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

TASTE INSIDE 1 i Clinton, McCain take New Hampshire 9A HILLARY CLINTON (0) JOHN MCCAIN (R) Springfield I IK i vt Ml OZARKSMOBILE.COM Springfield, Missouri Wednesday, January 9, 2008 50c 4 paflOS MaPs of tornadoes' Family regroups Aftermath Schools assess paths and damage after Strafford essentials: Tips and damage; governor inSluG in Springfield 4A woman's death 5A resources 6A pays a visit 7A wmm i ilrisp NEWS-LEADER FILE PHOTO Fine wine and fine food are the main ingredients for the annual Celebration of Tastes. Drink, eat, attend wine seminars Columbia Winery of Woodinville, is the featured vintner at Big Cedar Lodge's annual Celebration of Tastes event, which includes wine seminars, cooking demonstrations and plenty of eating and drinking. Check out the schedule and details. 1C ONLINE NOW 1 tolls Srei tiraites i i it i Sill I Vl SUBMITTED BY EVAN EULISS Hnff: III-B'' A lightning strike lit up the sky Monday night just north of Battlefield. Post your weather, tornado photos 4 Dozens of tornadoes ripped across the Ozarks on Monday night and Tuesday morning.

Post your pictures of tornadoes, lightning strikes, dark clouds and storm damage in our tornado gallery at Get latest Bears photos, coverage Find out what's happening with the Bears and Lady Bears basketball teams, including blog news updates, photo galleries, audio scouting reports and more at YOUR COMMUNITY DEAN CURTIS NEWS-LEADER The roof was torn off Zach and Lenae Spoering's home north of Strafford on Farm Road 84. The family took shelter in a basement closet. Missouri residents cleaning up after potentially historic tomadic outbreaks. 7- ,1 IK tlx Ik: Photo galleries: fa Images of tornado comw damage in Spring- field, Strafford, Republic and other areas. Aerial video: Scenes from area communities.

Your stories: Talk about your storm experiences. Data-Leader: Database of powerful storms in Missouri: 4i Former judge won't be tried Former Douglas County Judge Roger Wall will not stand trial on child pornography charges. A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the U.S. Attorney's Office violated Wall's right to a speedy trial. 2A Bus overheats, strands dozens World traveler Geno Laurenzi of Springfield had the bus trip of his life when he and about 50 other passengers were stranded for nearly six hours at a rest stop along Interstate 44.

Laurenzi said he wasn't offered any compensation, and he saw no one else offered it either but a Greyhound spokesman insists otherwise. Business, 10A A. Storm brings unwelcome January record Between 10, 12 tornadoes touched down Monday By Mike Penprase It's not a record anyone wanted, but tornadoes that hit from Monday night to early Tuesday were unprecedented for the month of January. The round of tornadoes broke a regional record that's existed for over a half-century, with between 10 and 12 tornadoes spawned by the storms in the region covered by the Springfield National Weather Service office, said meteorologist Steve Lindenberg. "It's never happened before," Lindenberg said.

"In fact, we've had a total four in January since 1950. We've broken that by three-fold in one night." Forecasters knew as early as Friday that the region was in for some tough weather this week, but this week's storms were more numerous and intense than expected. "I didn't think it would be this bad, with this many tornadoes," meteorol-ogist-in-charge Bill Davis said. During the outbreak, forecasters is- See Tornadoes, Page 4A By Wes Johnson and Amos Bridges Dozens of Missouri residents picked through the ruins of their homes and businesses Tuesday following a night of tornadoes that killed two people. Chain saws growled as residents cleared away hundreds of toppled trees and broken limbs.

"Finally, yesterday I had just finished the cleanup from last year's ice storm," said Larry Stephens, who lives north of Strafford. "It took a year. One day later it's worse than before." A tornado snapped and toppled at least two dozen fully grown oaks in his yard. The National Weather Service in Springfield said five confirmed tornadoes touched down in southwest Missouri. That number could double after weather investigators finish their review of more potential tornado tracks.

NWS meteorologist SPORTS v- John Gagan called the outbreak "quite possibly the biggest tornado outbreak in January in Missouri history. "It wasn't just in the Ozarks," he said. "It stretched from Oklahoma all the way to Wisconsin. There even was an EF-3 reported in the Chicago area. This is very, very unusual for January." In Missouri, five waves of storms tore through the southern part of the state.

The storm event was capped by a massive windstorm at 3 a.m. that pushed through the area at 70 mph. See Tornado, Page 6A Bears dispense with Wichita State Dale Lamberth poured in 27 points as the Bears waltzed to a 71-47 victory. ID Index Automotive ZE Employment 2E Real Estate Business 10A Horoscope 6C For Sale 7E Chef Lou IC Life 1C Rentals 7E Classified IE Lottery ZA Sports ID Comics 7C Merchandise 6E Stocks 10A Crossword 6C Movies 1ZA Television 12A Dear Abbv 6C NationWorld 9A Voices IB Deaths 4B S. Overstreet IB Weather 11A Jason Jacques, whose grandmother, Rachel Law-son, 85, died in Monday's tornado, is comforted by a friend as others searched for belongings.

lawmakers: Time to reverse village law error Weather 540 Partly sunny skies expected today 310 with clouds rolling in tonight. 11A Precipitation: 10 A OANNETT NEWSPAPER VOL. ItB, NO. 9 2008, NEWS-LEADER Repeal cited among politicians' efforts for the 2008 session. Legislative Issues On Page 3A Outlook for higher education in the legislative session.

Web list: Browse f. a list of legislation pre-filed by area lawmakers. and function independent of county regulations, including planning and zoning. It went into effect Aug. 28, 2007.

Sen. Jack Goodman, R-Mount Vernon, Rep. Dennis Wood, R-Kimber-ling City, and Rep. Sara Lampe, D-Springfield, are among those sponsoring See Bill, Page 3A year for health care coverage for the working poor, tax relief for homeowners, stricter measures against illegal immigrants and better education funding. But many say they also want to fix the "village law" mistake they made last year, and Gov.

Blunt has said he would help. Lawmakers admit they missed the point that passage of the "village law" bill could have unintended, statewide consequences. The law an amended statute makes it easier for landowners to petition a county to become a village By Kathleen O'Dell Repeal of the controversial "village law" is on a long list of to-dos that Missouri lawmakers will carry to the Capitol today, the opening of the 2008 legislative session. They'll be working this Missouri Stale-Athletics BEARS BASKETBALL mniwunm mnm sw m. i 4 4 Lady Bears vi.

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