Nixa offers a variety of restaurants to satisfy your hunger. Here are 5 spots to explore
Whether you live in Nixa or are just passing through, there are a variety of restaurants to satisfy your hunger.
k-12 education
Rift over LGBTQ-inclusive language extends to school board policy for free, reduced-price meals
On a 3-3 vote, with one member absent, the Springfield Board of Education rejected policy revisions that added the parenthetical phrase “(including gender identity and sexual orientation)” after “sex” in a paragraph prohibiting discrimination.
Missouri State reports enrollment jump that almost breaks a record
Missouri State announced a 3.8% increase in total enrollment for the fall semester, with 25,935 students enrolled on its Springfield and West Plains campuses.
Missouri Supreme Court hears challenge to homeless camping ban
The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments in an appeal in a case involving Springfield-based nonprofits, the Gathering Tree and Eden Village.
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BUSINESS
Harmony House launching its iCare campaign to raise awareness about domestic violence
Harmony House will host the iCare Kick Off Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Oasis Convention Center.
Confusion continues over how hemp was processed in recalled Missouri cannabis products
At the center of Missouri’s massive marijuana recall is a THC concentrate, or distillate, made partially from hemp.
Old MacDonald has an app: ‘Smart farming’ coming to Springfield in a shipping container
Picture this: a 320-square foot shipping container that houses a commercial-scale, hydroponic farm that makes it possible to grow food 365 days a year in any climate.
What’s next for road work in Springfield? Council reviews progress and previews next projects
City Council received a virtual tour Sept. 19 looking at projects recently completed and what’s ahead, not just roads, but sidewalks, bridges, parking lots and other components of the transportation network.
SCHOOLS & CHILDREN
Attorney for quarterback Kylan Mabins says: ‘It wasn’t even close’
Kylan Mabins was the starting quarterback at Kickapoo his sophomore and junior years and was on pace to set many of the school’s passing records — had he stayed there.
Unique dance team a featured performer in MSU Public Affairs Conference
The 20th annual Missouri State University Public Affairs Conference kicks off Wednesday and will focus on a theme of embracing change, and exercising strength in the face of struggle.
Read our 2022 Child Care Crisis series produced in collaboration with KY3 News.
GOVERNMENT
MO GOP, Democrats prepare to run their own caucus, primary in 2024
Missouri’s political parties are left with the responsibility of running the candidate selection process, however they may choose.
Two Springfield residents died following motorcycle-vehicle crash Saturday night
This was the 20th fatal motor vehicle crash in Springfield in 2023.
For now, judge declines to push back trial for babysitter charged with manslaughter
The medical examiner believes the baby died of asphyxiation and that it’s possible the car seat chest clip inhibited the baby’s breathing. He was eight months old.
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.
latest columns
Pokin Around: History buff holds on to story of aviator who died in 1919 air race
He is movie-star handsome, self-assured, a Rock of Gibraltar jaw. His mouth is closed, yet you know he’s smiling. The photo is of Virgil Thomas.
Pokin Around: Remember when that whipper-snapper named Reagan ran for president?
It’s hard to believe we worried about Reagan’s age in 1980, because here we are with a presidential race shaping up between two men older than the nation of Israel.
Pokin Around: Fun Acre, a place stuck in time where 18 holes of mini golf cost you $3
Fun Acre is stuck in time. The clock might be stopped, but the windmill blades still turn, just as they’ve turned for 51 years.
Pokin Around: I have presbycusis; it’s irreversible; do you hear what I’m saying?
I had my hearing checked in July, because I suspected it was diminished. I had difficulty hearing when I could not see the speaker’s face and whenever there was background noise.
SPRINGFIELD CULTURE
Springfield Regional Arts Council honors ambassadors who promote and sustain the arts
The annual Ozzie Awards honor the remarkable individuals and organizations who have shaped the artistic landscape of the Ozarks.
Giving back and getting recognized: Springfield Regional Arts Council honors volunteers
The arts and culture events that our community is known for — big and small — rely upon volunteers to keep them running.
OTHER SPRINGFIELD NEWS
Health/environment
state gov’t/politics
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VOICES
Opinion: Clif Smart is a poster child for servant leadership
Retiring Missouri State University President Clif Smart demonstrates how servant leadership can work; yet he would give all the credit to others.
Letter: Oh, Christmas tree? Calling it a ‘Holiday tree’ would be more inclusive
Describing it as a “Christmas tree” divides our community rather than being inclusive.
Letter: Gen Z’er loves to work, says employers need to give them a chance, and pay fairly
The issue is not that Gen Z does not want to work; it’s time for Springfield businesses to re-evaluate pay and benefits — and to give people a chance to gain experience.
Opinion: With apologies to ‘Redneck’ Jeff Foxworthy, maybe you’re something else
Contributor Paul Kincaid found himself slipping into a Jeff Foxworthy routine as he ponders a world with too many hypocrites.
SPEcial report: living in fear
Living in Fear: Breadth and terror of domestic violence is everyday occurrence in Greene County
Domestic violence is a black eye for Springfield and Greene County. It affects thousands of lives here every year — yet a major obstacle to addressing it is that many people still don’t believe it’s widespread or much of an issue.
Living in Fear: Laws protecting rights for both parents put domestic violence victims in a bind
When Missouri legislators changed family law in 2016 to prioritize co-parenting and focus on “frequent, continuing and meaningful contact” by both parents, critics say they opened a door that gives hardcore abusers the opportunity to continue the cycle of domestic violence.
Living in Fear: Batterers often sent to class, but no one knows if it reduces domestic violence
People found guilty of domestic assault in Greene County often are placed on probation with one of the conditions being they attend a batterers intervention class instead of going to jail or prison. Yet, no one in Greene County has compiled hard data that could determine if these programs actually reduce domestic violence.
9 ways to help those who are Living in Fear
Several changes in state law, better use of existing laws and stronger efforts to enforce potential federal penalties against abusers are among the top nine solutions offered in the course of interviews with 55 sources contacted by the Springfield Daily Citizen in its six-month investigation into domestic violence.