The Springfield News-Leader from Springfield, Missouri • Page 1

OHIO STATE FALLS APART AS LSU ROMPS TO BCS TITLE ID Springfield OZARKSMOBILE.COM Springfield, Missouri Tuesday, January 8, 2008 50c LIVING SMART INSIDE New section begins with holiday debt tips We introduce a new section, Living Smart, today. We'll bring you information of all sorts to help make your life a little easier. First up: Quickly ridding yourself of Christmas debt. Find out what professionals say about paying down your holiday bills, saving and getting back on track. 1C ONLINE NOW on in rasws uu Scouting report: Bears vs.

Shockers Missouri State associate head $fk coach Ben Miller says Wichita iwf State's veterans are starting to ex-eel in new coach Greg Marshall's system. Listen to an audio scouting report previewing the Bears' matchup with the Shockers at Moms discuss teens and driving ires raft ji 17 1 Following the tragic deaths of four local teens over the weekend, participants in our Moms forums have been talking about their concerns Marshfield: One person Monett, Republic: Trailer Strafford: Mom's gut killed northeast of town, park, school, homes hit. instinct saves family. jiuijMim in mi uu mi ii-. umn uui about letting young adults drive.

Join the discussion at OzartsMoms.com. YOUR COMMUNITY By Wes Johnson Waves of tornadoes ripped through southwest Missouri tonight, killing a woman northeast of Marshfield. The twisters hit a mobile home park south of Monett and damaged homes and a school in Republic before slamming into Strafford and touching down near Marshfield. There is one confirmed 7 c- A I fatality in a mobile home northeast of Marshfield and numerous injuries. Continuous updates: Check News-Leadexom for the latest news about storm damage.

said Linda Watts, Webster JESS HEUGEL NEWS-LEADER Cherokee Middle School eighth-grader Jacob Conti. Attitude is everything DesDite losina half of each leg in infancy, Ja cob Conti maintains a positive attitude about life, school, friendship and himself. "Attitude" DtAN CURTIS NtWS-llADtR Marshfield firefighters prepare to enter a damaged house north of Marshfield to check for injured people. No one was home. is this month Character Education word.

3C SPORTS Two Bears won't play tonight- Tornadoes tear through southwest Missouri In a very unusual storm for the region at this time of year, two tornadoes reportedly touched down along the U.S. 601-44 corridor Monday. 9 Report of tornado damage from first storm Report of tornado damage from second storm starting center Drew Richards (mononucleosis) and starting guard Shane Laurie (concussion) won't play tonight when the Bears play County's assistant emergency management director. Further details were not available. Several injured people had been transported to Springfield hospitals late this evening.

Around the Ozarks residents prayed and dived for shelter. Northwest of Strafford, a mother's gut instinct saved her family as the first tornado of the night tore apart her home. "My stomach just felt weird," said Amanda Merrill, who grabbed her three children, 8, 11 and 12, and rushed into the closet. "My husband laid on top of us. My ears started popping, and everything started ripping apart." Daughter Kebrinna, 12, scooped up the family dog, Minnie, and felt something hit the back of her head as the roof flew away.

"It was freaking me out," Kebrinna said. "I was terrified. But Mom saved us!" Jason Merrill said the See Storms, Page 5A Fair Grow 1 9 A Greene host to Wichita State. ID Chris Cooks goes for broke Dade Marihflelrf jit m- --ttfrT SfMeM IVedster ill vim wpiwiwi in i Mf. Junior college transfer Chris Cooks doesn't seem to be weighted down with the pressures of playing at a new level, as evidenced by his breakneck approach to the game.

ID 1 Billings ft. Vron r. 65 Aurora Christian A mm 9 Barry Stone DEAN CURTIS NEWS-LEADER PHOTO OF CHRIS COOKS BY AMBER ARNOLD NEWS-LEADER Jason Merrill (center) is hugged by family member. He and his wife. Amanda, and their three children survived a torna- sources: ESRi.

teleatlas, preliminary reports to the national weather service news-leader rjg that destroyed their rental home by hiding in a closet. OZARKS VOICES Health care reform criticized Patrol: Stop visiting crash site John Fitts of Noel offers scenarios by which candidates' promises of universal health care will come at the expense of citizens. IB Increased county budget approved New budget will add employees, give raises. Index Automotive 2E Ozarks Voices IB Pet Doctor 4C Gangwes Kim Robinson Whittet Business 6E "YTV Employment ZE Horoscope 4C Life 1C Lottery 2A Merchandise 4E Movies 10A NationWorld 7A NIE 3C Real Estate For Sale Rentals Sports Television Weather Classified IE Comics 5C Crossword 4C Daily Planner 1C Dear Abby 4C Deaths 4B State: Road safe at proper speed. 3A 6E ID 10A 9A By Wes Johnson Greene County commissioners approved a new budget Monday that adds 17 new employees, replaces about a dozen crease in property tax revenue expected to generate an additional $5.1 million.

The 17 new employees will be the largest number added in a single year in recent years, according to Budget I. By Cory de Vera CDEVERAIMEWS-LEADERXOM As students at Glendale and Kickapoo High Schools continued grieving the weekend deaths of four classmates, the Missouri State Highway Patrol pleaded with them to stop coming out to the crash site while investigators are working. "What I'm asking is just stay away from the scene," said Sgt. Dan Bracker, Troop spokesman. "I know it is a form of connection for you, but it is a severe, sincere safety issue." It was about 4:30 p.m.

Saturday when crews first responded to the one-car crash on Farm Road 132, about four miles east of Springfield. Driver James Gangwes, patrol cars and gives a 5 percent pay increase to all county employees. The 2008 budget is 15 percent higher than last Chart: Director Jeff Reinold. budget The new hires will in- details. 6A elude five in the Prose- cuting Attorney's office, two in the Sheriff's Weather 540 Cooler today, cloudy throughout.

430 Chances of rain will diminish as day progresses. 9A Precipitation: 65 OANNETT NEWSPAPER VOL 118. NO. 8 82008, NEWS-LEADER ro: cn; r1' 4 test- 1 Photo gallery: More images from the scene of the accident. Data charts: Greene County accidents involving young drivers.

Web resource: View a site devoted to preventing teen driving deaths in Missouri. year budget. About half of that increase comes from two new tax increases county voters approved in 2006 and 2007 a parks tax and a tax to support the E-911 emergency call center. The county also projects 3 percent growth in overall sales tax revenue in 2008 $12.3 million and a 4.1 percent in Department, two in the Juvenile Program office, two in the court system, two in the Road and Bridge Department and one each in the offices of County Clerk, Emergency Management, Information Systems and Resource Management. See Budget, Page 6A DEAN CURTIS NEWS-LEADER Katie Van Huis (right) is comforted by See Crash, Page 3A friend Brittany Fudge at the crash site.

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