Newton County Sheriff's Office Arrests

07/17/2026 0453 SHAWN D WESTFALL Jr

102 East Slon Ave

MT.VERNON, MO 65712

WM 41

4799 W DOWNSTREAM BLVD/US

166 HWY

0.00

1 `DRIVING WHILE REVOKED/SUSPENDED - 1ST OFFENSE

07/17/2026 1030 MELISSA ANN JUNIOR

(BIRK)

733 W Dowing St

SPRINGFIELD, MO

WF 46

3151 LITTON ROAD 10,000.00

1 PROBATION VIOLATION- REC. STOLEN PROPERTY

07/17/2026 1700 KOU SHENG XIONG

879 Mill Street

STARK CITY, MO 64866

AF 32

208 W COLER ST 0.00

1 STEALING - $25,000

07/17/2026 26001357

2137 EHRIS ERNEST

WM 38

20769 GATEWAY DR/KUDU RD 0.00

198 Wallan Circle, 30

ANDERSON, MO 64831

1 `OPERATED VEHICLE ON HWY WITHOUT VALID LICENSE - 3RD AND SUB

07/18/2026 0115 DEBRA KRYSTINE

GUTIERREZ

17688 Skylark Dr

NEWTON COUNTY, MO 64844

WF 48

21552 GATEWAY DR 180.00

2 WHEATON PD FTA: NO FINCL RESP

1 WHEATON PD FTA: FAIL TO REG VEH

07/18/2026 0301 TIA NICHOLE CALCOTE

11744 Orion Ln

NEWTON COUNTY, MO 64850

WF 32

21552 GATEWAY DR 531.50

2 NPD STEALING 215.320

3 NPD STEALING 215.320

4 NPD STEALING 215.320

5 NPD STEALING 215.320

1 NPD STEALING 215.320

07/18/2026 0130 CASEY RYAN GRAY

6161 Bison Rd

JOPLN, MO 64804

WM 25

4000 ELM DR/BISON RD 0.00

1 `DRIVING WHILE REVOKED/SUSPENDED - FELONY

07/18/2026 26001369

1814 CHRISTINA DIANE THOMAS

WF 35

6399 OLD HIGHWAY 71/ELDER RD 500.00

7089 Marten Rd

NEOSHO, MO 64850

1 `DWI

2 `DRIVING WHILE REVOKED/SUSPENDED - 1ST OFFENSE

07/18/2026 2231 GREGORY EARL MCGINNIS Jr.

WM 45

I44 E RAMP/HWY 43 500.00

84 Stratton St Lot 74

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, MO

64024

1 JOPLIN PD ASSAULT DOMESTIC ASSAULT

07/19/2026 0951 CHRISTIAN DONLEE BURCH

5022 N Lister Ave

CLIDSTONE, MO 64119

WM 22

I 49 MM 28 2,000.00

1 JACKSON CO - FTA NO INSURANCE

2 JACKSON CO - FTA DRIVING WHILE REVOKED/SUSPENDED

3 JACKSON CO FTA - FAILURE TO REGISTER MOTOR VEHICLE

07/19/2026 1936 DALTON WAYNE WILSON

18170 James Ln

NEWTON COUNTY, MO 64850

WM 33

199 W MARKET ST/S

WASHINGTON ST

150.00

1 NOEL PD: MOVING TRAFFIC VIO 

Joplin, Carl Junction residents injured in collision on 171

Three people were injured in a two-vehicle collision 1:45 a.m. today on MO 171 in Airport Drive. 

According to the Highway Patrol report, a 2019 GMC Terrain driven by a 93-year-old Carl Junction man failed to yield, made a left hand turn and was struck by a 2019 Ford Escape driven by a 31-year-old Joplin woman.

The Carl Junction man and a passenger in his vehicle, a 90-year-old Carl Junction woman were treated for moderate injuries at Freeman West Hospital, Joplin.

The Joplin woman was treated for minor injuries at Mercy Joplin.

Highway Patrol Arrests July 19-20

Lyle E. Harju, 57, Seneca, Seneca Police Department misdemeanor warrants for failure to appear on driving while intoxicated and driving while revoked

Billy W. Abney, 55, Nixa, Greene County misdemeanor warrant for driving while revoked, driving while revoked, no insurance, no registration

Kaisen L. Kuehl, 21, Seneca, driving while intoxicated- prior offender, driving while suspended, failed to drive on right half of roadway

Alexander J. Jeffreys, 39, Carl Junction, felony driving while revoked, felony driving while intoxicated, felony possession of a controlled substance- methamphetamine, careless and imprudent driving involving a crash, possession of drug paraphernalia, no seat belt

Matthew D. Kimbrell, 41, Branson, driving while intoxicated

Michelle E. Crose, 45, Springfield, felony possession of a controlled substance- methamphetamine, felony possession of a controlled substance- DMT, possession of drug paraphernalia, no seat belt

Harold L. Jobe, 58, Gravette, Arkansas, driving while intoxicated, no insurance, careless and imprudent driving 

Agenda posted for Joplin Historic Preservation Commission meeting

 

Joplin Fire Department to graduate new firefighters

(From the Joplin Fire Department)

Firefighting is a demanding career that calls for unwavering courage, fast-thinking, and experience. All too often, it is also strictly volunteer – according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, only 12% of firefighters across the state of Missouri are full-time, paid professionals.

But thanks to a carefully curated educational curriculum and strong career benefits, those dreaming of becoming a professional firefighter are being drawn more often to the City of Joplin, where they are equipped with diverse skills to save lives when the stakes are high. 

On Thursday, July 23, the Joplin Fire Department will celebrate its most recent class of academy graduates. These cadets have trained for more than six months to thoroughly understand and perform the various duties required of a Joplin firefighter. The ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. at the Public Safety Center, 5102 N. Swede Lane, Joplin.

The department’s robust training curriculum was developed internally to ensure incoming firefighters would be proficient in a variety of scenarios ranging from building fires to vehicle accidents. 

Firefighters-in-training are on staff with the City of Joplin and are paid full-time wages throughout the 24-week curriculum, which is made possible due to the department’s various educational accreditations. The comprehensive training includes: 

Eight weeks of EMT training(cadets must pass the national EMT exam)

10 weeks of Fire I training (entry-level) and Fire II training (command and control), as well as Hazardous Materials Certification Training (cadets must pass the certification)

Six weeks of Finishing School (developed by the departmentand designed to instill mastery level skills)

After finishing this curriculum, firefighters graduate from the academy and are assigned to one of the City’s seven fire stations.

“The training is extensive because we want them to be ready for anything,” said Dustin Lunow, assistant fire chief. “It has become more of the standard for fire training to be taught in-house. We drill extensively to get them comfortable being uncomfortable. We want them to successfully mitigate whatever they are against.”

Next week, 11 members – a historically large class of cadets – will graduate from the Joplin Fire Academy with a noteworthy pass rate of 100% on their certifications and exams. (The national pass rate for EMT certification is 73%.) They will move into active firefighting positions within the 110-member JFD staff. To keep up with retirementsand job vacancies, Lunow said the department operates an ongoing cycle of new hires and academies. 

 

Lunow said the number of applicants for firefighting positions has grown exponentially. In the past, the leadership team may have hired from only a handful of applicants. Currently, he has a list of more than 112 applications pending.

“We expect firefighters to perform in multiple roles simultaneously,” Lunow said. “We have worked to make the training more streamlined and we routinely ask cadets for feedback. It has made the program stronger and our firefighters more prepared.”

With even more advanced trainings coming into place for longtime Joplin firefighters, Fire Chief Gerald Ezell says every round of graduates instills confidence that the department has hired experts Joplin residents can count on when the most frightening scenarios arise.

“We have excellent partnerships with other agencies and our training program prepares our firefighters for everything they might encounter in an emergency,” Ezell said. “The Joplin community is in good hands.”

For more information about the Joplin Fire Academy or applying for a position with the Joplin Fire Department, contact Joplin Fire Recruiting at 417-624-0820 ext. 1333 or FireRecruiting@joplinmo.org.

Route H/Duval Creek Bridge west of Jasper open to traffic

(From MoDOT)

TRAFFIC ALERT: Jasper Co. Route H/Duval Creek Bridge OPEN to Traffic

Where: Jasper County Route H bridge over Duval Creek west of Jasper

When: Noon, Monday, July 20

What: Contractor crews closed this bridge in March and replaced it with a new one that is four (4) feet wider and seven (7) feet longer. In addition, the contractor added new barrier walls object markers and pavement striping.

This bridge is part of a project that includes replacing the Jasper County Route BB/Stony Branch bridge, currently under construction.

Project to replace bridge over Goodin Hollow Creek near Pineville to begin

(From MoDOT)

Project to Replace Route H/Goodin Hollow Creek Bridge Schedule to Begin Week of July 27

A project to replace the McDonald County Route H bridge over Goodin Hollow Creek near Pineville is scheduled to begin the week of July 27, says the Missouri Department of Transportation.

The bridge is located on Route H over Goodin Hollow Creek between I-49 and Business 71.

Contractor crews will demolish the bridge and replace it with a new one that is 10 feet longer and four (4) feet wider than the current bridge. In addition, contractor crews will add object markers at either end of the bridge and new pavement striping.

During this work, the bridge will be CLOSED for up to 126 days. Drivers will be directed along a signed detour using I-49, McDonald County Route EE and Business 71.

Traffic Impacts

All lanes of Route H will be CLOSED over Goodin Hollow Creek for duration of project

Drivers will have access to all entrances and driveways on Route H but will not be able to travel through the work zone

Drivers will be directed along a signed detour using I-49, McDonald County Route EE and Business 71

Drivers are urged to find alternate routes to avoid the work zone

Signs and message boards will alert drivers to the closure

Check MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map for road closings/traffic impacts

Weather and/or scheduling conflicts could alter the work schedule.

Project Information

Prime contractor – Hartman & Company Inc., Springfield
Total project cost – $1.6 million
Contract completion date – December 1, 2026