Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A man from Springfield was sentenced last Monday for his role in a nearly $4 million fraud scheme.  U.S. District Judge Richard Dorr ordered Douglas Feller, 38, to serve 28 months in federal prison without parole.  The judge also ordered Feller to pay $738,941 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.  Feller also is ordered to pay an as-yet-undetermined amount of restitution not to exceed $3,882,987 to Yakima Products. Feller pleaded guilty last Aug. 4 charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and two counts of income tax evasion.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Who knew Springfield had such a romantic side? Amazon.com is out with its annual Top 20 most romantic cities list.  Springfield ranks third behind Knoxville, Tennessee and Alexandria, Virginia.  Amazon.com compiled the listing through sales data of romance novels, relationship books, romantic comedy movies and Barry White albums. The least romantic city is New York City.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Academy Sports started construction last Friday on a new store near the Sam's Club on Campbell Avenue at James River Freeway.  It's part of the James River Commons development. Academy Sports is a Texas-based company.  It's only location in Missouri now is in Joplin. Developer Stu Stenger says the new 87,000-square-foot store likely will open in October.  

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Capping a caucus process that began in March, Republicans will gather in Springfield this weekend for the Missouri GOP State Convention.  The event at the University Plaza Convention Center will finalize the number of delegates awarded to nominees for President.  Missouri Republicans have awarded 24 delegates so far, 12 of those to presumptive nominee Mitt Romney.  The remaining 28 of Missouri's 52 delegates going to...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A Springfield Police Department Special Response Team training exercise on Friday afternoon alarmed a lot of people in the downtown area.  The SRT officers were practicing how to respond to a hostage situation near the corner of Chestnut Expressway at Main Street. It is not real.  It is only training!

Springfield, MO: Everyone has been helped out of a home where flames broke out in Springfield this morning. It started about an hour ago in the 900 block of north concord. Ky3's Dustin Hodges is reporting that two people were rescued by firefighters. He tells us both people were on stretchers at one point. We're also told at least one person was taken to the hospital.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Graffiti is often an indication that street gangs are in the city.  The fact that it plasters a lot of walls, concrete and buildings throughout Springfield has some concerned. "Drive by everyday bridges and stuff that have been tagged. I'm hoping to learn today what's the difference between just a regular tag and a gang tag," said Springfield resident Pepi Wallace. "I did see one I think blood is the name of one of the gangs and I did see that on a wall not to long ago," said Roy Staas, another Springfield resident.

Watch for detours Monday on Weaver Road in Springfield. MoDOT will start installing a new box culvert on the street, between Wellington Avenue and Weaver Creek Apartments; that's just west of Campbell Avenue. Detour signs will be posted.  Drivers should expect the road to stay closed until December.

It was an infestation of Volkswagen "Bugs" in Springfield this weekend.  The American Legion Post on South Scenic held its annual June Bug Jamboree. If it was a VW, it was at the show; from Beetles to buses, and even the infamous 'Thing.' Part of the proceeds from today's events go toward the Ozarks Food Harvest. This is the 17th year for the June Bug Jamboree.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A car hit a little girl in the 2200 block of North Taylor Avenue, just south of Robberson Elementary School, on Wednesday afternoon.  Police say the child was four or five years old and went to St. John's hospital with serious injuries. Police say the child apparently ran from around a parked car, and the driver was not able to stop in time.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A man from Springfield pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday for sexual exploitation of a minor.  Ezra Gramm, 39, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Rush to the charge in an indictment handed up last Oct. 3. By pleading guilty, Gramm admitted he made contact with the 13-year-old victim, identified as Jane Doe, via an Internet chat room in late 2009.  Gramm and the child victim engaged in online chat sessions and exchanged text messages with one another.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Springfield fire investigators blame careless smoking on a Monday afternoon fire at a building off Park Central Square. That building was under renovation on Park Central West.  Firefighters say only the construction crew was in the building at the time of the fire.  Damage was confined to the facade.  The building is an old two-story mercantile building being converted to a mixed use facility.  

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - A fire damaged a large portion of a home that a family was set to move into in east Springfield. Springfield fire officials say crews were called to fight the blaze in the 1000 block of South Stewart at 12:40 Monday morning. A passerby had called 911 and reported heavy fire in the back of the home. Firefighters put the blaze out in 10 to 15 minutes, officials said. The fire marshal is investigating the blaze's cause. No one was inside the home at the time.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A man from Springfield and his Rotary Club are in the running for a $10,000 prize to aid an effort to keep youngsters from getting hooked on methamphetamine. The money would come from the Safeco Insurance Community Hero contest. John Horton, a past president of Rotary Club of Springfield Southeast, is one of 16 Community Hero Award winners selected nationwide by Safeco Insurance to be in the contest.  Members of the public can vote online , with the winners' charities getting either $10,000 or $5,000.

SPRINGFIELD -- Rumbling motors and finger licking barbecue were on the menu for many on Sunday for the first ever Leather and Smoke Motorcycle Ride and barbecue ride that took place in Springfield.      Riders took to the streets to raise awareness for both domestic violence and motorcycle safety. Numerous sponsors joined forces to get the word out about the increase of domestic violence in the Ozarks. The ride finished at Springfield Lake with a barbecue lunch.      Proceeds from the event benefit Harmony House.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.-- Today, Sunday, marks Mother's Day! Here are a few ways you can celebrate the mom in your life!   

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - If you're looking for a way to spend Mother's Day with the one that brought you into the world and contribute to charity at the same time, you'll have the chance to do so right here in Springfield on Sunday. HOLA Sertoma is sponsoring the annual Moms and Mimosas Mother's Day Event at Millie's Cafe, 307 S. Jefferson Ave., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Millie's is catering a brunch, and each mother present receives a free rose and mimosa. Registration is $25, and proceeds benefit Sertoma charities.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A woman is in custody after leading Springfield police on a chase. It happened just before 8 p.m. Friday.  Officers say it started near Market Avenue at State Street when police say the driver left the scene of a crash.  Police say she then drove through a yard and clipped several other cars.       Police say it was a short but destructive trip lasting about five minutes.  The driver crashed in front of the Tower Theater near Sunshine Street at Glenstone Avenue.

STRAFFORD, Mo. -- One person died and another is seriously hurt after a vehicle flipped several times near Strafford on Farm Road 132 near Missouri 125. Troopers say a westbound 2012 Kia Rio driven by Matthew Hogue, 20, of Springfield, crested at the top of a hill and lost control, flipping several times. The crash was about 1:30 a.m. Monday. Kendi Highland, 29, of Springfield, died at the scene.  Another passenger was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Springfield with serious injuries.  Hogue also was taken to a hospital; his injuries are described as minor.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Two divisive issues will go before the Springfield City Council tonight. City Council is slated to discuss the property where Walmart wants to build a new neighborhood market, as well as a potential punishment change for small amounts of marijuana. A group opposed to the Walmart Neighborhood Market recently submitted the required number of petition signatures that will either force City Council to either repeal its decision for the rezoning or allow voters to decide the issue come election day in August.