Missouri State University

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. The Missouri State University Board of Governors approved a tuition increase on Friday afternoon of 3 percent for the 2012-2013 academic year.  "It's unrealistic to ask us to pay this much money in this short amount of time," said Jada Franklin, an MSU student. "I really like the affordability, and if things keep going up, it kind of just loses its appeal," said Dan Csolak, another MSU student. The 3-percent increase means tuition will jump from $194 per credit hour to $200.48 per credit hour for in-state students.  For out-of-staters, the cost will jump from $388 to $412 per credit hour.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.  -- Greene County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Todd Myers charged Joshua Brown on Sunday for the homicide on Saturday near Missouri State University. Brown, 21, is charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action for the death of Jovan Carter.  On Saturday, Carter was found with gunshot wounds to his face and body outside Brown's home at 1134 S. Maryland Ave. in the Phelps Grove neighborhood.  He died at a hospital. Brown is believed to be armed and dangerous.  He's 5-foot-10, 170 pounds and has "Veronda" tattooed on his left, inner forearm.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo --  Since its inception in early September of 2011, .XXX domains have caused quite a bit of buzz. There have already been more than 160,000 adult website registrations since. Many of those purchases aren't coming from the adult industry as intended.  The .XXX registry's commercial success, which is now in the millions, is being funded in part by the non-adult entertainment world. That's happening because the .XXX domain could be extremely dangerous for a company or organization trying to preserve their brand.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Missouri State University Board of Governors approved an agreement on Friday that puts its athletics teams' clothing under the umbrella of one major brand.  The MSU Bears will soon be a part of the adidas team.  From football to swimming, the move could save the athletic department tens of thousands of dollars every year. "I think when you get that type of sponsorship and that type of advertising that's good and people want to be associated with that brand," said MSU Athletic Director Kyle Moats.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Expect heavier traffic around Missouri State University today.  Students are moving in this weekend for the new school year.  More than 18,000 students are enrolled for the fall semester, 4,000 will live in dorms on campus.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo --   Imagine a boat made of concrete. It not only floats but was used in a race. Students at Missouri State proved it's possible and they have the canoe to prove it. There is a competition held by the America Society of Engineers to see what school in the country has the best concrete canoe. This is the first year engineering students at MSU entered the contest. They did it in half the time as the other schools. It's definitely not your ordinary canoe. "I'd seen some but I'd never seen one built," said Missouri State University Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering Matt Pierson, "so it was a little bit of a trial by fire approach.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Officials at Missouri State University say they have set a new spring enrollment record. A total of 21,629 students have enrolled for spring classes at both the Springfield and West Plains campuses, according to a news release. The spring 2013 official enrollment figures are based on the 20th day of classes, the State of Missouri's official enrollment census date, the release said. The university reported large increases in three areas of enrollment. High school dual credit is up 6.8 percent to 1,953 students; Executive MBA is up 58.9 percent to 178 students; and English Language Institute is up 40.4 percent to 212 students, according to the release.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- It'll be an unintended lesson in cyber security for thousands of students who were enrolled in the College of Education at Missouri State University.  Missouri State University said Thursday that it is notifying 6,030 students about a possible breach of their Social Security numbers. The university says, as it was preparing for accreditation in October and November 2010, the College of Education prepared lists of students by semester.  The lists, which included Social Security numbers, were for nine semesters between 2005 and 2009 (fall, spring, summer)

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The department of theatre and dance at Missouri State University celebrates its 51st season of  Tent Theatre  with a summer lineup featuring two classic musicals and one comedy-drama. June 12-15 and 17-22 Lonely hearts are as parched as the Texas dustbowl in the musical  “110 in the Shade.”  Spinster Lizzie Curry finds herself in a love triangle with Sheriff File and charismatic con man Bill Starbuck. June 27-29 and July 1-6 Six Southern belles share happiness and heartbreak at a small-town beauty salon in the comedy-drama  “Steel Magnolias.” July 11-13 and 15-21 A diehard baseball fan makes a deal with the devil to win the pennant for his beloved home team in the musical comedy  “Damn Yankees.” All performances begin at 8 p.m. on the tent pad behind Craig Hall.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Think of it like this:  It's a city of nearly 20,000 people, and they're all packing up and moving out at the same time.  Each May, there is a two-week collection for charity at both Missouri State University and Drury University.  Without the program, campus streets would be piled high with mounds of unwanted stuff. Volunteers with The Kitchen, a Springfield-based charity, load up tens of thousands of pounds of food, clothes, rugs, and furniture MSU students no longer need two times daily.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.-- A group of young ladies who work to blend their voices in perfect harmony is ready to debut a new recording. A Cub Bella, from Missouri State University, will be in concert on Saturday, May 11th at 7 pm at the Plaster Student Union Theatre. On that day, the group will celebrate its latest release "Ten Minutes Late. " A Cub Bella appeared on KY3 News at Noon with Steve Grant. The ladies sang "Breath of Life" by Florence and The Machine.  

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- City leaders picked Lisa Cox to be the public affairs officer for the Springfield Police Department, effective April 30.   Cox will work in the Department of Public Information and Civic Engagement but will serve as the primary contact for the police department's inquiries from reporters.  She'll also issue news releases and work to enhance SPD's social media presence. Under the direction of City Public Information Officer Cora Scott and Police Chief Paul Williams, Cox also will develop, coordinate and administer communication and marketing programs to promote the department's programs and services.

Springfield, Mo. -- Statistics show the danger.  The Missouri Department of Transportation reports 80 percent of crashes involve some type of distracted driving.  And you're 23 times more likely to get in a crash in you're texting.  But simply knowing the numbers hasn't lead to a solution.  That's why students at Missouri State University started looking for a new send the message. It's difficult not to crash and burn in a heated video game race.  Take one hand off the wheel to text, and it'll happen that much faster.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A circus elephant wounded in a drive-by shooting in Tupelo, Miss., lives in the Ozarks when it's not performing.  Carol is part of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus and lives in Willard.  Her caretakers expect her to make a full recovery. The 39-year-old Asian elephant was shot between the neck and shoulder.  It happened early Tuesday while the animal was sleeping in a tent. “Never in 143 years has anything like this ever happened.  It's a lot disbelief and disappointment,” said a circus official.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.. - Missouri State University will likely add another sport for women, and students are being asked to help choose which one.  The university asked students to fill out a survey that lists all the NCAA sanctioned sports.  It includes field hockey, equestrian events, and rifle shooting, among others. The university says about 60 percent of its students are women.  To comply with Title IX requirements, 60 percent of the student-athletes have to be female as well.  If the current trend continues, MSU will soon have to add at least one female sport.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Missouri State University officials have scheduled a 4:00 p.m. news conference to discuss the Lady Bears basketball program. The Lady Bears finished the 2012-2013 with a 14-17 record under head coach Nlya Milleson.  The Lady Bears lost in the first-round of the Missouri Valley Tourney 81-66 to Drake last week.  Milleson's Lady Bears won the regular-season Missouri Valley championship in 2011-2012 season, but failed to earn...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Nyla Milleson is out as head coach of the Missouri State University Lady Bears.  One year after winning the Missouri Valley Conference regular season women's basketball championship in 2011-12, the Lady Bears fell to 14-17 in 2012-13 and university officials bowed to the wishes of disgruntled fans. Athletic Director Kyle Moats announced the firing at a news conference on Monday afternoon.   Milleson was head coach of the Lady Bears for six seasons and had an overall record of 105-87.  She moved to MSU from Drury University, where she spent seven successful years as the first coach of the Lady Panthers.  In 2004, Drury finished second in the nation under Milleson.  It was one of five NCAA Division II Tournament appearances for Drury under Milleson.

Teresa Ollis is a registered yoga teacher specializing in introducing the practice of yoga and its benefits to business people, prenatal moms and people desiring to reduce stress and improve flexibility. She is associated with Success Naturally and The Ollis Center. She brings over 20 years of experience to the mat and has studied with Loa Freeman, Gabriel Halpern and internationally known, Judith Lasater. Teresa is married to Richard and has two daughters, Kelsey and Sabrina.