SGFWiki: Help tell our community’s story

We’re formally rolling out our latest project, SGFWiki.org, a community wiki that anyone with an account can edit.

This site is designed to let anyone tell stories about the community — about the places you frequent, the schools you attend, the organizations you’re a part of. Think of it as an online encyclopedia about and for the Springfield area.

The best place to start: Think about what you tell visitors about our community. What are the places you take them to? What are the bits of trivia you share? Where do you go to celebrate and entertain?

Guidelines

As you write your posts, be sure to:

• Be accurate. Please keep entries factually based, with links to supporting evidence and footnotes.  Also, make sure you have permission to use the photos you upload or embed here. The goal is to develop an accurate encyclopedia of the Springfield metropolitan area that will benefit the community.
• Be specific. Dig up specific dates, ages, addresses, etc. Avoid using adjectives that characterize (“greatest,” “worst,” “amazing,” etc.); use details to describe the background of people and places.
• Be supportive. When editing existing entries, please explain your changes.
• Be watchful. Check out the Recent Changes tab frequently. Make sure others’ changes make sense and improve the quality of our content.
• Use templates.  For business, places, or restaurants, use a template as your starting point. Consider creating new templates for other categories.

I hope you’ll consider sharing your knowledge with the rest of us.

 

Changes afoot at SGFNews

Since 2009, I have been working with students, fellow journalists, and community members to try to create a community news site that brings together original content, aggregated lists, and submitted features.

We’ve had some successes. Our Twitter account (@sgfnews) has topped 2,000 followers, and we built a small but loyal following with our roundups on this site.

But my biggest hope — having dozens of contributions from the community — hasn’t happened. We did some town-hall meetings in the beginning and met with local groups, but despite a lot of interest, few people found the time to contribute to the project.

So we’re going to take a break from the roundups as we develop a new platform, one that makes it easier for people to tell the stories of our community. Keep an eye here; we hope to be rebooting the site in the next couple of months.

Thank you for your continued support of our efforts. This site doesn’t work without you.

—Jonathan Groves

Daily brief (12/6): Top picks from the Springfield media

Partly sunny, with a high near 61. Wind chill values as low as 38 early.

Tonight, mostly cloudy, with a low around 46.

Clouds should thicken a bit tonight, allowing us to start Friday morning in the 40s.

Friday will be a 20 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 58. Wind chill values as low as 45 early.

A cold front will move into the area on Friday but not really make much progress.  Moisture will be increasing so clouds will thicken and may hold highs down just slightly.  Still, the chance of rain looks quite small overall as lift remains week.

This front will move slightly south for Saturday, and its position will have a big influence on our highs.  Right now it looks as though much of at least southern and central Missouri will be on the cold side of the front, with highs in the lower 50s.   A few showers are possible on Saturday but once again I don’t expect any widespread rain.

By Sunday the main upper wave will approach and with it our chance of rain will increase.  What was once looking like a widespread and potentially heavy rain doesn’t look as good now, as upper energy doesn’t look to phase as earlier model runs were showing.

This will mean more scattered showers and a few storms.  It also means the chance of seeing snow is low as well.

Cold air will certainly be making an appearance for Monday, but by this time moisture will have been swept east of the area.  A few flurries are possible but this doesn’t look to be an accumulating event.  Highs will be in the 30s on Monday with an active jet stream continuing to keep us chilly (relative to recent days) with a storm system every several days.

Today’s picks

• OzarksFirst: Hometown hero: City servant keeps sewer system in check. One Springfield man makes sure our sewers stay in working order every day. Carl Shaw with the Springfield Clean Water Service makes our “business” his focus. For nearly 20 years, Carl has worked his way up the department, starting as a temp for the City of Springfield in 1993. Now as maintenance supervisor, Carl heads up several crews responsible for maintaining the city’s 1,200 miles of sanitary sewer and 28,000 manholes — even performing some emergency rescues along the way. It’s Carl’s dedication to the underground work his supervisors say makes him stand out.

• [politics]OzarksFirst: Gov. Nixon visits Afghanistan. Governor Nixon spent Wednesday visiting Missouri troops in Afghanistan.  Nixon met with several Missouri National Guard units. Nixon says it’s always an inspiring trip. “The bottom line is that every time I’m here, I’m inspired by the 24-7, get it done attitude and am confident that Missourians are not hesitating to assist when called on, and quite frankly, lead here in this difficult theater.” Nixon spent about 36 hours in the combat theater. This is Nixon’s third trip to Afghanistan as governor. While in Afghanistan, he visited the 1138th National Guard battalion based in Farmington. They are charged with keeping local roads free of improvised explosive devices.  Nixon says don’t look for the Missouri guard presence to end anytime soon. (Other coverage: KSPR, KY3).

• OzarksFirst: Mercy prepares to open new NICU unit. More help for tiny patients and their families visiting Mercy Hospital in Springfield. The hospital is opening the first part of its new neo-natal intensive care unit. The new unit includes individual family rooms which will mean quieter space. Before all the babies were cared for in one large room. The new unit is named for Betty and Bobby Allison.

Daily brief (12/05): Top picks from the Springfield media

Sunny, with a high near 60. Wind chill values as low as 34 early.

Temperatures are starting colder, but will end up either side of 60 degrees this afternoon and  expect 30s again tonight.

Around 60 again on Thursday as clouds begin to thicken up a bit.

Another cold front will move into the region on Friday and by that time we’ll have re-established our wind flow off the Gulf of Mexico bringing a few showers to develop here and there.  Temperatures will be in the upper 50s.

The cold front now looks like it will move just south of the Ozarks for the weekend, putting us in the colder air.  Highs over the weekend are now now expected around 50.

A few showers will be possible especially early Saturday, with a better chance of more widespread rain on Sunday.  Right now it looks like we’ll see rain on Sunday, with low pressure wrapping up and yanking in cold air for Monday.

The timing looks a bit faster, so a few snow showers are possible early in the day Monday but otherwise skies should clear.

It will be MUCH colder on Monday with highs only in the 30s.

Today’s picks

• News-Leader: Hospice’s annual dance will be fundraiser this year. This Saturday, there is a dance to benefit the Oxford Healthcare Hospice Fund, which helps people like Harrison with various expenses.The Snow Ball features live music from 7-10 p.m. at the Howard Johnson Ballroom. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. The foundation fund is used to meet exceptional expenses for patients with terminal illnesses and their families. Those expenses range from lift chairs, rent and utilities to even help for a family to buy Christmas gifts, said Julie Burnell, community outreach coordinator for Oxford.

• News-leader: Drury Scholars program teaches kids to aim higher. The Scholars program began in 2008 as a summer enrichment program for African-American middle school males. It has since expanded to include young females, tripling in size and offering year-round activities. By the 2009-2010 school year, according to the Drury website, a report produced by Springfield Public Schools said African-American students made up 7.5 percent of high school students but 4 percent of the students in the district that took the ACT. White students made up 83 percent of the students who took the ACT, and 86 percent of public school students. Additionally, white students scored five points higher on the ACT than their African-American counterparts.
  

  ABOUT THIS PROJECT

  The News-Leader’s ongoing Every Child project aims to focus attention on critical challenges facing children in our community. This quarter, we’re examining less visible social issues, cultural challenges, customs and beliefs that impact children here.

  Today’s focus: Low expectations for children

  Solution: Drury Scholars Program

  Number of children served annually: 40 to 50

  Budget: Earlier this year, it received an $84,511 challenge grant from the Missouri Department of Education

  For more information

  For more information

  Contact: Francine Pratt, Drury Scholars program coordinator, mobile: 916-541-1675; e-mail: fpratt@drury.edu

• OzarksFirst: Live nativity opens tonight at Springfield fairgrounds. An Ozarks tradition is back this year.  The live Nativity pageant opens this evening at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds. This is the 35th year for the free drive-through show that lasts a little over 30 minutes. Different churches take part in the production that depicts the birth of Jesus. And live animals make up part of the cast.
  The pageant runs every evening through Saturday, December 8. The hours are 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The entrance is at Gate 5 on Norton Road.

Daily brief (12/3): Top picks from the Springfield media

A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 74.

Tonight will be a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48.

A cold front will move through after dark tonight, bringing with it a few showers and storms.  Despite the warmth, this doesn’t appear to be a setup for severe weather.  The front will move out of the region early on Tuesday, with highs still near 60 degrees and lows around 30.

Temperatures stay the same until Friday, when they lower to the mid 50s and stay there for the weekend.

Today’s picks

• KY3: Help fund special projects for SPS students. During this giving season, you can help Springfield teachers with special classroom projects for students, the district set up a new website to spark a positive change. The Pick-A-Project website lets memebrs of the community choose a project they’d like to help Springfield Publis Schools fund. There are about 20 projects listed on there right now that were submitted by teachers and faculty at Springfield Public Schools. When you click on them they give you a brief synopsis of what the project is and why the teacher thinks it will be beneficial for his or her students. If you’d like to donate, click here to go to the Pick-A-Project website.

• OzarksFirst: Ford recalls Escapes, Fusions for fire hazard. 
  Ford Motor Company is recalling thousands of it’s Escape SUVs and Fusion cars because of a fire hazard. The car maker says there have been reports of overheating and fires in models with the 1.6 liter ecoboost engine. The model year is 2013. Ford says it’s working on a way to fix the problem. Ford is asking owners to contact a dealer as soon as possible to arrange for a free loaner vehicle.
• KSPR: Salvation Army will begin taking applications for holiday assistance. Starting today, The Salvation Army is taking applications for families that need a little help. The organization is donating toys and winter weather needs for children, blankets for senior citizens and food to make a Christmas meal. Applications can be dropped off today at the main Springfield location at 1707 Chestnut Expressway in Springfield. For more information, call the Salvation Army at (417) 862-5509.

Daily brief (12/2): Top picks from the Springfield media

Partly sunny, with a high near 70.

Tonight will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 57.

Monday will bring a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 71 and a low around 48 . Breezy with winds out of the south, sometimes reaching 30 mph.

Our next cool down will arrive on Tuesday after a cold front passes through late on Monday.  This frontal passage will bring a chance for showers  before temperatures get knocked back down into the 50s for highs by midweek.

Tuesday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 60 and a low around 38.

Wednesday and Thursday will be sunny with highs in the low 60s and lows around 4o.

Thursday, there is a chance showers.

Today’s picks

• KSPR: Lighting displays can be nightmare for neighbors. Huge Christmas lighting displays might be a treat for holiday visitors in communities around the region, but they can be a nightmare for neighbors who aren’t thrilled by strangers traipsing across their lawns and blocking their driveways. One Springfield, Mo., woman has complained to local officials about a massive display about half a mile from her house that causes streets to clog up and impatient drivers to create dangerous situations. The city has said it would look into her complaint, but noted there’s nothing illegal about the display.  In Prairie Village, Kan., neighborhood complaints prompted the City Council to issue new regulations that essentially priced a man known as “Mr. Christmas” to unplug a display that started 44 years ago and move it across the state line into Missouri.

• OzarksFirst:Thousands of bulbs light up for holiday drive-thru show.  People can enjoy about one mile of beautiful Christmas lights on display at Ozarks Finley River Park. People can drive through every Sunday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.. and on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but you are also free to give a donation at the end. The lights will be on display for viewing pleasure every day through January 6th.

• KSMU:  MoDOT encourages drivers to rate their work zones. The Missouri Department of Transportation, or MoDOT, is trying to make its work zones safer by asking drivers to completing a survey, rating their drive through the work zone. As winter approaches, MoDOT work zones begin to diminish. But the recent completion of the Highway 60 and 65 interchange has given MoDOT lots of feedback for next year. This survey allows local drivers to directly communicate with MoDOT and vise-versa.

Daily brief (12/1): Top picks from the Springfield media

A chance of drizzle. Patchy fog before noon. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 66.

Tonight will be partly sunny, with a high near 70 and a low around 56.

A weak cool front will approach the Ozarks early next week.

Sunday will be partly sunny, with a high near 70 and a low around 48. Showers are likely on Sunday night.

Showers and a few thunderstorms are possible however rainfall does not look all that impressive for how dry it is currently.  The air will be cooler behind this system but not cold so readings should stay above normal.

Today’s picks

• KSPR: Ozark group adopts family in hopes of a Christmas miracle. Doctors first diagnosed Thomas with Duchenne muscular dystrophy when he was five-years-old. Duchenne is one of the most common fatal genetic disorders that targets children. Although there are treatments, there is no cure. The family needs an updated power chair, a handicap accessible bathroom, and other modifications to help Thomas’ life expectancy. The immediate need for the family is a handicap accessible van with a lift to help Thomas go from one place to another. They need about $10,000 to get that van. Moms Club of Ozark knew about the Canters and wanted to help give them a Christmas miracle. If the family does not raise the money needed for the life, they could lose future grant money. To help, Moms Club will hold a Bunco Fundraiser for Thomas on December 13 at Ozark United Methodist Church. Advance tickets are $15. All proceeds will benefit the Canter family. Donations can be made to the Canter family at http://www.giveforward.com/independenceforthomas

• OzarksFirst: First-Ever ‘Shop Downtown’ lifts local sales and spirits.  Downtown retailers have launched what they hope to be a new post-Thanksgiving tradition. The Downtown Springfield Association held its “Shop Downtown!” initiative Friday from 6:30-9:30 p.m. for locals to see holiday lights, music, and get free carriage rides. The Downtown Springfield Association says shoppers entered to win a 42″ LCD flat-screen TV from Sensory Integration paired with a $300 Downtown Shopping Spree. Shopping passes were handed out at Hoover Music, 5 Pound Apparel, Downtown Clothing Exchange, Nomad, and Sensory Integration at the Veridian. Shopping passes could be punched at every stop, with or without purchases. After getting at least seven punches, shoppers turned in their passes to Sensory Integration at 309 South Avenue. Winners of the TV and shopping spree will be announced Monday, December 3.

• News-Leader:  Need help finding spectacular holiday light displays? A list of some of the best in the region that were submitted to the News-Leader, but don’t be surprised if you find more while out scouting for lights. News-Leader is still accepting submissions for our lights list until Wednesday, Dec. 5.  View Holiday lights in Greene County in a larger map

Daily brief (11/29): Top picks from the Springfield media

Warm Temperatures and plenty of sunshine will make for a nice afternoon on this Thursday.  Expect mostly sunny skies and high temperatures in the low 60s.  We will also have a breezy wind out of the south that could gust up to 30 mph.

Tonight will be mostly clear with a low around 30.

Believe it or not, the first couple of days in December will be in the upper 60s and low 70s!  These temperatures are about 20 degrees above the average.

Friday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 64. Wind chill values as low as 34 early.

Friday night will be mostly cloudy with a low around 49.

Saturday brings a chance of drizzle. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66 and a low around 55. Gust of winds could reach 31 mph.

Sunday will be mostly sunny with a high near 69 and low near 57.

Today’s picks

• News-Leader:  Public invited to proposals for College Street Corridor. The city once again is turning to residents for input as it refines a plan for West College Street that incorporates nostalgia for the bygone days of Route 66 into future redevelopment. City Council in August approved a plan for redeveloping the portions of West College and Olive streets between Grant Avenue and Kansas Expressway. That plan, which incorporated ideas gathered at eight public meetings, seeks to spur private investment by capitalizing on the area’s history and providing support in the form of city loans, tax incentives and infrastructure improvements.A public meeting tonight — the first of three planned during the next few months — is an extension of the earlier public process.  Topics on tonight’s agenda relate to planned public improvements along the College Street Corridor, including sidewalk and streetscape improvements, “gateway elements” at Grant and Kansas, and a Route 66-themed roadside park in the district’s heart. Finding ways to tie into Historic Route 66 will be a focus. The so-called Mother Road, which ran along College Street en route to the West Coast, was a key element stakeholders identified in earlier discussions.

• KSMU: Greene County sees first reported case of flu. Now that the first case of flu has been reported in Greene County, the health department will begin weekly updates on flu cases. Health officials are reminding people that it’s never too late to get a flu shot, and that it takes about two weeks for the immune system to boost up resistance to the flu after getting vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone over the age of 6 months be vaccinated, especially if they are high risk:  that’s young children, pregnant women, seniors, and people with chronic health conditions. Those who work with high-risk people, or who interact with infants 6 months old or younger should also be vaccinated. The Springfield Flu Coalition puts on free flu clinics for uninsured adults each fall, but those are over for this year.  For people without health insurance, if you don’t have a healthcare provider, your best option for a flu shot is now at a retail locations or pharmacy. Mike Brothers is the spokesman for the Springfield-Greene County Health Department. Pregnant women, children and those in close contact with infants less than six months old can still receive a shot at no cost at the health department’s Westside Public Health Center, 660 S. Scenic Ave.  You can make an appointment by calling (417) 874-1220, or use the walk-in clinic hours from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Tuesdays. For everyone else, there are options: Mercy will administer flu shots for the next three Fridays at 3265 S. National Avenue, Suite 115.  The vaccination costs $20, and only cash or credit cards will be accepted there.Also, most Walgreen’s stores, and several Wal-Mart, K-Mart and Dillon’s pharmacies are offering flu shots in Springfield and across the Ozarks.For an interactive map of places nearby offering the vaccination, visit www.flu.gov for more.

• KSPR: Mental illness definition broadens. Three people in three weeks: a young man from Bolivar as charged with threatening to shoot up a local movie theater; another man then vowed to finish the job; and, this week, a man from Springfield told staff at Mercy Hospital he would be returning with guns. In each of those cases, family members have said mental illness is at least partially to blame.  We’re not saying these men and others who claim so are not mentally ill.  What experts are saying is the definition of mental illness is constantly broadening and, sometimes, a diagnosis is a little too easy to come by. For the past decade, Thomlinson says, he’s watched the mental illness spectrum broaden. Thomlinson says that line becomes more blurred with every new edition of a book — “it’s sort of the bible of psychology, what we use to diagnose all human beings” — Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for the American Pyschiatric Association. The fifth edition will be released next year, and it’s rumored to include a new condition called Internet Use Disorder.  Thomlinson says that’s a bit frightening — that we’ve become so quick to diagnose relatively normal behavior, especially when it’s “bad” normal behavior like committing a violent crime. A diagnosis of mental illness should be much more complicated.  Thomlinson hopes it continues to be, so people who can manage on their own don’t undermine those who cannot. Thomlinson says he has seen three conditions broaden the most, and, likely as a result, there’s been a spike in people with them.  They are ADHD in children, depression in adults, and bi-polar disorder in all ages.

Daily brief (11/28): orefpicks from the Springfield media

Sunny, with a high near 53. Wind chill factor as low as 18 early.

Tonight will be mostly clear with a low around 30.

Thursday will be warmer with high near 60 and lows around 40.

Friday, the temperature will be high 60 with a low around 50.

This theme will carry into the weekend with the beautiful Sunday topping out at 68.

Rain is not expected for the next 10 days.

Today’s picks

• KSMU: Giraffe population rising at Dickerson Park Zoo. A new giraffe calf was born Friday at the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield. The birth is the zoo’s third of the season. The calf’s birth marks a number of firsts for the zoo. According to a release from the zoo, the birth of this calf also makes the first time in zoo history that three generations will be represented in the giraffe yard. The zoo now has eight giraffes: four adult females, one adult male, two female calves, and the newest member, a male calf. While Dickerson Park Zoo has plenty of room for the giraffes, they might not all be staying. The zoo could soon be welcoming a fourth calf as well. The zoo’s fourth adult female is pregnant, and is expected to give birth in January. All of the giraffes, including the newest calf, are visible to zoo guests.

• OzarksFirst:Drury Student’s website features hidden gems in Springfield. Whether you’ve lived in the Ozarks your whole life or just moved here, we’ve found a way to look at Springfield in a whole new way. Rebecca Anderson, a senior at Drury University, has created a new website just for you.  ExclusivelySGF.com was part of a class project and has been running since September. Rebecca’s teacher encouraged all his students to create something that would be useful after college. Anderson created the site to show the community the town’s unique hidden gems. Anderson’s teacher, Jonathan Groves, says Anderson’s site is unique and identifies a need in the community, one of the main components to the assignment.

• KSMU: Springfield Police Department acquires accreditation again. The Springfield Police Department was recently accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, also known as the CALEA. According to a press release sent out by the department, this is the fifth time the department has been accredited. The accreditation happens every three years, meaning that the SPD has achieved 15 continuous years of the approved status. This means the police department also earned the “Meritorious” award from CALEA.  Nearly 16,000 agencies in the US are eligible to apply for the voluntary accreditation; Springfield’s police department was part of only 5% of agencies to achieve this accreditation for the next three years. On behalf of the department, Police Chief Paul Williams accepted the award. Additionally, the Missouri State Highway Patrol was also re-accredited.

Daily brief (11/27): Top picks from the Springfield media

Sunshine today with a very light breeze returning to the south this afternoon.  Highs will only be in the lower 40s but will begin with a wind chill factor of 17.

Tonight will be mostly clear with a low around 23.

Highs will climb each of the next several days.

Wednesday, expect highs in the low 50s and lows around 30.

Thursday will be warmer with high near 60 and lows around 40.

Friday, the temperature will be high 60 with a low around 50.

This theme will carry into the weekend with the beautiful Sunday topping out at 68.

Rain is not expected for the next 10 days.

Today’s picks

• KSMU: Missouri PTA to host kids first town hall meeting in Springfield. The Missouri PTA has invited U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt, and U.S. House Rep. Billie Long to talk about their plans for future education in Missouri. The organization says the group plans to ask questions mainly focused on funding for early childhood education, the federal deficit reduction and other top priorities. According to PTA Vice President Dorothy Gardner, the organization works with localized PTA branches throughout the state to improve child welfare within schools. Then, the group works with those units to host an annual town hall meeting for that area that allows community members to address some educational issues that have come up throughout the year with elected representatives. The Springfield Council PTA is the local branch that will work with the Missouri PTA to run this year’s event.

• OzarksFirst: Harter House hosts 5th annual ‘Be a Santa to a Senior’ program. Here’s your chance to once again be Santa to a senior. Harter House is set to host the fifth annual Be a Santa to a Senior program, allowing people to buy holiday gifts for folks in need. Harter house along with Home Instead Senior Care have set up a Christmas tree at the grocery store’s Republic Road location. The idea is simple: stop by pick up an ornament, buy a gift, and bring it back. From there, it will be delivered to a senior. This year’s goal is to collect and deliver more than 500 gifts. The deadline to drop off presents is December 14.

• KY3: Health officials warn of highly-contagious stomach bug. The Taney County Health Department issued a warning last week that a highly-contagious stomach bug is being passed from person-to-person.  Epidemiologists confirmed six cases of the Norovirus so far.  The stomach bug causes both vomitting and diarrhea and can last up to three days. According to the Branson Chamber of Commerce, 7 million tourists visit Branson each year.  Many of them travel from hundreds of miles away, presenting a unique challenge for preventing disease. The virus can live on shopping carts, door knobs, sinks, and other surfaces.  Hand washing is the number one way to prevent it.  Doctors also advise wiping surfaces down with bleach.