Daily brief (8/27): Top picks from the Springfield media

Areas of fog are expected early this morning with visibility reduced to less than a mile or less in some areas.  The fog will be mostly dense west of U.S. 65 and include the U.S. 71 and 60 corridors.  Be alert for rapid change in visibility over a short distance.

Otherwise, cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 86.

An isolated thunderstorm may be possible south and east of the I-44 corridor through this morning.

Tonight is mostly cloudy with a low around near 64.

Tomorrow will be sunny  with a high near 89.  After today, no more rain is expected until Friday.

Today’s picks

• KSPR: Springfield City Council has a full agenda for Monday’s meeting. The city’s anti-discrimination ordinance and punishments for marijuana posession are just a few of the issues. (Other coverage:  OzarksFirst, KY3-prayer rally)
•  OzarksFirst: Southwest Airlines to announce its plan for Branson. Airport officials are staging what they call a “pep rally” this afternoon at the Branson Landing, to announce when Southwest will start service in Branson, and what destination cities will be served.  Announcement is at 5 p.m., and Governor Nixon is expected to attend.
• [Election] News-Leader: Now is not the time to debate social issues, say some in GOP. Akin’s comments highlighted divided opinions among Missouri Republicans and conservatives about how much emphasis should be put on social issues such as abortion rather than economic issues. (Other coverage:  OzarksFirst)
• KY3: Officials to stop issuing permits for deer facilities in response to chronic wasting disease. The Missouri Conservation Commission has stopped issuing permits for new big-game hunting and breeding facilities that hold white-tailed or mule deer.

Daily brief (8/26): Top picks from the Springfield media

The well-needed rain will continue into Monday.

Today, showers and thunderstorms likely before 1 a.m. Cloudy, with a high near 81.

Thunderstorms in the area this evening through tomorrow evening.  Tonight, a low near 69. Monday will be a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 87.

Today’s picks

• KY3: The 3rd Annual Cherish Kids River Run was held August 25, 2012.  Cherish Kids is an organization whose purpose is to raise awareness of children in foster care and in need, offer resources to those interested in helping kids in foster care/adoption, and provide support to those who want to help. (Other coverage:  OzarksFirst
• OzarksFirst:  Evangel students provide a helping hand to Convoy of Hope. Four hundred new students from Evangel University pitched in at Convoy for Hope as part of their service opportunity back to school tradition.
• News-Leader: What will City Council do?  The proposal to expand Springfield’s nondiscrimination ordinance to include sexual orientation and gender identity has stoked passions on both sides of the issue
• KY3: Local American Red Cross sends volunteers to Florida to help those displaced by Isaac.  Seventeen volunteers went to Florida with dozens on standby.  Convoy of Hope has three trucks loaded filled with food and supplies. Their volunteers leave Sunday morning.
• KSPR: Neil Armstrong passes away at 82.  A statement from the family says he died following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures. (Other coverage: OzarksFirst)

Daily brief (7/26): Top picks from the Springfield media

The Ozarks gets its first shot at a good soaking in several days today.

There’s a 60 percent chance of rain, mainly after 1 p.m. Otherwise it will be partly sunny and hot, with a high of 93. The heat index could reach as high as 99, and a heat advisory remains in effect for the day.

Tomorrow will be sunny and hot, with a high of 97; it will be a preview of the week to come. After today, no more rain is expected for at least a week.

Today’s picks

• KSPR: Ozark Empire Fair prepares for 2012 edition.The 76th annual Ozark Empire Fair will begin its run Friday and last through Aug. 4. Among the performers to appear this year: Glen Campbell and Dierks Bentley.
• [Election] OzarksFirst: Public forum tonight for state representative candidates. A meet-the-candidates forum for those running for state legislature will be at 7 p.m. today at Cox North (1423 N. Jefferson Ave.).
• News-Leader: After 20 years, Yakov Smirnoff leaving Branson. Comedian Yakov Smirnoff, a Branson fixture for the past two decades, will be taking his show on the road to help married couples.
• KY3: Rare Breed shelter getting overcrowded.The summer heat is driving more kids in need of help to Rare Breed, the downtown shelter for homeless teens.

Daily brief (7/13): Top picks from the Springfield media

Friday the 13th — we’ll try not to be superstitious.

Today will be sunny with the high hovering around 92. A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms enters the forecast after 1 p.m. The chance of rain lingers through tomorrow, which will be another hot one, with a high of 94.

Next week will be another sunny, hot summer week, with few clouds and highs in the mid to upper 90s.

Today’s picks

• KY3: Nixon signs 12 bills, vetoes 10. Gov. Jay Nixon signed 12 bills into law this week while vetoing 10 others. Among those he vetoed: a bill that would have required nsurance companies to draft policies excluding coverage of abortions, birth control prescriptions and medical sterilizations if an employer has religious objections to those provisions. (Other coverage: News-Leader)
• OzarksFirst: Scavenger hunt to highlight Route 66. The Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau is hosting a scavenger hunt to highlight 66 attractions along the old Route 66 through the Springfield area.
• KSPR: MoDOT says no new projects this year. For the next year, the Missouri Department of Transportation will focus on maintaining and fixing the state’s bridges and roadways.
• KSMU: New Cox ambulances safer, more efficient. CoxHealth has added two Mercedes ambulances that get better gas mileage and have staff sitting forward, making them safer. And they are about $60,000 less than the ambulances the health system used to purchase.

Daily brief (7/7): Top picks from the Springfield media

A respite from the heat is on the horizon — after one more hot day.

Today will be sunny with a high of 100, and a heat advisory remains in effect until 7 tonight. A 30 percent chance of showers will last throughout the day, increasing to 40 percent tonight as clouds thicken. Rain chances remain through Monday, and temperatures should drop into the upper 80s next week.

Today’s picks

• KSPR: Ozarks firefighters not equipped to deal with large forest fires. Over the past two weeks, area fire departments have had to fight large fires in Christian and Taney counties. Extended dry conditions have made it easy for grass fires to be ignited by fireworks or sparks from mower blades.
• KY3: Missouri House speaker rejects call for special session. Missouri House Speaker Steven Tilley announced this week that he rejects the idea of a special session to deal with health care because of the cost. Sen. Brad Lager had raised the idea to recommend the state opting out of the federal Medicaid changes. (Other coverage: OzarksFirst)
• KY3: Demolition along Missouri 76 in Branson almost complete. Four months after a tornado devastated Branson, the demolition and clearing of damaged buildings along the Missouri 76 strip is almost complete. Officials say the remaining debris should be cleared within a few weeks.
• News-Leader: South Springfield facility will give another league option. The Fieldhouse Sportscenter, a 46,000-square-foot facility to be built at Cox Road and Kingsley Street in southwest Springfield, will offer four basketball courts and six volleyball courts.
• OzarksFirst: Summer movies return to Founders Park. The eight-week downtown movie series begins this weekend at Founders Park. Movies are free with advance tickets available at the Mediacom Ice Park as well as other park and city offices throughout Springfield.
• KSMU: Remains of WWII soldier finally coming home. In 1944, the B-17 bomber carrying Staff Sgt. John E. Hogan of West Plains went down over Germany, and his body was never accounted for. His remains were found years later, and after DNA confirmation, his remains will be returned to the Ozarks for burial.

Daily brief (6/8): Top picks from the Springfield media

Another gorgeous day is in store for the Ozarks: Sunny, with a high of 81. The low tonight will dip to 61.

The weekend will remain sunny but become hotter, as the high temperatures approach 90. Monday brings a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, which will linger through Tuesday.

Today’s picks

• News-Leader: Legislature passes provision to close records. The Missouri General Assembly has passed a bill — now awaiting Gov. Jay Nixon’s signature — that expands the crimes that can be expunged from someone’s record after a decade.
• OzarksFirst: State issues crayfish bait ban. The Missouri Conservation Department has issued a ban on using bought crayfish bait because it can result in nonnative species affecting local habitats. But some fishing enthusiasts aren’t happy about the ban.
• KY3: Battle over raw milk in Christian County. Some raw milk producers are balking at Christian County’s regulations, which require a state Grade A food permit and a county health permit before sellers can distribute milk at a farmers market or other location besides their farms. (Other coverage: KSPR)
• KSMU: Private garden tour this weekend in Greene County. The Master Gardeners of Greene County and the Southwest Missouri Water Garden Association are sponsoring the 2012 Private Gardens Tour this Saturday. (Other weekend events: River Rescue this weekend: KY3 | Ozarks businesses team up with law enforcement to promote child safety: KSPR)

Daily brief (6/7): Top picks from the Springfield media

The streak of nice days continues today: Sunny, with a high of 82.

Tonight will be another cool, mild night, with a low of 57. Expect another nice day tomorrow, with sunny skies and a high of 83.

The weekend will be hotter, as highs approach 90, and a chance of thunderstorms enters the forecast on Monday.

Today’s picks

• KY3: Early Head Start funding cut back. With a tight budget, the state of Missouri cut back funding for the Early Head Start child-care program, and several day-care providers are shutting down their programs, leaving some parents in a bind.
• News-Leader: Candlelight vigil this morning for three missing women. Twenty years ago, Sherill Levitt, Suzanne Streeter, and Stacy McCall disappeared, and their case remains unsolved. A candlelight vigil at 6 a.m. today remembered the three. (Other coverage: KSPR, OzarksFirst)
• OzarksFirst: Emotional sendoff for National Guard troops. Family members and friends said goodbye Wednesday to 165 soldiers heading off to Kuwait for a yearlong deployment. (Other coverage: News-Leader)
• KSMU: City Council selects finalists for open position. Michael Carroll, controller of Andy’s Frozen Custard; Jan Fisk, co-owner of J. Howard Fisk Limousines; and Arthur Hodge, a retired veteran and former Springfield Public Schools attendance adviser, are the three finalists for the City Council position left vacant after Bob Stephens became mayor.

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 (5/16): 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 (4/25): Top picks from the Springfield media

Today will be mostly sunny and unseasonably warm, with a high of 83. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible this morning.

Winds will be strong, with gusts of up to 28 mph.

A 40 percent chance of precipitation remains tomorrow; otherwise, it will be partly sunny with a high of 81. Rain chances will remain for the rest of the week into the weekend.

Today’s picks

• OzarksFirst: Sheriff to give update on Willingham murder case. A year ago today, Donald and Helen Willingham of Willard were found dead in their southwest Springfield home; the attack appeared to be random. Today, Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott will hold a news conference with an update in the case.
• News-Leader: City looking to improve two major intersections. The city of Springfield, with the help of the Missouri Department of Transportation, is considering adding a diverging-diamond intersection at Kansas Expressway and James River Expressway, as well as adding lanes and improvements to Glenstone Avenue north of James River.
• KY3: Unlicensed day-cares may face increased regulation. Bills making their way through the Missouri General Assembly would add more regulations for unlicensed day-cares, including increasing the fine for watching too many children to $10,000.
• KSPR: Taney County flood victims fighting bureaucracy. A year after the Taney County floods, some victims are still waiting on federal payments for their damaged homes.