Springfield area’s ultimate holiday lights guide
Nearly 30 festive spots around Springfield, Mo. to see Christmas lights for little or no cost
LATEST IN-DEPTH
True adventures of Dickerson Park Zoo chief Mike ‘Snake’ Crocker, who will retire soon
IN-DEPTH | The older boys held the twisting, 5½-foot snake. Black rat snakes are not venomous and not aggressive by nature, although being snatched by human hands can change a snake’s disposition. They were on a Boy Scout camping trip near Fellows Lake. If you like snakes and want to study them, they advised 11-year-old…
Answer Man: What is an inmate’s cost for medical care in Greene County Jail?
Answer Man: You recently discussed what happens to the funds that Greene County Jail inmates use for commissary, etc. In that story, you mentioned that…
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SPRINGFIELD LIFE
Rhapsody in blue and white: OTC grants $10,000 to form jazz band
This story is part of the Arts and Culture Reporting Corps, sponsored by the Springfield Regional Arts Council. On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, Phil Forrester, an Ozarks Technical Community College music instructor, rushes into a classroom auditorium on campus, where a handful of students await, their music cases in hand. The group, nine students in…
Opinion: ‘Small-town feel’ is about connectedness, applies to your community
Being neighborly is something of a lost art in America. If you think your town has lost its “small-town feel,” could that loss of connection be a result of you becoming less engaged?
Steve Pokin — Columnist
Steve Pokin writes the Pokin Around and The Answer Man columns for the Springfield Daily Citizen. He also writes about criminal justice issues.
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Pokin Around: MSU campus has a hollow feel on Fridays
Where have all the students gone? Missouri State campus feels desolate by the end of the week, but that trend is not reflected at other local campuses
Pokin Around: Owner of old building on C-Street does, in fact, want to knock it down
The owner of an old building at 540 E. Commercial St. is seeking approval to demolish the building at the eastern edge of Historic C-Street.
Pokin Around: Fire department has new tool in arson investigations — and it doesn’t bark
It is not brand new technology, but it is a new tool for arson investigators with the Springfield Fire Department. This month the department obtained its first hydrocarbon and accelerant detector, which will be used to detect the presence…
Pokin Around: I don’t know why it’s ‘Booger County,’ but I know why it’s Douglas County
Several times over the years, I’ve been asked as Answer Man why “Douglas County” is known as “Booger County.” Back in 2015, I tried to provide an answer. I interviewed a couple of people I thought might know —…
SCHOOLS & CHILDREN
Springfield’s York Elementary vandalized with hate speech
York Elementary, of Springfield Public Schools, was vandalized with symbols of hate speech over the weekend. Located at 2100 W. Nichols St., the under-construction elementary school in Springfield’s northwest was damaged with spray-painted hate speech, including an anti-Semitic symbol. “SPS is working closely with the Springfield Police Department on its investigation of vandalism, including hate…
Springfield responds to child care crisis following Daily Citizen and KY3 series
Four months after our series about the challenges facing parents and child care providers, things are changing in Springfield.
economy & growth
Springfield’s Department of Economic Vitality names new assistant director
Springfield’s relatively young Department of Economic Vitality bolstered its ranks on Monday by naming Danny Perches as the new assistant director.
Springfield airport terminal to be named for Roy Blunt
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, gave his farewell address on the Senate floor Dec. 6. Blunt’s parting remarks for his congressional colleagues came about a week after the city of Springfield got him a parting gift, an airport terminal named in his honor.
elections
Galloway zoning challenge may or may not be done
“If we decide to sell the property after this election, there is nothing stopping another developer from buying the property, submitting demo permits, receiving those permits, and within a matter of a few weeks, clearing the site of those buildings.”
In Stephanie Hein, Missouri Dems have hope for a bluer, albeit distant, future
Democrat Stephanie Hein beat incumbent Republican Craig Fishel in Tuesday’s elections and she credits an aggressive campaign in which she made it through the district seven times to knock on doors.
Can I buy weed yet? Dispensary director answers 3 burning questions
When can you buy weed in Missouri? How will it affect pot prices? Should I keep my med card?
OTHER SPRINGFIELD NEWS
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OZARKS ALIVE | CULTURAL PRESERVATION PROJECT
Ozarks journal from 1867 now available online
A journal written by Ozarks man James Posey Woodside in 1867 was recently acquired and digitized by Missouri State University. The book, telling of Woodside’s daily life, is now available online.
VOICES
To our readers: Help bring back the ‘good old days’ for local news
When people get to my age, they frequently talk about the “good old days.” In many ways, the “good old days” weren’t really all that good. But there is one exception that comes to mind, and that is local news coverage. I grew up in Springfield, and after getting out of college, I went to…
Letter: State rules unneeded —librarians can assess which books are appropriate
OPINION | by Kathleen Murnan, Springfield We have a terrific library system that is very responsive to the needs of the reading public. There are many more areas that Missouri could use inspection and assessment instead of putting another layer of government to evaluate a library system that is successful. If the Secretary of State’s office…
Opinion: How to say no — and when to say yes
We are not responsible for other people — we are responsible to other people and for ourselves. Boundaries help us see where we are as a person — where we start and where we end.
Opinion: Host your own ‘gratitude day’ and be intentional in your thankfulness
Five foster youth, ages 15-18, were challenged to think of people to whom they could express their appreciation. They provided a wonderful lesson in how to show genuine gratefulness.
