Reginald Lee Jr.

When the pace of vaccinations against Covid-19 came to a near standstill this Spring, health officials turned their attention to partnerships for building trust in the vaccine. Here in the Ozarks, one of the most trusted places for many residents is a church. Many pastors are making the decision to host vaccine clinics as hospitalizations for Covid see record-breaking numbers. Earlier this month, a group of more than 200 Christian pastors statewide signed off on a statement urging residents to

Mercy Springfield hospital will require staff members to receive the Covid-19 vaccine by September 30 as area hospitals struggle with staffing and capacity due to soaring cases of the disease. The announcement comes the same week that Mercy Springfield broke its own record for the number of Covid inpatients, which stood at 125 patients Thursday (7/8). Dr. Brad Wyrsch, a Mercy physician, said there will be few exceptions to the new policy. "For our co-workers, there are those with legitimate m

Ha Ha Tonka State Park will host an evening of stargazing on Saturday, July 10 at 9:15 p.m. According to park officials, weather permitting, viewers will use a telescope and view the night skies in search of a new moon. While the event is outside, social-distancing protocols will still be followed. The state park is near Lake of the Ozarks and is located just south of Camdenton on State Road D. For more details about the event, call the park at 573-346-2986.

Road crews are out painting stripes on the roads, and they want drivers to be extra careful. The Missouri Department of Transportation says drivers in many locations may come across slow-moving caravans of trucks. In a press release, MoDOT said signs flashing messages like, “SLOW VEHICLE” and “WET PAINT” will alert drivers as striping crews consisting of three to five vehicles do their work. Striping is mostly done during the daytime, but occasionally MoDOT crews work on interstate highways at