McDONALD COUNTY, Mo. — A McDonald County murder suspect is back in custody in southwest Missouri.
Thursday, McDonald County deputies travelled to Indiana to bring Dawn Wynn,48, back to McDonald County. She’s currently being held in the McDonald County Jail on no bond.
Wynn is scheduled to be back in court December 22nd. Terre Haute, Indiana Police arrested Wynn Monday after receiving a tip she was staying at a motel under an alias. Wynn has been on the run since August, after she bonded out of jail and failed to report back to the McDonald County Sheriff’s Office.
A dispatcher working with the company tells FOX4 drivers now have the ability to put warnings about dogs during deliveries in the system alerting other drivers to potential dangers.
Amazon didn’t respond to inquiries regarding the matter.
Neashya Wright used to be an Amazon delivery driver. She said she was always on the lookout.
“Looking for bowls, leashes,” she said.
Now she’s on the lookout in a different way, at Heartland Delivery Services as a dispatcher for Amazon drivers.
“I’m there with a map in front of me and it shows me every move that they make throughout the day,” Wright said.
It’s where she met the driver killed in rural Ray County Monday.
“He always came to work ready to go at all times,” she said.
Wright said he was a veteran driver, who trained new drivers on protocols of safe and efficient delivery.
“I’m like hey Jamie you are only 10 stops ahead today you feeling all right normally he’s 20-30, 40 stops ahead,” Wright said.
She wasn’t dispatching for him that day, but has questions how it took neighbors spotting the van hadn’t moved for hours to find that he died in an apparent dog attack.
Since his tragic death she’s seen changes from drivers.
“Yesterday they were making sure they were letting me know what’s going on constantly,” Wright said.
“We have a paw print system within Amazon that is now being added to every delivery that allows drivers to know to beware of a dog on that property,” Wright said.
She’s made a post about her friend Jamie Burnam she hopes reaches customers.
“I want customers to understand that if they are expecting packages please please put up your dogs,” she said. “We can reattempt a package delivery but we can’t replace a driver.”
Right now the Ray County Sheriff’s Office is investigating this as a dog attack, but say it will take between 8 to 16 weeks for a cause of death to be determined.
The bodies of the two suspected dogs involved killed by the Sheriff’s Office have also been sent in for a necropsy.
UPDATE: Silver Dollar City released a statement on Twitter, saying that the Frisco Silver Dollar Line Steam Train derailed from the track, causing six guests and one employee to be taken to local hospitals by ambulance.
BRANSON, Mo. – The Frisco Silver Dollar Line Steam Train at Silver Dollar City derailed Wednesday evening, causing a large response of first responders. A passenger on the train told Ozarks First about the experience.
Stone County’s Office of Emergency Management Director Tom Martin confirmed the incident involving a train with our crew on the scene.
Martin said 3-4 passengers were taken to hospitals by ambulance, but no one had life-threatening injuries.
The train was almost full, according to Martin, who said the state Fire Marshal has been contacted. Authorities are working to figure out what caused the derailment at this time.
Stone County Sheriff’s Office, Southern Stone County Fire Protection District, MSHP, and at least half a dozen Mercy ambulances were present at the scene as of 6:50 pm, according to our OzarksFirst photographer.
KOLR10 anchor Bailey Strohl has been in contact with a passenger on the train Wednesday. This passenger was in the second car from the back of the train.
After the train tipped, the passenger said her husband noticed the wheels on their car were silver instead of black, and then they heard the train dragging.
She said their car and the ones in front of them were completely on their sides and passengers had to smash the windows to climb out.
The passenger said a man near her had lower back issues and was taken away by ambulance to be safe. She also said a lady whose glasses smashed her face and the woman was bleeding.
The passenger said there was a little boy on the train who was so excited to ride, but after the incident, he said he did not like trains anymore.
This is a breaking story and we will provide updates as they become available.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — There are 10,000 reasons why Jasper County Sheriff’s Office officials will remember this Wednesday.
And it came in the form of a $10,000 donation from the Arvest Foundation. the money will help the department purchase new equipment, bullet proof vests and vest carriers.
The donation will also make technical upgrades to help it continue to fight cyber crime.
“The Arvest Foundation funding the work that Jasper County Sheriff’s Office is doing and especially with the Cyber Crimes Task Force, you know, you don’t think that stuff’s here. Well, it’s in your backyard. It’s a couple streets over, you never know where it is. So being able to fund them so that they can really use that money to, you know, seek these people out and stop these crimes from happening is incredibly important right now,” said Austin Hyslip. Marketing Manager.
“Obviously an immeasurable impact on our office. We obviosly have limited funds that we can use and so when somebody like Arvest foundation steps in and gives us a little bit of additional money for these things, it just enables us to do our job all the more better,” said Randee Kaiser, Jasper County Sheriff.
A previous donation by Arvest to the sheriff’s office helped fund body cameras.
Part of this donation will also pay for body mounts for those cameras.
PARSONS, Kans. — Film photographers now have a new and exciting option when it comes to shooting and developing still photos. Los Angeles based, CineStill Film recently released their new 400D color negative film. The 400D film is a little different compared to other films sold by CineStill. According to the company’s website, this new film is based on advanced technology found in motion picture emulsions, and at the same time delivers features exclusive to still photography materials in both unexposed and processed states. The 400D joins CineStill’s popular 800T and 50D films.
One company specializing in film sales and processing is Dwayne’s Photo located in Parsons, Kansas. Co-owner, Derek Carter said the 400D film is now available for sale on their website and expects it to quickly become a popular choice among film photographers. “We’ve really been seeing a resurgence in film shooting for the last several years now and we’ve been incredibly excited about it. With the announcement of the new CineStill 400D, it’s kind of a big indicator that the industry is coming out with new film stocks now. This is one of the first big, new ones that’s recently been released,” said Carter.
The new CineStill 400D film and its versatility is well-described by PopPhoto, a photography and photo gear news and reviews website:
“As the name suggests, 400D is a 400-speed, daylight-balanced film, which makes it CineStill’s most versatile stock so far. The 800T’s color balance makes it neutral under tungsten lighting, when means it’s difficult to get neutral colors under typical daylight’s conditions. The 50D has a finer grain, but it’s three full stops slower, which can be impractical in all but the brightest working conditions.”
“Now there’s more options for film shooters. The industry was declining for a very long time and a lot of film stock got cancelled and they weren’t making it anymore. Now, companies are starting to release new film and new film stocks and it’s another option for film shooters to keep expanding,” said Derek Carter with Dwayne’s Photo.
Carter said the announcement of this new option for film photographers is welcoming news, especially for those who are returning to their film roots from digital, but also for those who have found their way to film photography for the first time. “The percentage of first-time film shooters that we get as customers is growing dramatically. Probably 20% or 30% of our new customers are all first time film shooters. It’s also a lot of young folks too. 18-to-30 year olds are picking up film for the first time and finding cameras from their parents or grandparents, and are really getting into the the hobby for the first time.”
You can find CineStill 400D film on the Dwayne’s Photo website, HERE.
More information about CineStill 400D film can be found, HERE.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Area law enforcement officials are keeping a watchful eye on sex offenders as Halloween draws closer.
The “Newton County Sheriff’s Office” has a full time officer who checks on registered sex offenders throughout the year.
But Sheriff Chris Jennings says the officer gets some extra help this time of the year,
“There are restrictions on their contact with children, they have the lights out between 5 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., not to have any direct contact with children or anything to entice children,” said Chris Jennings, Newton County Sheriff.
Jennings says they generally don’t have many problems with offenders not abiding by the regulations.
He says they must post a sign that states they aren’t giving out candy.
ANDERSON, Mo. — A young soldier, killed in action, just at the beginning of his military career.
This year, the McDonald County High School graduate is given a special honor by his hometown, for his ultimate sacrifice.
“Decided, you know what, maybe I owe the young man something so, I decided to dedicate my bike to him,” said Ray Villa, Patriot Guard Riders of Southwest Missouri.
It’s a ceremony that Patriot Guard rider Ray Villa has participated in for several years…
“We’re here just to honor Chris, and support the ROTC program because they’re the future,” said Villa.
But this year is extra special.
“To the community, he was a great student, a great leader, and he was just a really, really great person,” said Major Mya Burton, MCHS JROTC.
Every year, a remebrance ceremony is held for McDonald County High School graduate Chris Marion.
It’s usually a small ceremony, but, this year, all of McDonald County High School was on hand.
“Chris was one of the kids that was fantastic. We didn’t have trouble with him. He didn’t get in trouble. He was ornery… he was ornery,” said Walter Wood, Chris’s Stepfather,
Private First Class Christopher Lee Marion was just 20 years old in 2006, and enlisted for only seven months, when he gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
“I was very proud,” said Walter.
“Still am,” said Velma Wood, Chris’s mother.
“Oh yes, yes. And still miss him just as much,” added Walter.
State representative Dirk Deaton worked to honor Marion’s legacy.
Missouri Senate Bill 258 was signed into law by Governor Mike Parson last year to rename a portion of US Business 71 in McDonald County as the “Army Private First Class Christopher Lee Marion Memorial Highway.”
“There are a lot of people that have fallen in war. And Chris Marion was one of our only fallen students. And, we wanted to honor him and make sure we never forget him,” said Burton.
“Well it just kind of blows our mind how much he’s loved and the honors that he gets. It’s fantastic,” said Walter.
Making sure the hometown fallen hero is never forgotten.
“I want them to remember that he gave the sacrifice and know that,” added Walter.
“His honesty,” said Velma.
“He was very honest and he loved the good Lord. And, he loved military. That was his life,” said Walter.
MIAMI, Okla. — The United States Department of Education has awarded Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College cooperative funding under the Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institutions (NASNTI) program. The NASNTI program provides grants and related assistance to Native American-serving, nontribal institutions to improve and expand their capacity to serve Native American and low-income students.
NEO’s 2,040 square-mile, three-county primary service area — Ottawa, Craig, and Delaware counties — has a total population of 88,298 people, 30 percent of whom are Native American. The counties are home to 10 tribal jurisdictions. In the fall of 2021, Native American students represented 29 percent of the college’s overall enrollment. NEO offers degrees and certificates in 38 transfer and occupational programs.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, NEO expanded online and hybrid class offerings and added real-time remote classes using Zoom videoconferencing technology. NEO was awarded $1,596,013 over five years as the lead institution for the $2,749,977 grant, a two-initiative project to develop a robust virtual campus. The partner institution, Carl Albert State College, was awarded $1,153,964.
The first initiative is titled “Strengthen Faculty Capacity to Provide Effective Virtual Campus Instruction.” Institutions will develop new onboarding modules to orient faculty to virtual campus teaching. It will establish a faculty resource repository, and each institution will provide training in cultural responsiveness, Universal Design for Learning, teaching with technology, interaction and engagement in virtual courses, and using Open Educational Resources.
The second initiative is titled “Address Gaps and Weakness to Provide Efficient Virtual Campus Student Support.” Institutions will integrate new or redesigned student support into the coaching and mentoring systems and develop student orientations to virtual learning. NEO will develop online support to align with Universal Design for Learning, address students’ social and emotional needs, and ensure virtual support is interactive.
“NEO is very excited with the announcement of the NASNTI Title III grant award. This grant will allow the college to improve services to students while presenting a unique opportunity to work with another institution in Oklahoma on U.S. Department of Education initiatives,” said NEO Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Dustin Grover.
BRANSON, Mo. (KOLR) – Seven people were hospitalized Wednesday after a passenger steam train at a Missouri theme park derailed.
In a statement on Twitter Wednesday night, Silver Dollar City Attractions confirmed parts of its Frisco Silver Dollar Line Steam Train had derailed. Six passengers and an employee were taken to area hospitals by ambulance for their injuries.
The incident prompted multiple local emergency crews to respond to the Silver City Theme Park, just a few miles northwest of Branson.
Speaking with Nexstar’s KOLR, Stone County’s Office of Emergency Management Director Tom Martin said no passengers suffered life-threatening injuries.
The train was almost full at the time, according to Martin.
A passenger, who was aboard the train’s second to last car during the incident, spoke with KOLR about her experience.
She explained, that, after the train tipped, her husband noticed the wheels on their car were silver instead of black, and then they heard the train dragging.
She said their car and those in front of them were laying on their sides and passengers had to smash windows to climb out.
The woman added that a man near her had lower back issues and was taken away by ambulance. She said another woman’s face appeared to have been cut after her glasses broke during the derailment.
According to the woman, a young boy who had been excited about the ride said he no longer liked trains after the incident.
Authorities are still working to determine the cause of the train’s derailment. Silver Dollar City did not offer any explanation in its statement.
“At this time, we are wholeheartedly focused on providing support for guests and team members in partnership with Stone County first responders,” the statement read. “Further updates will be provided as information becomes available.”
Silver Dollar City is ranked as a top attraction in Branson, Missouri, according to Tripadvisor. The theme park got its start around the entrance to Marvel Cave, a wet limestone cave that was opened in the late 1800s by a Canadian entrepreneur and his two daughters as a tourist attraction.
Since then, the park has grown and now includes rides like the Frisco Silver Dollar Line Steam Train, which offers a “leisurely 20-minute steam train ride through the beautiful Ozark countryside,” according to the park’s website. Other attractions include roller coasters, water rides, and a tour of Marvel Cave.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Crowder College has always contracted with the Neosho Police Department to provide two of their officers on campus. Dr. Katricia Pierson, School President, says a student focus group requested the school have their own, independent fully commissioned officers to go along with an existing security officer.
“And having a police department on site is something that actually benefits retention, because those police officers are employees of the college and get to know the students in a different way and the students in turn know them,” said Dr. Katricia Pierson, Crowder College President.
The goal is to have the same law enforcement faces on campus so students can develop a rapport with them that might not develop when those faces change on a frequent basis.
And that’s just fine with Officer Johnny Humphries, who was hired by the school earlier this week.
“We’ll be providing serveral services, one of them will be just being a deterent to anybody who might cause violence to the students, making the students feel better, a lot of our job’s just providing service, might be changing someboy’s tire or giving somebody directions, that kind of stuff, general community service,” said Officer Johnny Humphries, Crowder Police Officer.
That’s exactly what happened to Kayla Talbot this week when her car had a flat. At first she thought someone slashed her tires, until it became clear that wasn’t the case.
“And he looked at the security cameras and made it like noticeable that I drove on it flat which punctured my tire and he helped me change my tire and got a couple of the guys from the diesel place to help me change and then he aired up the rest of my tires,” said Kayla Talbot, Crowder College Student.
