City of Springfield schedules Veterans Day ceremonies

(From the City of Springfield)

The City of Springfield will host a Veterans Day ceremony honoring City employees and retirees who have served in our Armed Forces at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 9 at the entrance to the Phil Broyles Public Works and Environmental Services Complex (1111 W. Chestnut Expressway).

The ceremony will include a special memorial dedication to late Deputy City Manager Gen. Fred Marty. Marty, a retired major general in the U.S. Army, served as vice president of administration at Missouri State University, chancellor of the university’s West Plains campus and executive director of the Wonders of Wildlife Museum before joining the City in 2010. As the Deputy City Manager, he participated in the development of plans to meet environmental standards, the direction of building development services, public works, human resources and more. Marty passed away in 2013 after a battle with cancer.

Park Central Square Christmas tree to be installed Wednesday morning

(From the City of Springfield)

City of Springfield Public Works will install the Park Central Square Christmas tree beginning at 9 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 8.

The 25-foot-tall blue spruce was donated by retired Springfield Fire Battalion Chief Bill Gustafson and will be transported Wednesday from his property in Nixa.

The tree will be decked out and ceremoniously lighted at the Downtown Tree Lighting ceremony at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18 on Park Central Square.

Visit itsalldowntown.com for a full list of festive family events held in downtown Springfield this holiday season.

Springfield holiday season to begin with Downtown Tree Lighting at Park Central Square

(From the City of Springfield)

Join Mayor Ken McClure with special guest Dino Kartsonakis, America’s Piano Showman, for the annual Downtown Tree Lighting on Park Central Square Saturday Nov. 18.

Enjoy free hot chocolate during the pre-show beginning at 6 p.m. with pianist Luke Cooksey playing holiday favorites and a performance from Springfield Little Theatre’s “The Santa Sessions.” Dino will take the stage at 6:20 p.m.

Santa, Mrs. Claus and other celebrity guests, including Buddy the Elf and everyone’s favorite winter princesses, will also make appearances. Santa’s mailbox (a decked-out mailbox provided by the U.S. Postal Service) will be on-site for children to send their letters to Santa.

The lighting of the Park Central Square Christmas tree will occur at 7 p.m., followed by a performance by musical group 3.Little.Birds, a dance performance by Studio Vie, the Jingle Bell March around the square and photo ops with Santa and the other characters.

The City of Springfield will partner with the Mayor’s Commission for Children to host “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” story times at 7:15, 7:30 and 7:45 p.m. at Park Central Branch Library. Each child in attendance will receive a free book.

Free carriage rides courtesy of the Downtown Springfield Community Improvement District will be available 7-10 p.m. Mediacom Ice Park, 635 E. Trafficway, will again offer free ice skating 6:15-8:15 p.m. Skate rental is $3. Be sure to take in the thousands of musical Christmas lights and decorated Norway spruce by strolling the path at Jordan Valley Park east of the ice park.

The Downtown Tree Lighting kicks of Festival of Lights, a flurry of holiday activities throughout November and December that includes include horse-drawn carriage rides, free ice skating, holiday productions, shows and concerts and the Downtown Springfield Christmas Parade Dec. 9.

Festival of Lights is presented by the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, the Downtown Springfield Association, the Downtown Springfield CID and the City of Springfield.

Former Springfield YMCA employee pleads guilty to child pornography charges

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)

A former Springfield YMCA employee pleaded guilty in federal court today to receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet.

Benjamin Goodwin, 28, of Springfield, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge James C. England to the charge contained in an Aug. 15, 2017, federal indictment. Goodwin has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains in federal custody pending his sentencing hearing.

Goodwin, an employee of the Springfield YMCA at the time of the offense, admitted that he received and distributed child pornography over the Internet between June 11, 2016, and Aug. 3, 2017.

According to court documents, Goodwin initially came to the attention of law enforcement after the administrators of Chatstep submitted a Cybertipline Report regarding his use of its services to post images depicting child pornography. During the course of another investigation, an individual told investigators that he and Goodwin had been trading images depicting child pornography.

On Aug. 3, 2017, investigators contacted Goodwin outside his place of employment, the Springfield YMCA. Goodwin admitted that he had sent approximately 25 images depicting child pornography to the other individual and had received approximately the same number in return.

Under federal statutes, Goodwin is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force.

Agenda posted for Springfield-Greene County Park Board meeting

The Springfield-Greene County Park Board will meet in regular session on Thursday, November 9, 2017, 8:30 a.m., Park Board Administrative Offices, 1923 N. Weller, Springfield, Missouri. (Note: Park Board meetings are typically held on the second Friday of the month. The date was changed due to Veteran’s Holiday being formally observed on Friday, November 10).

1. Roll Call

2. Approval of Minutes
a. October 13, 2017 Park Board Meeting
b. October 13, 2017 Closed Park Board Meeting
c. October 25, 2017 Food and Beverage Committee Meeting

3. Japanese Fall Festival Report and Check Presentation

4. Neighborhood Parks Progress Report

5. Committee Report
a. Food and Beverage Committee Update

6. Director’s Report

7. Chair’s Report

8. Unfinished Business

9. New Business

10. Calendar:
a. Park Board Meeting: Friday, December 8, 2017, at 8:30 a.m., Park Board Administrative Offices, 1923 N. Weller, Springfield, Missouri b. Parks Department Holiday Luncheon: Wednesday, December 13, 2017, Northview Center

11. Adjournment

Reward offered for information on man wanted on felony drug charges

(From Greater Springfield Area Crimestoppers)

Nicholas Chambers is the Crime Stoppers Fugitive of the Week. 

He has two active Greene County felony warrants for possession of a controlled substance and an active Christian County felony warrant for dangerous drugs. Chambers has been known to grow his hair and beard out longer and may look slightly different from the most recent photo displayed here. He is considered armed and dangerous. 

If you see Chambers or have information on his whereabouts, please contact Crime Stoppers at 417-869-TIPS or submit a tip online.

Coffee with the Chief scheduled in Springfield

(From the Springfield Police Department)

Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams will be hosting "Coffee with the Chief" at 7 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at Dancing Mule Coffee Company, 1945 S. Glenstone Ave. 

The purpose of the meeting is to encourage an open discussion between the public and the Chief. 

Anyone interested in asking questions or learning more about the Springfield Police Department is encouraged to attend.

Springfield motorcyclist seriously injured in crash on 160

A Springfield man was injured in a one-vehicle accident 5:15 p.m. Sunday on Highway 160 in Walnut Shade.

According to the Highway Patrol report, a 2000 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by James P. Davis, 30, Springfield, ran off the roadway, down an embankment and struck some boulders, ejecting Davis.

Davis was treated for serious injuries at Cox South Hospital, Springfield.

C-SPAN's Book TV to be in Springfield next week

(From the City of Springfield)

The Honorable Mayor Ken McClure and Mediacom will welcome C-SPAN to Springfield on Monday, November 6, to kick-off a week-long visit to record the city’s history and non-fiction literary life for programs to be produced and televised on the cable network’s non-fiction book channel BookTV (on C-SPAN2) and history channel American History TV (on C-SPAN3).

In conjunction with its cable partner, Mediacom, C-SPAN announced the selection of Springfield as its featured city for a program series that provides the networks’ national audience with an up-close look at mid-sized cities across America. C-SPAN video journalists will be in Springfield November 5-9.

During Monday’s kick-off reception in the Gallery of the historic Gillioz Theatre, C-SPAN producers will reveal the stories and segments that will be explored by the national network. During their time in Springfield, C-SPAN producers will visit various literary and historic sites, interview local historians and non-fiction authors and conduct educational and community outreach in the area.

Local segments recorded during next week’s visit will air on BookTV (on C-SPAN2; Mediacom ch. 87 or 82-21) and American History TV (on C-SPAN3; Mediacom ch. 88 or 82-13) on January 6-7 during a special Springfield weekend as the featured programming of the series, C-SPAN Cities Tour.

WHAT:  Kick-off Reception hosted by Mediacom, Official welcome by Springfield City Mayor

WHEN:  Monday, November 6, 2017, 5-6:30 pm With remarks and program announcement at 5:30 pm

WHERE: The Gallery in the Gillioz Theatre, 325 Park Central East, Springfield, Missouri 65806

REMARKS:  The Honorable Mayor Ken McClure

                        Steve Bennett, Mediacom Senior Director for Area Operations

                        Debbie Lamb, Coordinating Producer, C-SPAN Cities Tour

Guests attending reception are encouraged to RSVP to:  ppeters@mediacomcc.com

• Media welcome on shoot locations. C-SPAN producers available for in-studio and on-location interviews during Cities Tour itinerary in Springfield.

BACKGROUND:

C-SPAN’s 2017 Cities Tour takes Book TV and American History TV on the road. BookTV (on C-SPAN2) and American History TV (on C-SPAN3) are featuring the literary life and history of each of these selected cities during special weekends on the public affairs network.

AIR DATES:

The programs C-SPAN produces in Springfield will air throughout a Springfield special feature weekend January 6-7--literary programming on Book TV (on C-SPAN2, Mediacom channel 87 or 82-21) and history programming on American History TV (on C-SPAN3, Mediacom channel 88 or 82-13). C-SPAN is available in Springfield on Mediacom channel 97 or 82-3.

For more information, visit the C-SPAN Cities Tour website and follow the program on Twitter @CSPANCities.

Portion of Campbell Avenue to close Tuesday

(From the City of Springfield)

The right, southbound lane of Campbell Avenue will close between Morningside Street and Woodland Street beginning 9 a.m. through 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7 for a contractor to construct new driveway approaches.