West Plains

CAULFIELD, Mo. -- Investigators say Daniel Truman ran off highway 160 near Caulfield just after midnight.  His car hit a tree.  Truman was 57-years-old.

WEST PLAINS, Mo. -- Some teachers at Fairview Elementary in rural Howell County are now packing heat.  They have the state and school board's approval for the new security measures. School security has been on many minds since December's tragedy in Connecticut.  "I have a close friend from college who actually lives seven minutes from Sandy Hook, and so she knew three of the children that did pass.  And so that brought a very personal side of it," said Joan Dietrich. Dietrich has a 7th grader, 3rd grader and preschooler all in one school building, so she wants to Fairview Elementary to be safe.  "We had talked about, my husband and I before, what if there was conceal and carry in the school?"

WEST PLAINS, Mo. - What is now the Burlington Northern Railroad played a vital role in making West Plains the town it is today.  Now, it's placing a burden on the city; basically cutting the town in half. Most residents live to the west; but most of the jobs are on the east side; and with only one overpass in the whole town; residents sometimes have to wait more than ten minutes to get across. The city wants to build another overpass at Independence Drive; and hope a federal grant might help pay for it.  But until then, the problem could get worse before it gets better.

WEST PLAINS, Mo. -- The Howell County coroner finally received autopsy results on a 9-month-old baby who died last Oct. 16.  Investigators found Electra Elizabeth Werner had a genetic disease since birth that caused her bones to be fragile, but could find no evidence that she died from abuse or neglect. Elizabeth's family lives at Peace Valley, about 10 miles from West Plains.  The baby died at the hospital in West Plains, triggering an investigation by the sheriff's department.  The unexplained deaths of children are routinely investigated in Missouri, as mandated by state law.  Coroner Tim Cherry says the baby's disease is called “ osteogenesis imperfecta , which can cause a shortened lifespan due to various mechanisms.” The autopsy was done by medical examiners at University Hospitals in Columbia.

WEST PLAINS, Mo. -- Rescue crews are scouring thousands of cars and homes for missing people in Sendai, Japan.  A local woman is one of many people waiting for word on loved ones in that city. Mickey (Satsuki) Ingalls grew up in Sendai but she's lived in the Ozarks (Gainesville and West Plains) for more than 20 years now. Ingalls still hadn't heard from her 75 year-old brother, 84 year-old sister and a niece who live in the hard hit area by Wednesday morning.  She's also concerned about her niece's husband, who works in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan.

WEST PLAINS, Mo. -- A West Plains man faces ten years to life in prison after he was convicted of 1st degree assault for shaking his 17-month-daughter.  Investigators say Brian Hawkins, 35, shook the toddler in March 2006.  Investigators say she was hospitalized for several bruises, significant bleeding and swelling of her brain.  Hawkins will be sentenced in June.

WEST PLAINS, Mo. - Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon will visit West Plains on Thursday to outline a new state resource for small businesses in Missouri. The governor plans to speak at the Ozarks Small Business Incubator at 1:30 p.m. to give details about a new state law that is geared toward helping smaller businesses grow. Nixon will be joined at the event by local business and community leaders. The discussion takes place at 408 Washington St.

BRANSON, Mo. -- Eleven people were taken to hospitals in Springfield after an accident on U.S. 65 about three miles north of Branson.  The wreck happened shortly after 6 o'clock on Saturday night. A married couple with their 2-year-old son, plus eight teens and pre-teens are recovering after the van they were riding in crashed. The highway patrol says Charles Barnett, 26, of West Plains was driving the church van when it struck a median and overturned. Barnett is the youth pastor at Lifepoint Church in West Plains.  He was wearing his seat belt.

WEST PLAINS, Mo. -- Invensys Controls announced plans for a $6.9 million expansion.   Gov. Jay Nixon attended a news conference at the plant on Monday morning.  The company, which manufactures gas delivery control systems for a variety of appliances, plans to add eight new production lines at its facility here and create up to 200 new jobs over the next two years. Some of the jobs would be transferred from Mexico back to the United States. “Missouri's manufacturing sector continues to rebound, as evidenced by this excellent news from Invensys,” Gov.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Strong storms that moved through the Ozarks on Monday morning caused minor damage throughout the area.   Emergency managers in Greene County reported scattered power lines and trees down, with winds gusting up to 68 mph.  Surrounding counties had similar reports as the storm tracked eastward. City Utilities of Springfield sent an update on Twitter to let the public know its crews are working on restoring power in its service area.  About 8:30 p.m., CU reported 100 customers had no power, down from a high of 8,000 outages (out of about 110,000 meters)

WEST PLAINS, Mo. -- The Howell County Sheriff's Department and the Ozark Police Department are investigating the death of a 10-month-old girl on Tuesday morning.  Sheriff Mike Shannon says officers were called to the hospital in West Plains about 7:45 a.m. after the girl died. Shannon hasn't released other details about the baby's death.  An autopsy in Columbia on Friday morning could tell investigators more about the girl's death.  Howell County Coroner Tim Cherry says state law requires an autopsy and formal death investigation on nearly every child who dies under age 1.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - It was a round to remember for a West Plains senior golfer. Courtney Cox carded a hole-in-one Monday at the state golf tournament at Dalhousie Country Club in Cape Girardeau.  The hole-in-one came on the par 3, 132-yard No. 13 hole. The state tourney continues tomorrow.

  TODAY 70s Sunny and breezy TONIGHT 50s Mainly clear; not as cold THURSDAY 70s Cold front enters, but no rain. Still warm. 12-hour forecast 24-hour forecast Satellite & Radar Heat Index Allergy Index Almanac Good morning!

  TODAY 70s Occasional rain and a few storms.  A brief weak tornado is possible east of Highway 65 this afternoon. TONIGHT 70s Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and a few storms. SATURDAY 80s Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and a few storms. 12-hour forecast 24-hour forecast Satellite & Radar Heat Index Allergy Index Almanac   Good morning!

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The circulation of tropical depression Isaac is over western Arkansas with widespread rain occurring over much of the Ozarks.  The rain isn't particularly heavy at this point but will fall off and on through the day.  Temperatures will remain in the 70's for most locations today, though if we get any break in the cloud cover at any given location it may be a bit warmer.  This will also mean a low chance for a spin-up (weak...

WEST PLAINS, Mo. - West Plains city leaders could decide on a new mayor this afternoon. Longtime mayor Joe Evans died from heart complications Aug. 18. He was 81. Mayor Pro Tem Jack Pahlmann is currently performing the official duties.

WEST PLAINS, Mo. -- The city council elevated Mayor Pro Tem Jack Pahlmann to mayor at a special meeting on Tuesday afternoon.  The vote was unanimous to fill the vacancy created by the death of longtime Mayor J.P. Evans on Aug. 18 from heart problems. Pahlmann took the oath of office immediately after the vote.  The city council will fill the role of mayor pro tem later.  It also didn't address the vacancy on the council created by Pahlmann moving from one seat to another. (Photo is courtesy of Ed Button, Ozark Radio News/Ozark Radio Network )

WEST PLAINS, Mo.-- The West Plains school district is one of a long list of schools switching the football field from grass to synthetic turf, touting the safety benefits. "Every single play is a hit," said Junior Tray Whitsell.  He is a defensive nose, and he knows a thing or two about what it's like to get your bell rung. "Me and another player locked up and he hit me wrong… well, for him it was right, but for me it was wrong and it just knocked the daylight out of me.  They tested me and they said I had a concussion," Whitsell said.

The remains of a soldier from West Plains who died in a military aircraft crash in World War II will be returned to the United States after years of being buried in a German cemetery. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. John Hogan will be buried Aug. 24 in Arlington National Cemetery.  Hogan was part of a nine-man crew on a B-17G Flying Fortress that crashed near Neustädt-on-Werra, Germany, in September 1944.  Only one of the crewmen is known to have successfully parachuted out of the aircraft before it crashed.  The remaining eight crewmen were buried by German forces in a cemetery in Neustädt.