Our Tuesday will be a remarkably mild day under mostly sunny skies. With highs projected to top out around 68, that will be an amazing high compared to where we were last Tuesday. Last Tuesday was insanely cold with lows around -15 and highs around 13. With our high of 68, that will be an 83 degree jump from last Tuesday’s low in a week. For Wednesday, we’ll have a cold front roll on through with maybe some drizzle before sunrise and a few random showers through the morning up until lunch time. The front will also drop highs back into the lower to middle 50s for Tuesday afternoon. Another quick wave on Thursday could bring a few more showers our way under mostly cloudy skies. Otherwise, we’ll keep cool with highs in the upper 40s. The weekend starts with a dry Friday and cool temperatures in the upper 40s once again. We’ll have highs back in the 50s for Saturday through next Monday. The next bigger storm system on the way will wait until next Sunday and Monday. That’s when we’ll have better rain chances start to return.
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Car wash forecast – February 23rd-25th
With another mostly sunny and mild day lined up for our Tuesday, we gave the day a good rating to get your car cleaned up with the go-ahead for a fresh coat of wax. With a cold front working through for Wednesday, we may see some drizzle early Wednesday morning before sunrise and a few random showers before we head into the afternoon. Once we get into the afternoon, we’ll stay dry under partly sunny skies. We’ll give Wednesday a fair rating with the recommendation to hold off on any car washing until the afternoon. For Thursday, another weak wave will pass by with the chance for a few showers. With the majority of the area staying dry, we’ll give Thursday a fair rating before we head back to a completely dry day for Friday.
Weather at 6pm 2-22
Oklahoma expanding vaccine access to teachers, school staff
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma is beginning its second phase of coronavirus vaccinations by providing inoculations to teachers and staff in pre-K through 12 schools. They’re also offering the vaccine to adults of any age with illnesses that make them susceptible to the virus.
Current Oklahoma Teacher of the Year Jena Nelson and the six 2021 teacher of the year finalists were vaccinated Monday morning in Norman. State health commissioner Dr. Lance Frye said he hopes all teachers who want the vaccine will have received it by spring break.
The state health department reports more than 681,000 Oklahomans had been vaccinated as of Friday.
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Kansas encourages online driver’s license renewals
TOPEKA, Kan. – The Kansas Department of Revenue urges residents to avoid waiting until the last day of the extension period to renew expired driver’s licenses and ID cards.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Laura Kelly issued Executive Orders, most recently Executive Order #20-70, to temporarily extend the deadline for Kansas driver’s license and state identification card renewals.
The Kansas Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles cautions Kansans to avoid waiting until the last day of the extension period to renew expired credentials.
As part of its efforts to get renewals completed and not crowd its offices, the Division of Vehicles asks Kansans to first consider renewing using iKan, the agency’s online driver’s license and vehicle registration renewal system. Online renewals can be performed by going to www.ikan.ks.gov.
To further encourage online renewals, KDOR has temporarily waived service fees for using iKan. By statute, some restrictions apply. If criteria are not met, customers are asked to schedule their renewal through the appropriate appointment process.
KDOR implemented the need for appointments at all its offices. While walk-ins are permitted, customers with appointments receive priority. For information about scheduling an appointment, customers can visit https://ksrevenue.org/DOVAppointmentInfo/.
Joplin mask mandate set to expire at the end of February
JOPLIN, Mo. – “On the COVID front, our numbers are absolutely improving,” says Joplin Mayor Ryan Stanley.
A decline in COVID-19 numbers is a welcome piece of good news for city officials and residents after a long and stressful year.
Joplin Health Department Director Ryan Talken explains the seven day rolling average is at around seven new cases per day. For contrast, he says the seven day rolling average was closer to 50 new cases per day in mid-November.
The positivity rate is also down — hitting closer to 7 percent. There’s currently 40 active cases, 33 hospitalizations (6 are Joplin residents), and 124 deaths.
“We are absolutely feeling like we’re in a strong position,” says Stanley.
One of the city’s biggest responses to the pandemic is the city wide mask mandate. It was first put into place in July of 2020, and then reinstated in November after the first mandate ended in August. The current mandate is set to expire on February 28th. So the question is — will the city council extend the mandate, or drop it since the numbers are looking so good.
“I feel that masking works. I feel that masking is part of the tool box to control spread,” says Health Department Director Ryan Talken.
We also decided to do a short informal survey, where we went to two different Joplin businesses to see how many people wore masks and how many didn’t. We spent 15 minutes in the first business, and saw 50 people that were wearing a mask, and 17 that were not. At the second business, we spent 30 minutes, and saw 65 people that were wearing a mask, and 30 people that were not.
Mayor Stanley says they aren’t sure what will happen with the mandate. He plans to touch base with each member of the city council to see if it’s something they want to discuss, and then hold a special meeting — more than likely on Thursday of this week — to make a decision.
“With one hand you can say it’s working so well. it’s doing its job. Why would you pull it? And on the other hand you might say, we’ve weathered the storm… just after last week… and we feel like we’re at a place that we can afford to pull it now,” says Stanley. “And I can’t speak for council on that. I’m sure it’ll be weighing out those two things.”
Talken also says that the second dose mass vaccine clinic with the National Guard that was canceled last week has been rescheduled. He says residents who are going to get their shot at the clinic will get a call from the health department or the National Guard this week. He asks that all of those residents have their voice mails set up, and call the number back if a message is left.
Talken says more information about the clinic will be released to the public after the participating residents are notified of the new date, time and place.
Related stories:
https://www.koamnewsnow.com/joplin-releases-information-after-council-passes-mask-ordinance/
Names released of Avilla homicide victims
JASPER COUNTY, Mo. – The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office releases the names of two homicide victims in Avilla.
They are identified as Mason McClure, 34, who resided at 255 Greenfield, and Nichole Hodges, 34, of Joplin.
Deputies in Jasper and Newton Counties started investigating separate murder cases over the weekend. They now believe the two are connected.
On Feb. 20, 2021, around 4:10 a.m., the Newton County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area of State Line Road and Angus Drive for a report of a possible body in the ditch. Deputies found a body on the east side of the road.
Detectives started processing the scene as a homicide. They identified the remains as belonging to 25-year-old Brylee Obanion. Authorities are waiting on autopsy results to determine the exact cause of death.
They tracked her last known whereabouts to Jasper County. The Newton County Sheriff’s Office was seeking two people of interest, who were reportedly with the victim recently. This is when the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office became involved.
On Feb. 21, 2021, Jasper County deputies responded to 255 Greenfield in Avilla around 5:30 p.m. They found a man and female dead at the location.
They are identified as Mason McClure, 34, who resided at 255 Greenfield, and Nichole Hodges, 34, of Joplin.
According to preliminary autopsy results, they both died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.
Around 4:30 a.m. on Feb. 22, authorities arrested Kevin C. Johnson, 24, for homicide. Deputies took him to the Jasper County Jail awaiting formal charges. They aren’t looking for any other suspects at this time.
Detectives are still investigating. This is an ongoing story and will be updated as information is released.
Average US price of gas up 14 cents a gallon to $2.64
Martha Jane Latty
Martha J. Latty, 86, passed away on February 21, 2021 at Ascension Via Christi hospital in Pittsburg, KS after a short illness. She was born December 11, 1934 in Pittsburg, where she lived most of her life, to William (Bud) Bill and Lillian (Trout) Bill. She attended Pittsburg schools and graduated from Pittsburg High School in 1953.
She was baptized in the Methodist faith. Martha was married in the First United Methodist Church to Daniel D. Latty by Rev. Lloyd Rising on April 15, 1956. She sang in the choir for many years and attended church regularly throughout her life. Martha was a very friendly person and caring and helping others came naturally to her. Nick and Artie, as they were known to family and friends, lived in the same house in Pittsburg for over 50 years. For many years they hosted annual Christmas parties for their neighbors. She would often go door to door taking up a collection to purchase flowers and cards for the family when someone in the neighborhood died. She would check in with friends and neighbors, offering to take them to appointments if needed, most times before they would even ask.
Caring for family members was also very important to Artie. She was close to both of her sisters, living next door to Mary Jean most of her life. Jo Ann moved often with her Army husband until settling in Pittsburg again at retirement and it was important to her to visit both regularly as their health declined. She made a point to send cards to her children, grandchildren, sisters, in-laws, nieces, nephews, and to their children, as well as to many of her friends every year for birthdays and anniversaries. She looked after her unmarried aunt and uncles when they became older, making sure their needs were met until they died. She corresponded weekly with one uncle and kept his colorful letters for many years.
Artie volunteered as a Pink Lady for sixty years at Mt. Carmel (now Ascension Via Christi), serving as Auxiliary President the year the hospital opened at its current location. For fifty of those years, Artie and one of her best friends, the late Jackie Wright, donated their time working the coffee cart each week. Before the hospital was remodeled, she also worked in the snack bar and later worked behind the scenes for the hospital gift shop. Nick and Artie were supporters for their children’s activities from elementary to high school including PTA, school carnivals, athletics, and high school marching band.
They enjoyed travelling, whether locally or across the country. When the children were younger, they often took the camper to Roaring River with family and friends. They enjoyed long trips to visit family members from Arizona to Illinois, or just a local drive so Nick could check out the salvage yards for car parts. Over the years they visited many cities and states. They often talked about a favorite being a three-week road trip in the fall to the northeast with Nick’s cousin and her husband.
Nick passed away March 25, 2012. Artie continued to live in Pittsburg until breaking a hip in 2017 and moved to an independent living duplex at Oakview Estates in Frontenac. As long as she was able, she continued visiting with family and friends, including joining her high school classmates on the last Friday of the month for lunch. When she wasn’t able to drive any more, she would check in with a call instead. She moved inside the Oakview assisted living building in 2019 and enjoyed her time there with the family of wonderful residents and workers.
In addition to Nick, she was also preceded in death by her parents; her sisters and their spouses Mary Jean and Jim McWilliams and Jo Ann and Bill Hollenbeck; in-laws Ray Konek and Betty and Sid Hurlburt; a niece and two great nephews.
She is survived by a daughter Kathy (Bob) Benard; a son Doug (Jane) Latty; two grandchildren Carolyn and Nick Latty; sister-in-law Mary Lou Konek; nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, cousins, and many friends.
Due to the current pandemic, Artie will be cremated and services will be held at a future date. Memorials may be made to the Mt. Carmel Auxiliary, the First United Methodist Church, or the American Cancer Society. These may be left at or mailed to the Brenner Mortuary, 114 E. 4th St., Pittsburg, KS 66762. Friends may also leave condolences online at www.brennermortuary.com. Arrangements are under the direction of the Brenner Mortuary.
Leo Lavaughn Simonds
Leo Lavaughn Simonds, age 87, Joplin, passed away on Saturday, February 20, 2021 at Joplin Gardens in Joplin, Missouri.
Leo was born June 17, 1933 in Madill, Oklahoma to the late John Simonds and Mary Ann (Ragsdale) Simonds. Leo worked as an operator for Farmers Chemical and retired in 1989 after 33 years of service. During his time at Farmers Chemical, he was also the President for the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union. Leo loved hunting, fishing and the outdoors. He will be missed by all those who knew and loved him.
In addition to his parents, Leo was preceded in death by his three sons, Larry Simonds, Gary Simonds and Bruce Simonds.
Leo is survived by his seven grandchildren, Scott, Brian, Brice, Kelley, Gary, Zack and Lucas; eleven great grandchildren; several extended family members and friends.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. at Parker Mortuary Chapel. Interment will follow at Mt. Hope Cemetery, Webb City, Missouri. The family will receive friends for visitation on Wednesday from 1:30 p.m. until service time at the mortuary.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of Parker Mortuary.