Our in-depth section is devoted to long-form articles covering wide-ranging issues in Springfield, Mo. and surrounding areas.
‘Every person is a math person:' SPS' curriculum uses new method to make math more understandable
In Springfield Public Schools, 2 + 2 still equals 4, but changes in the way math is taught are adding up to a new mindset and improved scores on state math tests.
Children's Mercy KC to see patients at Mercy Springfield in 2024
The model the two systems are aiming for is called a “hospital in a hospital,” but that type of operation still has to be approved by regulators. The amount of square feet that CMKC will lease and the cost is still being hashed out.
Proposed sale of Hammons Tower, parking garage could spur investment in downtown Springfield
The city of Springfield is being asked to buy a downtown parking garage as a key to a development group's plans to buy the landmark Hammons Tower — and spur other development in the area.
‘Level of depravity' of predators, cybercrimes related to child pornography continues to stun judge
Since 2010, the Western District of Missouri, which includes Springfield, has consistently ranked in the top 5 out of the 94 federal court districts in the U.S. in the number of child pornography cases.
Parents share story of Aurora teen who died by suicide after falling victim to sextortion scheme
Aurora teen Evan Boettler fell victim to sextortion, a crime in which a perpetrator tricked the teen into sending photos and then threatened to release the photos if the teen didn't send money.
Springfield's workforce is getting older as many boomers refuse to retire
In a reflection of a national trend, Springfield baby boomers are working well past the traditional retirement age. With roughly 11 million 65-plus Americans still working, the older workforce has nearly quadrupled in size since the mid-1980s,
If we build it, will they come? Springfield leaders outline need for convention center
Springfield is losing conventions, and the economic impact they bring, to other communities across the region — not just bigger cities, but similar or even smaller markets. While the need has been around for years, how to meet it remains uncertain.
Periodical cicadas ready to emerge in Springfield area after 13-year slumber
Get ready for a noisy spring as billions of cicadas in Brood 19 emerge in a 15-state area concentrated in Missouri and Illinois.
Springfield nonprofit paves way for burgeoning Ozarks film industry
Getting a film commission in southwest Missouri, building out a database of shooting sites, training the next batch of Ozarks filmmakers and building a community of support will lay the groundwork for a movie production industry to blossom in the region.
Springfield moms join show of force at Capitol aimed at reducing gun violence
About 150 Springfield and Missouri women, men and students advocated March 27 for stronger laws to reduce gun violence during an advocacy day in Jefferson City on behalf of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense.
If ‘the truth is out there’ about UAPs, Eric Burlison wants to know
Eric Burlison wants a congressional subcommittee to investigate what he believes is a cover-up when it comes to UAPs – Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena.
ON ISSUES: SPS board candidates present ideas for handling behavior
Every one of the seven Springfield Board of Education candidates has said it at some point — behavior is one of the biggest issues in the race, and one of the biggest problems faced in Springfield Public Schools. It might be the biggest.
Eclipse in the Ozarks: Your outdoor guide for an epic solar experience
On April 8, the path of a total solar eclipse will move across North America including 15 states with more than 31 million people.
Former boss says MSU prez candidate Roger Thompson does many things ‘exceedingly well'
Roger Thompson is a self-described “people person” with a love of sports. He once dreamed of being a sports broadcaster.
Suicide prevention is focus of teen gun safety initiatives in Springfield
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth age 10-17, and access to guns by young people is an increasing concern.
MSU prez hopeful John Jasinski: a success at Northwest MO State; non-renewal never explained
John Jasinski served 13 years as president of Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, but his non-renewal was never fully explained.
Alarm over youth gun violence in Springfield spurs task force and a look at root causes
Gun violence among teens in Springfield is on everyone’s radar. A new task force has begun work, while “credible messengers” are going to the streets, earning the trust of at-risk teens — on their turf and on their terms.
MSU candidate ‘Biff' Williams is ‘confident, competent and capable,' says head of faculty senate in Utah
Richard “Biff” Williams, one of three finalists for the presidency of Missouri State University, makes public appearances Feb. 14-15 as part of his interview to succeed Clif Smart.
Touch of gray: VLT game rooms pop up in Springfield; City Council weighs ban
The Springfield City Council is set to vote on a bill at its Feb. 12 meeting that would effectively ban video lottery terminals (VLTs).
Greene County leads Missouri in marijuana conviction expungements
The Greene County Circuit Clerk’s Office has completed more expungements than any other county in Missouri, with more than 4,300 charges cleared as of January 2024.
For-profit vs. nonprofit: Two companies' donation bins may cause confusion
A for-profit company, United Global Threads, started putting clothing donation bins all over Springfield in 2023. They're the same shade of purple as the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Ozarks' donation bins.
The Springfield Art Museum must close for three years. But why?
Moving the “art” out of an “art museum” is a delicate matter. Partial closure isn’t possible, safe or efficient, says Nick Nelson, director of the Springfield Art Museum.
Blue Line, Orange Line and lifeline: Springfield bus service functions for those of meager means
The 11-person Springfield Board of Public Utilities — which is separate from the City Council, but appointed by the City Council — is re-examining its bus service, which CU has provided since 1945.
Student behavior in the spotlight: Teachers union points out problems with Springfield's system
Laura Mullins, president of Springfield NEA, said that what SPS is doing isn’t enough, because it is putting teachers at risk.
Woman who says toes regrew not only a victim of domestic assault, but has criminal history of her own
Nine months past a reported miracle involving regrowth of three toes, little more is known about Kristina Dines — but we have learned Dines is a complicated central character.
Greene County treatment courts offer paths to sobriety, alternative to jail
Greene County’s Adult Treatment Court is an at least 18-month-long intensive program that serves as an alternative to costly jail incarceration.
Springfield council members support some sales tax measure, but differ on specifics
City Council members agree Springfield has needs, and that a new sales tax could help address them. Consensus remains elusive on which needs to address with a potential tax, and how such a tax would appear on ballots for voter approval.
Springfieldians asked to help set the future of health care for kids
The leaders of CoxHealth and Mercy Springfield Communities are exploring the idea of expanding children’s medical services with a new, standalone pediatric hospital in Springfield.
Development may be aiding Springfield's Pearson Creek
Pearson Creek collects water and sediments from a 23-mile fan — or watershed — of underground streams, surface drainage and springs from rural and urban sources running north to south in eastern Greene County
3D-printing a village: Nonprofit tries new tech to alleviate homelessness
Eden Village, a Springfield-based nonprofit, houses tenants in tiny homes priced at $325 per month, utilities included.
‘More than just a sewer extension:’ Project could spur SGF’s eastward growth
Phase 1 of the Hunt Branch Trunk Sewer project is set to be constructed in 2024 — paving the way for growth and development.
Greene County Commission weighs 2024 budget amid sharp decline in sales tax growth
The Greene County Commission is set to weigh spending requests by county offices and departments against the Budget Office’s recommendations before the Commission adopts a final budget in early 2024.
Half a million dollars to feed people with community gardens
Teaching new farmers has been part of the Springfield Community Gardens' vision to “create a community where everyone has access to healthy, local food,”
Number of vaping teens falls, but prevention efforts won't stop
High School sophomores lead the pack for tobacco use in the Springfield school system, with eighth graders not far behind.
Eradication of ‘perfect weed' hydrilla nears due to collaboration, public awareness
As other states grapple with the continued spread and negative effects of the federally listed noxious weed hydrilla, Missouri is cautiously approaching eradication, over a decade after it was first discovered in the state.
Above the chatter: Downtown Springfield is safe and growing, but still needs improvement
Even with year-over-year growth, downtown business owners and other stakeholders agree that downtown Springfield has a long path to fitting the criteria laid out in Forward SGF.
Youths share insights into gritty life on Springfield streets for homeless and at-risk teens
More than 800 young people are considered homeless in the Springfield area. Life on the streets, they say, is risky — but most are fleeing abuse, trauma or other issues.
Rejection of Nichols Park plan for new Pipkin sent school officials scrambling to choose ill-fated site, emails show
Springfield school leaders hoped to put a new Pipkin Middle School at Nichols Park, but when that plan went awry, they were forced to scramble and settled quickly on an ill-fated site along Highway 65.
‘Annie Leibovitz at Work’ plays greatest hits alongside new favorite photographs
“Annie Leibovitz at Work” is not intended to be viewed as a retrospective, but rather as a master class in “ah-ha” moments.
Cancer in the soil: Hundred years' cleanup continues in Springfield
A chemical linked to human cancers was routinely dumped in northwest Springfield from the 1960s to the 1980s.
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