The Civility Project, which is an ongoing project that reminds citizens of the importance of respect in matters of public discourse, is celebrating its one year anniversary this week. To honor the occasion, leaders of the project, including members from the Library Center and Community Foundation of the Ozarks, will be hosting the free program series called “Building Common Ground: Discussions of Community, Civility and Compassion.” The program series includes poetry readings, photo exhibits and a soup dinner. KSMU’s Rebekah Clark has more.
This time of year, many Catholics are observing the season leading up to Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of Lent. Many take part in events leading up to it, which include a time of celebration, with Mardi Gras being the crowning day of indulgence. KSMU’s Shane Franklin has some insight on the celebration here in the Ozarks and how it’s grown beyond its Catholic roots.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Wednesday that E. Coli bacteria are responsible for sickening 12 people in the Midwest. KSMU’s Brittany Donnellan reports.
As of this week, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department’s Animal Control program has gone 16 weeks, or four full months, sending all potentially adoptable dogs to one of the area’s “no-kill” rescue partners for public adoption. The shelter says this milestone marks the longest “streak” that anyone from the program can recall of not putting down potentially adoptable animals. KSMU’s Rebekah Clark has this report.
Certified Scuba divers will have a chance to play underwater poker Saturday at DiVentures Scuba and Swim Center in Springfield. All proceeds will benefit the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals of CoxHealth. KSMU’s Samuel Crowe spoke with an instructor at DiVentures and has this report.
This Valentine’s Day, instead of getting your special someone the typical box of chocolates, how about trying something that’s both different and healthy? Give your loved one the gift of heart health by providing alternative foods that might lower cholesterol and the chance of sickness. KSMU’s Rebekah Clark files this report.
A group has submitted a petition to the City Clerk’s office that aims to repeal the 2011 smoking ban and allow smoking in certain types of businesses again. KSMU’s Melanie Foehrweiser talked to people on both sides of the issue and has this report.
This is a story about a woman whose perspective is enriched by having lived in two very different worlds, and having lived for over eight decades. A single mom of two boys at 30 years old—a young widow, no less—Shirley Johnson became a teacher and taught at Baptist Bible College in Springfield for years. However, instead of retirement, Johnson packed her bags and moved to Kenya as a missionary, where she began changing the lives of impoverished kids. KSMU’s Rebekah Clark shares her story.
Springfield voters have passed the controversial E-Verify proposal, which requires all Springfield employers to use the E-Verify program to make sure all new employees are legally authorized to work. KSMU’s Nolan Epstein has the details.
Habitat for Humanity is looking for volunteers in the Springfield area to help out with the organization’s so-called “six-by-six challenge.” KSMU’s Brittany Donnellan has details.
Former Missouri State University men’s basketball coach Charlie Spoonhour passed away at his home in Raleigh, North Carolina Wednesday morning at age 72. KSMU’s Rebekah Clark has details.
Two teachers at Central High School in Springfield teach an art class specifically for students with developmental disabilities. KSMU’s Samuel Crowe joined the class and reports on how art and creative expression affect both student and teacher.
In the age of four dollar coffee drinks and drive-through pharmacies, the soda fountains and dry good stores of the past seem to be the stuff of movies and distant memory. In this installment of our local history series, Sense of Place, KSMU’s Emma Wilson brings us the story of one Ozarks store that keeps this tradition alive.
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks commits 2 percent of its assets toward direct investments for "Community good." Mike Smith has the story on this installment of Making a Difference Where You Live.
The events of Chinese New Year are underway. While the year of the rabbit was put to rest, 2012 welcomes a more powerful character in Chinese astrology: the dragon. KSMU’s Matthew Barnes reports.
Supporters and opponents of the proposed E-verify ordinance are campaigning away in Springfield. If approved, the ordinance would require businesses to check the immigration status of all new employees using a federal E-Verify computer system. Some people have raised money to promote their messages through advertising on the radio, phone bank operations, and other venues. Now as the final vote approaches on Feb. 7, the groups are stepping up their efforts to make sure the public is aware of the issue. KSMU’s Rebekah Clark has more.
How do social service agencies keep track of how many homeless people are in a given area? Well, in Springfield, they get out there and try to do a head count twice a year. KSMU’s Brittany Donnellan has details.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources, or DNR, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have come up with a plan to restore southwest Missouri’s natural resources that have been hurt by harmful substances. The agencies plan to hold three public meetings, starting Wednesday night, to get feedback on the proposal. KSMU’s Rebekah Clark has details.
Members of the community are still putting their best foot forward to help the 185 people left without shelter after a fire at the city’s largest homeless shelter: Missouri Hotel. While the Friday morning fire claimed no lives, residents of the shelter still need basic living assistance. KSMU’s Matthew Barnes has an update from the Red Cross.
In our series about local history, Sense of Place, we bring you in-depth stories about our region’s history and how it’s shaped the Ozarks, Missouri, and the nation. KSMU’s Emma Wilson brings us this story about a deadly January afternoon in the depression-era Ozarks and how its impact reached far beyond.
After about 185 people were evacuated due to a fire that broke out early Friday morning, many residents at the Missouri Hotel homeless shelter are seeking temporary refuge at Springfield’s Crimson House Church. Eight people had to go to the hospital, and have since been released. KSMU’s Rebekah Clark began by talking to Pastor John Pace at the Crimson House, who rushed into his church in the wee hours of the morning to open it up as a shelter.
