Newton County

(Edited news release) HOLLISTER, Mo. -- Wednesday morning at approximately 7:30, the Western Taney County Fire District was called to assist Taney County Sheriff's Deputies on Acacia Club Road at Lowell Street.  When fire district personnel arrived on scene, deputies were moving down an embankment towards the location that they believed they heard a man calling for help and saying he was injured.  When deputies approached the man, they saw...

ROLLA, Mo. -- Continued challenges to possible prosecution evidence and other trial procedures caused a judge to again postpone the trial of Chris Collings for the rape and murder of 9-year-old Rowan Ford in November 2007.  Rowan was the stepdaughter of Collings' friend, David Spears, who is also charged with Rowan's rape and murder. Collings' trial was scheduled for next month in Rolla, where it was moved from Cassville to try to ensure a fair outcome.  After a hearing on Tuesday, Circuit Judge Mary Sheffield postponed it until April.

JOPLIN, Mo. -- Here's an update to a story from last week: a woman in Waynesville who was trying to be a good Samaritan to someone who claimed to have lost his house and everything else in Joplin's tornado.  After seeing the man's story on a dating website, Pattie Murphy invited him to stay with her for a couple of days.  When she returned home from work, she says he had stolen everything of value that he could fit into his truck -- from electronic...

CASSVILLE, Mo. -- Crews blocked off Main Street on Monday morning as Flat Creek rose from its banks.  Some businesses along Old Water Road were sending employees home because of rising water. The Missouri Department of Transportation Southwest District closed numerous routes due to high water on Monday morning. Closed routes include: Barry County •·         MO 39, south of Route 248 •·         MO 76, southeast of Cassville •·         MO 97, near Monett •·         Route C, at McDowell, Flat Creek •·         Route U, Flat Creek, east of Butterfield •·         Route Y, Flat Creek, north of Cassville Jasper County •·         MO 37, north of Reeds •·         Route D, east of Oronogo Lawrence County •·         MO 39, southeast of Mt. Vernon •·         MO 97, north of Stotts City •·         Route DD, west of Monett McDonald County •·         MO 43, Buffalo Creek •·         MO 59, south of Lanagan •·         MO 90, inside city limits of Noel •·         MO 90, southeast side of county •·         Route CC, between Goodman and Lanagan •·         Route DD, Elk River •·         Route E, Sugar Creek near Powell •·         Route...

JOPLIN, Mo. -- As of Wednesday, here are the number of people who have registered for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency because of the devastating tornado on May 22: 7,313 Jasper County households -- FEMA has approved $8,757,216.95 for Jasper County applicants  342 N ewton County households -- FEMA  has be approved $365,151.00 for Newton County applicants Statewide, 11,217 households in Missouri have registered with FEMA since May 9 because of federal disaster declarations for severe weather damage.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A large hole in the ground in an east Springfield neighborhood is threatening two homes.  The collapse is approximately 30 feet across and 15 feet deep, and it swallowed one home's gas meter and part of its footings.   The owner of one of the homes says he heard something on Tuesday night that he thought was his neighbor moving around garbage cans or working in the garage.  It wasn't until later one of those neighbors alerted...

FORSYTH, Mo. -- A convicted bank robber is charged with killing a woman from Hollister 10 years ago.  The Taney County prosecuting attorney charged Phillip Dodd, 40, with first-degree murder on Thursday.  Dodd is charged with killing Becky Sutton on March 21, 2003.  Sutton, 19, disappeared from her home in Hollister, leaving behind her 2-year-old son, Cole.  It was the son who alerted a neighbor that his mother was gone when he was found wandering around the courtyard in their apartment complex.  The neighbor then called Sutton's mother, who alerted the Hollister Police Department.

TONIGHT -3 TO -6 Clearing and very cold THURSDAY Mid 20s Sunny and Warmer FRIDAY Upper 30s Mostly Sunny warmer still 12-hour forecast 24-hour forecast Satellite & Radar Wind Chill Allergy Index...

        TONIGHT Upper 50s Partly Cloudy with an isolated storm mainly in north Arkansas SATURDAY Low 80s Partly to mostly cloudy with a few isolated storms, SUNDAY Upper 80s Mostly Sunny and hot 12-hour forecast 24-hour forecast ...

ROLLA, Mo. -- Prosecutors and defense attorneys will meet with Circuit Judge Mary Sheffield next week to try to decide how to get an unbiased jury for the trial of Chris Collings.  He's one of two men charged for the rape and murder of 9-year-old Rowan Ford in November 2007.  Sheffield declared a mistrial on Saturday after attorneys said they couldn't find enough unbiased or uninformed potential jurors. The Phelps County Circuit Clerk's Office assembled a jury pool of about 200 people last Wednesday.  By Saturday afternoon, the judge and the attorneys decided about two-thirds of them knew too much about the case, or had formed opinions about it, or couldn't keep an open mind about whether Collings should get a death penalty or life prison sentence if he is guilty.