Weather-related cancellations and postponements If your organization has an event that is postponed or cancelled because of the weather, please post it in the comments section below. ---- Here are some postponements and cancellations that we received by email, but we can't guarantee that we'll be able to post each event that is sent to us, so please post them yourself.   Also, the Ozarks Sports Zone has a list of sports ...

Near record cold tonight Temperatures may drop below zero in areas which saw heavy snow last night and today. Find out if any record lows are in jeopardy and when it will warm up by watching the forecast. ...

Bitter cold air creates dangerous situation Now that the ice and snow have stopped falling, the next concern is the bitter cold. The low temperature could possibly set a record for this date in Springfield this weekend. That creates a dangerous situation.  Hypothermia and frostbite are real concerns. Health experts say this is something you should take seriously. Even if you love this winter wonderland, you need to take precautions. Health experts say ...

Tow trucks struggle to keep up with slide-offs A lot of snow is on the ground around the Ozarks, making travel tough.    Much of the day Friday, the snow was coming down steadily, making it hard for street crews and tow companies to keep up. The steadily falling flakes kept streets snow-packed and traffic a little lighter.   "If you don't have to get out, don't get out," says Matt Henry, general manager of Henry's Towing. For ...

Consumer Reports likes prepaid cell phone service for saving money A cellular telephone bill is an expense that nearly everyone has.  Consumer Reports says there are several ways to save. "The traditional two-year contract may not be the best choice for value.  Initially you get a big discount on the phone you pick but moderate users may be paying a lot more for service compared to a prepaid plan," said Rosalind Tordesillas of Consumer Reports. Consumer Reports' staffer ...

NTSB: Pilot likely was disoriented before plane crash that killed 5 near Willard Federal investigators concluded a plane crash near Willard, Mo., that killed five people last year was the result of the pilot becoming disoriented as he tried to use his instruments to find the Springfield-Branson National Airport.  The National Transportation Safety Board’s probable cause report was approved on Thursday. The small plane was returning from the Kansas City area, where the group had attended a Kansas City ...

More of US expected to see snow, sleet, ice
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — After cold rain and winds lashed the Southwest and other parts of the country Friday, millions of residents hunkered down for icy conditions expected to last through the weekend as the cold snap was forecast to continue causing problems and trekking northeast.

Jay-Z tops Grammy nominations, snub for Timberlake
Veteran rapper Jay-Z topped nominees for the 2014 Grammys with nine nods, while Taylor Swift and Daft Punk were also among those in the running in major categories. But Jay-Z other major stars including Justin Timberlake failed to score any nominations in the major categories, which saw a mixture of rap and pop in the running for the top honors at music's equivalent of the Oscars next month. In second place with seven nods apiece were California hip hop star Kendrick Lamar and rapper Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, as well as Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams, while rapper Drake scored five.

ABC's 'Scandal' reduced to 18 episodes this season
LOS ANGELES (AP) — ABC says it will air four fewer episodes of "Scandal" than planned this season.

U.S. teacher killed Libya remembered as force for change
Ronnie Smith, the American teacher shot dead by gunmen in Libya, was remembered on Friday by his students and friends as an inspirational figure making a difference in the troubled North African country. Smith was gunned down on Thursday as he was exercising in the Libyan city of Benghazi where he worked as a chemistry teacher for the last year and a half, security sources and school officials said. He was just all around perfect," Abubaker Tahar, 16, one of Smith's students at the International School Benghazi, told Reuters via Twitter. He was one of a number of students who took to social media to share their grief for a teacher they described as trying to push them to make Libya a better place.

North Korea frees U.S. Korean War veteran after seven weeks
By Ben Blanchard and Michael Martina BEIJING (Reuters) - North Korea freed an 85-year-old retired American soldier on Saturday after detaining him for more than a month for crimes it said he committed during the Korean War six decades ago. The veteran, Merrill E. Newman, flew to China from North Korea in the morning. Hours later he left on a United Airlines flight to San Francisco to be reunited with his family, sources at Beijing airport said. North Korea's official KCNA news agency earlier said he was being deported on humanitarian grounds and because he had admitted to his wrongdoing and apologized.