Our in-depth section is devoted to long-form articles covering wide-ranging issues in Springfield, Mo. and surrounding areas.
Concerned about housing affordability and quality in Springfield? City candidates share views and ideas
The campaign season affords candidates the chance to sound off on issues ranging from homelessness, housing rentals, type of housing, nuisance properties, vacancies, and what exactly the city government’s role is in the overall housing picture.
Springfield school candidates split along bright lines of culture wars and educator vs. business values
Four candidates for two seats on the Springfield school board are split along bright lines. The outcome of the April 4 election could flip priorities for the state’s largest school district.
Springfield’s largest homeless camp cleared; city gives campers 3 days to vacate
Officers with the Springfield Police Department cleared a large long-time homeless encampment in northeast Springfield this week, giving residents three days to collect belongings and seek services or alternate housing.
‘Welcome to the jungle’: The case for more space at Springfield’s oldest schools
What does Proposition S actually mean for Springfield Public Schools? At Reed Academy, it means lunch wouldn’t have to be a rushed, noisy affair spilling out of its small cafeteria into the gym
Care about Springfield’s growth and development? Find out which City Council candidates you align with
The personnel who make up the Springfield City Council will change in April, just as Springfield is likely to grow, develop and change over the next four years. Candidates sat for one-on-one interviews with the Springfield Daily Citizen to discuss development, growth and Springfield’s future.
Mayoral candidates conflict over how to treat Springfield’s growth and development
Challenger Melanie Bach is campaigning on a neighborhoods-first focus, while incumbent Ken McClure advocates for regulation and rethinking development within the confines of the Forward SGF 20-year comprehensive plan.
North Springfield will be represented by uncontested City Council members. Get to know them here
Amid a crowded April election, with multiple open City Council seats and a mayoral contest, incumbent City Council members Monica Horton and Abe McGull, of Zones 1 and 2, respectively, face no challengers in their reelection bids. McGull is seeking his second term after first being elected in 2019, and Horton is running for the…
New chain restaurants boom in Springfield as fast-casual trend accelerates
“Fast-casual” restaurants started becoming increasingly common and popular well before the pandemic, but between COVID-19 and the evolving labor market, they have proliferated in Springfield in recent years. As consumers continue to look for a quick, convenient way to buy a meal in a post-pandemic world, and employers are searching for models that require minimal…
School start times frustrate many Springfield parents. How we got here — and is there a way out?
Solving school start times is deeply intertwined with solving the Springfield busing situation
Is Springfield safe? Mayoral and City Council candidates weigh in on public safety needs
Three positions on the Springfield City Council and the mayor’s office are at stake in the municipal elections April 4, 2023. One of the Springfield City Council’s responsibilities is to provide oversight to the people tasked with making Springfield a safer place to live and work.
Is it disruptive kids, stress or pay? SPS board candidates weigh in on why teachers are leaving
Springfield’s school board candidates discuss what they see as the main problems driving the teacher shortage.
Workforce woes persist in Springfield hospitals, with nearly 2,000 job vacancies
Some health care experts cautiously hope the worst of the worker shortage is behind them, while others aren’t quite so sure
Cardinals will roost in Springfield as city cuts $16M deal to buy, upgrade stadium
The proposed deal includes $12 million for a package of properties of interest to Cardinals fans — the ballpark, as well as two parking lots that serve Hammons Field. Parking prices in recent years have been controlled by an out-of-town holding company that acquired many Hammons properties after his trust filed for bankruptcy in 2016,…
As suburbs flourish and grow, Springfield and nearby towns run low on elbow room
Springfield is sprawling, but there’s only a limited amount of Greene County — and the Queen City’s smaller neighbors are eyeing up land and elbowing each other for room.
Diabetes is hated, all-consuming, a struggle and, in Springfield, on the rise
One in nine people in the Springfield area have diabetes, a higher rate than the state or national average. How does the disease impact day-to-day lives of diabetics, their families and even their coworkers?
Work-from-home is here to stay for many Springfield employers
Major shifts in technology transformation don’t shift back, CEO of JMARK says. ‘People don’t get up in the morning and say, ‘Man, I wish I could ride a horse to work today’
Less drag to your drive? Six lanes, millions of dollars and a big vision for James River Freeway
From Republic to Rogersville and about 24.5 miles in between, millions of dollars are being poured into making U.S. Highway 60 bigger, safer and easier to use.
In state filings, Springfield Public Schools ‘categorically denied’ claims of racial discrimination levied now in federal lawsuit
A Black former Springfield middle school student and her mother have filed a federal lawsuit alleging racial discrimination. While the school district has yet to respond to the lawsuit, an attorney denied the allegations in an earlier complaint filed with the state.
Blunt bids hopeful farewell after 26 years in D.C., says ‘America is a work in progress’
Roy Blunt is retiring after 26 years in the U.S. House and Senate. While proud of his public service and hopeful for the future, Blunt has concerns that today’s politicians focus too much on anger and too little on getting results for their constituents.
SGFCO is building a community, one kickball game at a time
SGFCO, the Springfield-based and Springfield-inspired clothing company, has gotten into the events business, bringing people together to create fuzzy feelings toward the Queen City of the Ozarks.
Marijuana for the little guys: Will ‘microbusinesses’ achieve Amendment 3’s equity goals?
Whether you plan to (or already do) partake in Missouri’s marijuana market or not, the microbusiness provision has implications in your backyard.
Springfield’s student body is diversifying faster than its teachers. SPS is paying attention
Across Springfield, Mo. and the U.S., the public school student population is diversifying faster than the teacher population.
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…
Avoiding trips to ER or jail key to new mental health programs in Springfield
Collaborative efforts between law enforcement and the medical community are making a difference through new programs for people experiencing mental health issues.
Springfield’s homeless count is important. Why do organizations have such different numbers?
Community awareness about the growing unsheltered population in Springfield helps guide funding and resources — yet vastly different numbers floating around about the actual number of unsheltered people can be confusing to the public.
Ashcroft’s controversial new rule on racy books adds to growing book ban discussions
IN-DEPTH | On Tuesday, a controversial new administrative rule from Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft will enter its next phase of implementation. The rule could block state funding for libraries that contain materials that appeal to the sexual interests of minors. The administrative rule comes amid an increase in talk of banning books in…
‘No water, no future’ — Experts weigh economic risks of drought in Springfield metro
To assess the potential economic impact of a drought, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources estimates the impact a lack of water would have on crops, livestock, municipal water supply, recreation and thermal power generation.
Marijuana in Missouri: Strange bedfellows unite to oppose lengthy Amendment 3
Amendment 3 brings marijuana back before voters in the Nov. 8 general election. It has left the state, and Springfield, split in more ways than one. Since Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft certified Aug. 9 that the initiative received enough signatures to be on the November ballot, advocates for and against the amendment have campaigned…
What you need to know about the debated Galloway Village ballot issue
Ballot Question 1: Developer plans apartments and retail, but opponents warn of dangers to Sequiota Park area
Free of charge for kids, Tooth Truck fills health care gaps in Springfield
For two decades, the dental care team in Springfield’s Tooth Truck has offered free care to children in need. A half-million dollar investment in a new truck will keep the program rolling.
Missouri knew of contamination in Springfield’s groundwater decades before anyone told residents
People living near a company that did work for the Navy had no idea that a toxic solvent, disposed of improperly, had made its way into their drinking water — until a public apology from the state.
Obituary for a 135-year-old church: ‘It is like mourning somebody who died’
It was a decision decades in the making. A handful of members of St. John’s United Church of Christ in Springfield unanimously voted to close the church and disband a congregation founded in 1887.
Could women seeking election turn Springfield entirely blue?
Candidates and observers share views on prospects for Dem and GOP parties in Greene County, where reshaped districts offer new opportunity — and hope — for Democrats
Voting guide: Sharp divisions among SW MO candidates for 7th District rep to D.C.
For the first time in 12 years, voters in Missouri’s 7th Congressional District — which includes Greene County — will choose a new representative to Washington, D.C. Where do the candidates stand on key issues?
College enrollment is down nationwide. Why is OTC’s ag program growing like a weed?
OTC’s agricultural program has exploded in popularity, bucking overall enrollment trends at the school (and nationwide). Why is the Ag school suddenly of interest to students?
Not your average flipper: Springfield group renovates 15 homes, then sells below-market
The Blue House Project helps low-to-moderate income families who might not otherwise qualify for a home loan become homeowners.
Esports explodes in Springfield schools: how students are gaming their way into college
Gaming is the newest, coolest college sport. Springfield’s OTC, MSU and Drury are investing in esports
Springfield’s former councilman Dan Chiles sounds alarms. Is anyone listening?
Gifted with intellect, passion, stubbornness and an ability to write well and speak convincingly, Dan Chiles has been the burr under many saddles, including some of Springfield’s most established and powerful people and organizations.
Boomtown: Republic growing at a faster pace than Springfield
While she’s still a suburb, Republic is growing faster than her parent city, and the people watching the growth expect an acceleration rather than a leveling.
One SPS science teacher, in a closet, is teaching kids from 21 Missouri districts amid staffing shortages
At a time when teacher shortages are impacting rural and urban districts alike, live virtual educators are in high demand — especially for hard-to-hire roles like science teachers.
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