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

There’s a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. today, but it will remain hot.

It will be sunny and hot, with a high of 94. The heat index could hit 101, and a heat advisory remains in effect for the area.

The extended heat wave is starting to create long-term problems for crops in the state, and at least 18 deaths have been linked to the heat.

Budget talks

President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner spoke to the nation last night about the stalled debt-ceiling negotiations. Congress must reach an agreement by Aug. 2 to raise the debt ceiling or the United States will default on its debt.

Here’s how to contact Missouri’s senators:

• Sen. Roy Blunt (Web). Phone: (202) 224-5721
• Sen. Claire McCaskill (Web). Phone: (202) 224-6154

Here are the House districts for Ozarkers:

• 4th District (including Webster, Dade, and northern Polk counties), Rep. Vicky Hartzler: (Web) Phone: (202) 225-2876
• 7th District (including Greene, Christian, western Taney, Stone, Lawrence, and southern Polk counties), Rep. Billy Long: (Web) Phone: (202) 225-6536
• 8th District (including eastern Taney, Ozark, and Douglas counties), Rep. Jo Ann Emerson: (Web) Phone: (202) 225-4404

Today’s picks

• OzarksFirst: Wonders of Wildlife must provide city with annual updates. Monday night, the Springfield City Council amended its contract with the Wonders of Wildlife museum. One change: The museum must now file annual updates with the city.
  
• News-Leader: Two books pulled from Republic school library shelves. The Republic school board voted to remove “Slaughterhouse-Five” by Kurt Vonnegut and “Twenty Boy Summer” by Sarah Ockler from the school curriculum and library.
• KY3: Lebanon mayor fights to keep job. Lebanon Mayor C.P. Craig is fighting to keep his job. Voters will decide his fate in a recall vote next week.
• KSMU: Justice Roundtable reviews successes, failures. The Springfield-Greene County Safety and Justice Roundtable presented its two-year update on public safety and the local criminal justice system to local leaders on Monday. (Other coverage: KSPR)

Daily brief (3/17): Top picks from the Springfield media

Today will be unseasonably warm and breezy, with a high of 78. Though skies will be clear, winds will be gusty, reaching speeds of up to 31 mph.

Tomorrow will be another warm one, with partly sunny skies and a high of 79.

Today’s picks:

• OzarksFirst [KOLR/KSFX]: Airport master plan discussion tonight. The Springfield-Branson National Airport is hosting its first open house tonight to hear from the public.
• News-Leader: Lebanon residents launch effort to oust mayor. About 1,500 signatures have been gathered in an effort to remove Mayor C.P. Craig.
• KY3: Federal agency may force Mount Vernon to add girls softball. The Office of Civil Rights wants Mount Vernon High School to add girls softball to provide equal opportunity for girls to participate in sports.

Daily brief (1/20): Top picks from the Springfield media

About 1-4 inches of snow blanketed the Ozarks overnight, and most school districts have closed.

The snow is expected to continue through about noon. The temperature will start the day at 25 and drop throughout to a low of 4 tonight (yes, that’s a single digit).

Today’s picks:

• News-Leader: Budget cuts hit state jobs. In his State of the State address yesterday, Gov. Jay Nixon says his proposed budget cuts more than $700 million out of the budget, including cuts to higher education and government administrative positions. (Other coverage: KSPR, OzarksFirst)
  
• OzarksFirst [KOLR/KSFX]: Citizens can help with CU search. City Utilities is looking for a new general manager to replace the retiring John Twitty, and CU’s board wants the public to help. Interested citizens can apply to be part of the general-manager search committee.
• KSPR: Lebanon City Council lacks confidence in mayor. The council voted 5-2, but the nonbinding vote doesn’t remove the mayor from office. (Other coverage: OzarksFirst).
• OzarksFirst: Conservation Department asks residents to buy firewood locally. State officials say buying firewood locally will help stop the spread of the emerald ash borer, a beetle that attacks ash trees. The beetle currently has been seen only in the southeast part of Missouri.
• KSMU: Use of ‘fake cocaine’ on the rise. Health experts say a chemical used as a bath salt has been used as “cocaine,” which has led to some calls to the Missouri Poison Center.