A week before the Memorial Day holiday weekend, Missourians got a reminder of the dangers of the Lake of the Ozarks. I visited with local first responders and business owners about safety tips and preparations for the kickoff of the boating season. Click Here to Read More.

A story about a stolen truck isn’t typically a highly promotable package, but Cole Welker’s truck is a little bit different. I reported on the community effort to get it back. Click Here to Read More.

In tiny Raymond, IL (pop. 950), it seemed there was about a 1 in 1,000 chance a resident had just become a millionaire after a $1 million Powerball ticket was sold at a local gas station. I visited the store and spoke with customers and employees about the excitement. Click Here to Read More.

In May 2017, record floods in the Meramec River basin caused millions of dollars worth of damage and impacted the lives of thousands of area residents. As part of our team coverage that day, I zeroed in on the community of Pacific as residents braced for the river’s crest. Click Here to Read More.
 

Three robbery suspects with a track record of pulling off similar crimes in other states paid a visit to a Springfield jewelry store, smashed the cases with mallets and made out with tens of thousands of dollars worth of product. Police arrested one of the suspects shortly after the incident, thanks to the vigilantism of a store employee. Click Here to Read More.

In February 2016, Greene County Judge David Jones handed down a sentence that seemed to “grind the gears” of many folks in our community. He granted probation to 21-year-old Dylan Meyer, who was convicted for hitting and killing a 38-year-old Springfield woman in February 2015. Meyer’s BAC was .266 and Williams’ vehicle snapped into two pieces after Meyer hit her at a speed over 90 mph. This is a series of reports about mistakes, forgiveness and second chances. Click Here to Read More.

About 50% of the nation’s population can’t come up with $500 today if the car breaks down, yet fewer than 1 percent of the country’s banks and credit unions offer loans for $500 or less. So where are people to turn? Many folks in a tight spot in Missouri have turned to payday loans, a lending product that carries an average APR of 450% in the Show-Me State. In this series of reports, I followed a group known as the Faith Voices of Southwest Missouri. This group has taken the scriptures to Jefferson City and Washington D.C. to call for new regulations on this industry. These clergy have also worked within their own congregations to develop small-dollar lending alternatives for people in need. Click Here to Read More.

In April 2011, Don and Helen Willingham were stabbed to death in a botched robbery at their Greene County home. Don and Helen were devout Baptists with children and grandchildren. Their deaths brought Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott to tears in a news conference.

It took Greene Co. authorities almost two years to file charges against Jose Huckleberry for his alleged role in the Willingham’s murders. I followed the 5-day trial from opening statements to Huckleberry’s eventual conviction. Click Here to Read More.

After Gov. Jay Nixon honored two Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers in his State of the State address, I worked with the patrol to get the troopers out to where they made this rescue. The stand-up in this story won an internal Nexstar stand-up competition. Click Here to Read More

In a small town, “everybody knows everybody,” and that certainly seems to be the case in Thayer, Mo.(pop about 2,500). We talked to community members about the need to rally around a family that lost four children in a house fire. Click Here to Read More