Crashes reported on separate stretches of I-44; freeway reopens near Laquey Several crashes have taken place due to icy conditions on two separate stretches of Interstate 44 in the Ozarks today. The Missouri State Highway Patrol confirms roughly 15 crashes have taken place due to icy conditions on I-44 between mile markers 149 and 153 in Pulaski County. The freeway was shut down for a time at mile marker 149; westbound lanes were closed for roughly three ...

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 ...

Secret Santa drops 50k into red kettle in Joplin It's a story that would put even the Grinch in the Christmas spirit. For the 8th consecutive year, a Secret Santa in Joplin dropped $50,000 into a Salvation Army red kettle. The person always wraps several checks inside a few dollar bills, so the large donation is not detected until the bucket is opened. With 900 families in the Joplin area needing help from the agency this holiday ...

Boy uses birthday to collect shoes for the needy FARMINGTON, Mo. (AP) — Some needy children in the Farmington area of eastern Missouri are getting new shoes, thanks to the generosity of a little boy. The Daily Journal newspaper in Park Hills, Mo. reports that Braxton Krause had a unique idea for his recent ninth birthday party. Rather than have guests bring gifts, Braxton asked that they bring a pair of shoes for donation. The idea ...

About 10,000 without power in Arkansas after storms About 10,000 Arkansans remain without electricity following winter storms that crossed the state. Some parts of Arkansas received more than a half-foot of snow and sleet since Thursday when the storms began. The Arkansas Valley Rural Electric Cooperative reported about 6,300 outages in western Arkansas on Sunday while Southwestern Electric Power Company reported about 2,500 in the same region. Oklahoma Gas and Electric reported about 1,100 outages ...

Winter storm creates slight challenges for emergency vehicle drivers As snow continues to fall in places across the Ozarks, emergency calls are on the rise. Ambulance drivers are tasked with finding balance between driving safely but also transporting patients to hospitals as quickly as possible. "[We have noticed] a great increase in car wrecks when it first started. Falls were a little bit elevated compared to what they normally are but there were a lot of ...

Senators: Put cameras on train tracks, engineers
NEW YORK (AP) — A week after four people died in a New York commuter train derailment, two federal lawmakers proposed Sunday that trains nationwide be outfitted with cameras pointed at engineers and at the tracks.

Dolphins shake off snow, Steelers 34-28
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Once the Miami Dolphins got used to the snow, the Pittsburgh Steelers were no problem.

North Korea says Kim's uncle removed from power
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Monday acknowledged the purge of leader Kim Jong Un's powerful uncle on allegations of corruption, drug use and a long list of other "anti-state" acts.

Pats beat Browns 27-26 with TD after onside kick
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes in the final 61 seconds, helping the New England Patriots rally for a 27-26 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

South Africans of all faiths pray for Mandela
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — In death, Nelson Mandela unified South Africans of all races and backgrounds Sunday on a day of prayer for the global statesman — from a vaulted cathedral with hymns and incense to a rural, hilltop church with goat-skin drums and barefoot dancing.