’s Day will become partly sunny with a high near 72.

Skies should remain clear for the week, with mild temperatures in the 70s and 80s.

Today’s picks

• OzarksFirst: Two weekend events collecting donations for charities. The Stomp the Blues Out of Homelessness and Stamp Out Hunger events this weekend sought to collect food and goods for people in need.
• News-Leader: Joplin: After the tornado. A year after a tornado destroyed much of the town and killed 161 people, Joplin has been rebuilding and recovering.
• KY3: Almost half of Missouri kids overweight or obese. A recent study from the Trust for America’s Health confirms others that almost half of Missouri children are overweight and obese. That’s why organizations like CoxHealth are hosting events to encourage exercise and healthier eating habits.
• KSPR: Springfield fire chief asking for funds to upgrade equipment. The Springfield Fire Department has used the same self-contained breathing apparatuses for its firefighters for the past 12 years, and the fire chief isn’t sure where the department will get money to upgrade the equipment.

Daily brief (5/12): Top picks from the Springfield media

Showers are likely today, especially after 1 p.m. It will be mostly cloudy witha high near 71.

Skies should become partly sunny by tomorrow, though, and the high will be 72. A nice week is in stores, with sunny skies and mild temperatures in the 70s.

Today’s picks

• KSPR: Charities in the Ozarks facing donation deficit. The Kitchen and Victory Mission, like other charities in the Ozarks, are barely keeping their budgets balanced as donations have dropped.
• KY3: Midwifery clinic opens in Springfield. A certified professional midwife has set up a clinic in Springfield at Glenstone Avenue and Sunshine Street.
• News-Leader: Women’s shelter in need of home. Organizers of Safe to Sleep program, which provides help to homeless women, are hoping for a permanent home.
• OzarksFirst: State park beaches now open. Eight state recreational beaches in Missouri, including Pomme de Terre State Park in Hickory County, have opened for the summer season.
• KSMU: Transportation committee asks for public input. The Ozarks Transportation Organization, which helps coordinate road and traffic projects, is asking for public comments on its unified planning program for the next fiscal year.

Daily brief (5/11): Top picks from the Springfield media

Today will be mostly sunny with a high of 75, but a chance of rain moves into the forecast tonight.

It will become mostly cloudy, and the chance of showers and thunderstorms increases to 50 percent tomorrow. Tomorrow’s high will be 71.

Rain chances remain Sunday, but skies should clear by Monday, making way for another nice week with mild temperatures.

Today’s picks

• OzarksFirst: Federal judge blocks Springfield’s E-Verify ordinance. A preliminary injunction has been put on Springfield’s E-Verify ordinance after four businesses sued the city over the new ordinance. It requires employers to check all employees through the E-Verify system. (Other coverage: News-Leader)
• KY3: Mayor O’Neal talks about resignation. Springfield Mayor Jim O’Neal said Monday’s contentious meeting had nothing to do with his resignation. Personal and business reasons led to his resignation with a year left in his term.
• KSPR: Some prospective homeowners having trouble getting loans. Mortgage rates remain below 4 percent, but some Ozarkers are having trouble making it through the loan-approval process.

Daily brief (5/10): Top picks from the Springfield media

Today will be a picture-perfect day, with sunny skies and a high of 75. The day will remain clear, and tonight’s low will dip to 52.

Tomorrow will be mostly sunny, and a high of 77 is expected. Clouds will move in tomorrow night, though, and a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms moves in this weekend.

Today’s picks

• News-Leader: OTC signs agreement with Missouri Southern. Under an agreeement signed this week, students from Ozarks Technical Community College will have an easier time transferring coursework to Missouri Southern State University. Students who earn associate’s degrees in science or applied sciences will be able to transfer the entire bloc of courses. (Other coverage: OzarksFirst)
• OzarksFirst: Graduation season in full swing. Ozarks Technical Community College hosts its GED graduation tonight at the Gillioz Theater, and Drury University’s graduation will be Saturday. Graduations for Missouri State University and the city’s high schools will happen over the next couple of weeks.
• KSMU: Health department, watershed committee testing streams. The Springfield-Greene County Health Department is teaming up with the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks to test five area swimming locations at the James River, Galloway Creek, Lake Springfield, Little Sac River and Wilson’s Creek. (Other coverage: OzarksFirst)
• KY3: Republic elementary students run in memory of lost loved ones. A group of Republic students are running in the Lost and Found Memorial 5k on Thursday, May 24, in Jordan Valley Park.
• KSPR: Police searching for robbery suspect. The Subway sandwich shop on North Kansas Expressway was robbed at gunpoint by a man described as 5 feet 8 inches tall and slender. He was wearing black and had a bandanna over his face. (Other coverage: KY3)

Daily brief (5/9): Top picks from the Springfield media

Today will continue the string of nice days in the area.

It will be sunny and mild, with a high of 71. Tonight will be another cool evening, as the low dips to 46. Expect more of the same for the next few days; the next chance of rain enters the forecast Saturday.

Today’s picks

• News-Leader: Stephens sworn in as new mayor. Bob Stephens, who was first elected a city councilman in 2009, has become Springfield’s mayor after Jim O’Neal abruptly resigned after Monday’s meeting. (Other coverage: KSPR, KY3, OzarksFirst)
• KSPR: Murder suspect sought by police.Authorities have charged Joshua Kirkland Brown, 21, with the weekend shooting death of Javon Carter, 20, but Brown has not yet been captured. He is 170 pounds, 5 feet 10 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes. He has “Veronda” tattooed on his left inner forearm. Anyone with information about him should call (417) 864-TIPS.
• KY3: Route 66 landmark reopens in Carthage. The Boots Motel has reopened in Carthage and is undergoing renovation.
• OzarksFirst: Southwest Missouri seeing abundance of ticks. Eldon Cole of the University of Missouri Extension Service says the tick population seems more abundant this year because of the mild winter.