Daily brief (5/3): Top picks from the Springfield media

Today will be partly sunny and unseasonably warm, with a high of 86.

A slight chance of thunderstorms moves into the forecast tonight, and will remain into tomorrow. Otherwise, it will be mostly sunny, with a high of 88. The weekend should remain sunny and hot. The next chance of thunderstorms will be Sunday night.

Today’s picks

• News-Leader: City debating what to do with WOW funds. In November, the Wonders of Wildlife museum decided to give its $330,000 annual allotment of room taxes back to the city. Now, city leaders are debating the best way to use the money: debt reduction or investment in new attractions. (Other coverage: OzarksFirst)
• KY3: City Council considering $50 million sewer improvement plan. The Springfield City Council will review a plan Monday night that would put $50 million over the next several years toward upgrading the city’s sewer system to meet federal and state clean-water standards. (Other coverage: KSMU | Council considering amending City Charter: KSPR)
• OzarksFirst: Homeownership picture a little brighter in Ozarks. Ozarks agents and bankers say the homeownership numbers for the region are better than the national statistics, which show homeownership nationally at a 15-year-low.
• KY3: Branson reclassifying extended-stay hotels. The city of Branson recently reclassified extended-stay hotels so they are no longer considered apartments. Hotel owners — who contend most of their properties function as apartments — say the new rules will be too costly.

Daily brief (2/18): Top picks from the Springfield media

Today will be cloudy, and rain chances will linger throughout the day and night, according to the National Weather Service. The high will be 46.

Skies should clear out by tomorrow, with a sunny day and a high of 47. Monday will be more of that same: Mostly sunny, with a high of 54.

Today’s picks

• News-Leader: Council considering ways to spend museum tax funds. The Wonders of Wildlife museum in Springfield plans to give up future revenue from the museum tax district, and the city is considering a couple of options for the money: paying down debt or investing in new facilities.
• KY3: Basketball player’s family sends thanks to community. Teammates of Spokane student Forrest Varney, who died after collapsing during basketball practice, took the court Friday in his honor, and Varney’s family released an open letter of thanks to the community. (Other coverage: OzarksFirst)
• KSPR: Missouri family farms not continuing. The next generation in farm families are not following the path of their parents, which is leading to a cattle shortage and higher prices.
• OzarksFirst: Ozarks gardeners bracing for bug battle. A mild winter means insects will be out in force in the Ozarks as the weather heats up.
• KY3: History museum moves closer to relocation. The History Museum of Springfield-Greene County is in the process to moving to Park Central Square. For the past three years, the museum has been renovating space in the old Barth’s department store; officials hope the project will be completed next year.
• TagSGF: Area’s largest gaming conference starts today. Visioncon, now in its 20th year, will host a variety of role-playing and gaming events today and tomorrow at the Howard Johnson hotel in Springfield (formerly the Clarion) (3333 S. Glenstone Ave.).
• News-Leader: CoxHealth settles one-third of radiation lawsuits. Two years after CoxHealth admitted to exposing  patients to excessive amounts of radiation, 27 of 66 lawsuits against the Springfield hospital have been settled.

Daily brief (11/23): Top picks from the Springfield media

Editor’s note: The Daily Brief will take a brief break for the Thanksgiving weekend but will resume next week. Have a wonderful holiday!

A cloudy morning will give way to a clear, sunny day with a high near 56.

Tonight will be clear with a low dipping to 38. Thanksgiving will be sunny and perfect for the Turkey Trot, and the high is expected to hit 65.

Today’s picks

• KSPR: Gingrich not registered for Missouri primary. Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich is not on the ballot for the Missouri primary, although Missouri Republicans are choosing their candidates via caucus. (Other coverage: OzarksFirst)
• KY3: Wonders of Wildlife to donate tax funds to CFO. Leaders of the Wonders of Wildlife said Tuesday the museum will no longer take hotel/motel tax funds, and Johnny Morris, owner of Bass Pro Shops, plans on donating $4 million — the amount the museum has received to date — to the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. (Other coverage: KSMU, News-Leader)
• News-Leader: City asks club owner to repay loan. The city of Springfield has asked the developer of a downtown comedy club to repay a $45,000 loan from the city.
• OzarksFirst: Soldiers to deploy to Afghanistan. More than 70 soldiers from Fort Leonard Wood are heading to Afghanistan. The soldiers are part of the 988th Military Police Company, 92nd Military Police Battalion, 4th Maneuver Support Brigade.

Daily brief (9/8): Top picks from the Springfield media

Today will continue the string of nice days we’ve had.

It will be sunny, with a high of 77. Tonight will be partly cloudy, and the low will dip to the low 50s. Tomorrow will be another nice day, with sunny skies and a high of 74. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms moves into the forecast, though.

Today’s picks

• OzarksFirst: 60/65 ramp to close for 30 days. The northbound-to-eastbound ramp at the U.S. 60/65 interchange will close for a month beginning tonight to allow crews to resurface the Lake Springfield bridge on eastbound U.S. 60.
• News-Leader: Management styles clash on Greene County Commission. Presiding Commissioner Jim Viebrock says the county should use funds from open positions at other departments to hire more jailers, but the other commissioners want to consult those other departments first.
• KY3: Foundation awards 36 grants for Springfield school projects. The Springfield Public Schools Foundation awarded more than $140,000 for improvement projects in several schools throughout the Springfield School District. (Other coverage: KSMU, News-Leader, OzarksFirst)
• KSPR: Nixa now drop-off site for unused prescription drugs. The Missouri Youth/Adult Alliance has designated the city as one of 10 permanent drop-off sites in the state for people who have unused prescription drugs that they need to dispose of.
• News-Leader: Wonders of Wildlife could open in November. Museum officials say the Conservation Education Center at the Wonder of Wildlife could open by November. The project is part of an $80 million renovation project at the museum, which closed in December 2007.

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 (6/5): Top picks from the Springfield media

No, I’m not just cutting and pasting the same forecast — although today’s is the same forecast as the past couple of days.

Today will be sunny and hot, with a high of 92. And brace yourself: The rest of the week will be more of the same.

Top picks

• News-Leader: Recovery dollars to begin flowing into Joplin. Millions of dollars in insurance money and government grants will soon come into the area to help victims rebuild from the May 22 tornadoes. (Other coverage: Volunteers needed: OzarksFirst; Ways to help: KY3)
• News-Leader: Case could delay enforcement of smoking ban. Greene County Associate Circuit Judge Jason Brown will consider a challenge to Springfield’s voter-approved smoking ban, set to go into effect next weekend. (Other coverage: KY3)
• OzarksFirst [KOLR/KSFX]: Wonders of Wildlife: What’s taking so long? The $80 million expansion project has been under way since December 2007.

Daily brief (3/24): Tops picks from the Springfield media

This morning there will be patchy frost before 7 a.m.; otherwise, clouds increase in the region and highs reach near 48. Wind chill values dip as low as 27 early caused by a north wind between 8 and 11 mph.

Tonight, there is a 30 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms after 1 a.m., and lows reach 35, with an east wind between 8 and 10 mph.

Today’s picks

• News-Leader: Sellars resigns from history museum to become the executive director of the Fremont. John Sellars, executive director of the History Museum for Springfield/Greene County since 2005, has announced his resignation effective March 31. He will become executive director of the Fremont, an over-55 retirement community on South Fremont in Springfield.

• OzarksFirst [KOLR/KFSX]: New flyover ramps are scheduled to open Friday at the 60-65 interchange. The Missouri Department of Transportation is opening two new flyover ramps for the 60/65 interchange this Friday, and that opening will mean new traffic patterns. (Other coverage KSPR, KY3)

• News-Leader: WOW making progress on education center, as addition should open by the end of the year. Springfield fifth graders will use the space to learn about wildlife and conservation during WOLF School classes sponsored by Springfield Public Schools. (WOLF stands for Wonders of the Ozarks Learning Facility.)

Daily brief (3/14): Top picks from the Springfield media

Today will be unseasonably cold, with a high of 36 and a chance of freezing drizzle after 1 p.m. It will be rainy and windy, with gusts of up to 23 mph. Tonight will be continued cold, with a low around the freezing mark.

Tomorrow looks brighter, though, with partly sunny skies and a high around 52 expected. Wednesday should be even better, with a high in the 60s.

Today’s picks

• KSPR: Wonders of Wildlife to open in 2012. After $80 million of renovation and expansion, the wildlife museum is expected to reopen in 2012 with new aquariums and exhibits. The 300,000-square-foot museum has been closed since 2007.
• News-Leader: Audit request draws fire from Democrats. State Auditor Tom Schweich is asking the General Assembly for $100,000 to $300,000 more in his budget to conduct audits of the 10 largest state departments. But some Democratic legislators say the office should find a way to work within its existing budget.
• OzarksFirst [KOLR/KSFX]: Prayer amendment may go to voters. A proposed constitutional amendment is moving through the Missouri General Assembly that emphasize religious freedom of expression in public places.
• KY3: 515th leaves for Afghanistan. Nearly 80 members of the 515th Engineer Company of Fort Leonard Wood left from Springfield on Sunday morning for Afghanistan.
• KSPR: Nixa considers bike lanes near schools. Nixa has been awarded a grant for bike lanes near schools, and the Nixa City Council will talk about the possibility of adding lanes at its meeting tonight.