Featured Articles from KSPR 33

SALEM, Mo.--A major effort is underway to stop a three-year-old Labrador Retriever in Salem from being put to death. The ordeal started a year ago, when  Phineas the dog, nipped a little girl. "I want my dog back," says Lexi Sanders fighting back tears. Phineas's owners say he was protective of his family. They say he was a kind and gentle four-legged friend. "If another dog would come in the yard, he would stay between that dog and our kids. He would follow them around everywhere," says Phineas's owner Amber Sanders.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Several gas stations in Springfield are charging $3.97 per gallon for regular fuel now. Late Thursday night a handful of stations in Springfield changed the price from $3.84 to $3.97. $3.97 is a record high price for Springfield, beating the previous high of $3.89 set in 2008. However, not all stations in Springfield are charging $3.97. As of Friday morning, some are still charging $3.74. Gas prices vary widely across the Ozarks. Click here for a look at gas prices in your neighborhood.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- It is 'Bieber Fever' in Melissa Campbell's room. On every wall, a picture is posted of the singer. With the cardboard cutouts and stickers, it is clear a sixth grade girl inhabits the room. "This one was the very first Justin Bieber poster I've ever had!" giggled Campbell. She eagerly picks up the Bieber pillow and blanket that complete the set. The girl is all smiles when she speaks about her favorite singer, but when she talks about her middle school, the mood drastically changes.

Tonight is looking like a summer night.  Lows will only be in the mid to upper 60's.  A lot of clouds will stream in from the west.  A complex of storms in Oklahoma may hold together and give us an isolated storm.  No severe weather is expected.  Sunday will be another hot and humid day.  Highs will top out in the upper 80's with the heat index in the lower 90's. Showers and storms will develop to the west.  These storms will arrive near 9pm for our western counties and later for Springfield.

Andrew Lewis, born July 26, 1967 died today, at home, surrounded by dear friends and family. Drew's battle against colon cancer brought local attention to the importance of early detection. The Springfield man who's battle with colon cancer inspired national interest in crowd-funding and a special benefit concert from Sheryl Crow, died today at his home, with his wife by his side. "I don't know if a lot of people in this lifetime, get to see a purpose and we both knew that we were supposed to be together 100 percent with the way all this happened," says Amy Blansit.

The United States Supreme Court ruled Monday that sex offenders convicted before 2006 may not have to register if they move across state lines. In the 7-2 ruling, Justices said rules requiring sex offenders to update their registration when crossing state lines don't automatically apply to those who committed their crimes before the law was passed. The law, the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, also known as the Adam Walsh act, created a national sex offender registry.

When you think of moonshine, you probably picture a still hidden away in the woods, or maybe a bottle with an 'X' on it. To most, moonshine means illegally-distilled liquor. In Walnut Shade, it's just un-aged whiskey. It's made legally. The rich history of the Ozarks includes many family secrets. Among those, passed down for generations, is moonshine. "We had family that were moonshiners," says Jim Blansit, Sr. He's the father of Jim Blansit, the creator of Copper Run Distillery.

DUGGINSVILLE, Mo -- New details emerge about a man who shot and killed his son in Ozark County. Prosecutors have charged Howard Ingram, Sr., with murder. He's 66. His son, Howard Jr., was 41. Family members brought us to their house deep in Ozark County, near the Arkansas state line. The sheriff says he's confident alcohol played a role in the shooting. Members of the Ingram family and their neighbors also said alcohol played a major role in the father and son's lives.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- If you're under the age of 21 and you live in Missouri, you can legally drink.  The idea behind this caveat -- and Missouri is certainly not alone in it -- is to give parents some control over their childrens' alcohol consumption by ensuring they're present when it happens.   Kyle Pierson just turned 21, and he enjoys a beer every once in a while.  But that's not much different from when he was 18, 19, and 20. "My first drink was probably around high school," he said.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Gas prices have climbed again in the Springfield area, with many stations reporting $3.74 per gallon of regular unleaded gas. That's a 15 cent jump from yesterday -- and it also means a gallon of gas is more expensive than a gallon of diesel fuel. The cost of gasoline in the Missouri Ozarks is also higher than the national average of $3.59 this morning. In Arkansas, the average hovers just above $3.30 per gallon. Meanwhile, the lowest gas prices in the nation can be found in South Dakota at $3.17 per gallon.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo -- A Springfield woman's out nearly $2,000 because of the latest scam to hit the Ozarks. The scam targets people selling furniture or whatever else on Craigslist, but the deceit doesn't stop there. Bethany Barnhart put an ad on Craigslist for bed set and within a few days she got a buyer. He agreed to pay what Barnhart asked for - and then some.  He sent her two money orders worth nearly $2,000. He sent more because he wanted Barnhart to wire some of it to a mover who would retrieve the bed. Barnhart took those money orders to the bank, which accepted the documents.

Mt. Vernon, MO. - If you have a cough that won't go away, a sore throat or stuffy nose you probably have an upper respiratory infection or illness. That's What's Going Around this week. Most upper respiratory infections are a virus and more often than not, it's just the common cold. Some upper respiratory illnesses can be more serious such as laryngitis, tonsillitis, sinus infections, or bronchitis. Symptoms include a cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache or low-grade fever.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Spring break is over and that means your kids are back in close quarters with other kids. And this week a very contagious illness is going around that goes hand in hand with school being back in session. The stomach bug is sending many kids and parents to area doctor's offices. Here are a few symptoms to be on the look for: Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Health officials say some remedies can help and the most important thing is to try and stay hydrated.

Construction is underway for a high end, one of a kind hotel in downtown Springfield. We take a closer look at this week's Springfield Business Journal report . The former Vandivort center is more than 100 years old. The new owners, John and Billy McQueary, are starting a multi-million dollar project to convert it into a state of the art, boutique hotel. Boutique hotels are a fairly new concept. They are smaller than chain hotels and often reflect the history and culture of the city they are in. “Right now they are designing the logos, the websites and the tagline.