It's nine o'clock. The time is right. Now, Fox 27 News at nine.
Political ads are popping up everywhere, but who's paying for them? Don't be fooled. It's
kind of tricky. Plus, how much Michael Jackson paid to keep an abuse case out of court. And
proof that good deeds come right back at you. Heavy downpours for a select few, even some
wind damage in the Ozarks to complete Fox forecast in 22 minutes. First on Fox, it's
a billion dollar deal. Political ads, they're all over the small screen and there's plenty
more to come. I'm Mark Miller. Kelly is off tonight. As the race for the White House heats
up, the candidates are spending more on ads. Fox 27's Sarah Stokes has the story from our
newsroom and Sarah, how much money you spend on presidential campaign ads? Mark, according
to a commercial tracking group, political spending will likely hit 1.5 billion with
1.3 billion on candidate elections and then another 200 million on issue ads. But it's
not just the presidential helpfuls that are buying the airtime. And as we discovered,
Ozarks voters are getting kind of confused about who's paying for what. Sign the Patriot
Act. Stronger America begins at home. Put me in jail. You've seen them once, you've
seen them twice. Okay, you've probably seen them several times. But do you know whose
money bought that 30 seconds worth? Move on PAC is responsible. It said Move on PAC. Do
you know what that is? No idea. None whatsoever. Something PAC or something. This ad was paid
for by MoveOn.org. It's a PAC or political action committee. The airwaves are being bombarded
by pro-democrat PAC ads right now and the other PAC is creating a news media mix up.
What the media fund, that tells me the news people are paying for that ad. Mary Stuckey
isn't the only one with that impression, but the media fund is the name of another independent
political organization that is not affiliated with news operations. It, like other PACs,
gets donations from individual voters. I feel like it's very confusing. Aside from the PACs,
the Bush and Kerry campaigns are shelling out big bucks for TV time. They spend the
most on commercials versus any other cost. But do they work? People we talk to say they
may be wasting their wads of cash. I pay attention to more of what's really going on, not what
the TV says is going on. It doesn't work on me. You don't know who's telling the truth.
There's a large percentage of the population that this is all the exposure they get. I
don't feel like I'm getting anything from these ads, except slamming one another. Now
Bush and Kerry have been busy fundraising to pay for all these political ads. According
to the Federal Election Commission, Kerry's campaign records show he raised a record $100
million in three months, $25 million in the last month alone, and he's reserving $75 million
for ads. Bush has raised more than $216 million since May of 2003, and he's spending more
than half of that on ads, Mark. A lot of money changing hands. Sarah Stokes in the newsroom.
Thanks Sarah. Later in the show, find out why the Reagan family is upset about some
of the pro-Bush ads on TV. The campaign to bring riverboat gambling to Rockaway Beach
is coming to a mailbox near you. Missourians will vote August 3rd on whether to amend the
state constitution to allow the casino in the White River town. Casino supporters have
started mailing flyers to voters statewide. The advertising campaign's theme is it's
only fair to expand gambling to Rockaway Beach. The state constitution currently allows casinos
only along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Get and Go is about to go. An Iowa convenience
store chain, Come and Go, bought the company for $13 million yesterday. The sale marks
the end for Tulsa-based Get and Go. It opened its first store in Tulsa in 1958. Now there
are 76 stores in Missouri and Oklahoma. The company filed for bankruptcy in January after
losing $8 million last year. The sale should close by July 7th. People in the Springfield
area have donated hundreds of units of blood to the U.S. military in the past year. The
Community Blood Center of the Ozarks says more than 2,600 pints of blood donated locally
have been sent to the Army's Health Services Command for use by soldiers in the U.S. and
overseas. The donations are part of an agreement with Fort Leonard Wood to provide blood to
the military. The units are only a percentage of all the donations collected locally. Three
U.S. soldiers are dead after a rocket attack on their base in Baghdad. 25 people were hurt,
including two civilians at Camp Anaconda. The military says at least 14 of the injured
were taken to an Army hospital on the base. Two others were flown to Baghdad for treatment.
Last week, a U.S. soldier at the same base was killed in a mortar attack. The Commission
investigating the September 11th attack says the Bush administration did not tell the truth
about Iraq and al-Qaeda. A new report from the 9-11 Commission concludes there was never
any connection between the terror group and Saddam Hussein's government. The Commission
says there is no evidence Saddam helped carry out the 9-11 attacks.
The Bin Laden Associates have adamantly denied any ties existed between al-Qaeda and Iraq.
So far we have no credible evidence that Iraq and al-Qaeda cooperated on attacks against
the United States. But a top aide says the Bush administration stands by earlier statements
accusing Saddam's government of supporting al-Qaeda. Now the latest report from the Commission
says terrorists who carried out the attacks wanted to inflict even more harm than they
did. The reports say, says the mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed originally wanted to
use 10 hijacked planes. Plus, instead of crashing his plane, he would land at a U.S. airport
and make an anti-American speech. He also proposed killing all the male passengers but
freeing women and children. Mohammed also wanted to hit the CIA, FBI, and nuclear power
plants. Plus, buildings in California and Washington State. Saudi Arabia says it will
not negotiate with terrorists who are holding an American hostage. Militants with ties to
al-Qaeda says they'll kill 49-year-old Paul Johnson by Friday if Saudis don't free al-Qaeda
prisoners. Johnson is a contractor who was taken hostage in Riyadh last Saturday. Johnson's
family is pleading with Saudi Arabia to intervene and bring him home safely. Many U.S. lawmakers
say the Saudis are paying the price for supporting terrorists who have trained in their country
for years. More than 100 Dominican Republic migrants are tossed in the ocean after their
overloaded boat sinks. They were trying to get to Puerto Rico. Three of them drowned.
The U.S. Coast Guard returned the others to the Dominican Republic. Since October, more
than 5,000 migrants have been intercepted at sea attempting to reach the U.S. 30 of
them died trying to reach America. The settlement between Michael Jackson and a boy who accused
him of sexual abuse more than 10 years ago has been top secret until now. Documents obtained
by Court TV show Jackson shelled out more than $20 million to keep the case out of court.
The settlement has been widely reported but this is the first time a dollar amount has
been specified. The documents show Jackson didn't admit any misconduct but did say he
wanted to settle the case to avoid possible harm to his career. A witness in the Martha
Stewart trial pleads not guilty to lying on the stand. Secret Service Inc. expert Larry
Stewart, no relation to Martha, testified during the trial that phone logs had been
changed. His perjury trial is set for September 20th. Legal experts say Larry Stewart's
testimony didn't affect the case that much so Martha most likely won't get a new trial
even though her lawyers are pushing for one. The penalty for speeding through school zones
is about to go up quite a bit. A city council committee voted to double the fines in school
areas when the lights are flashing. It also wants to add speed boards that take a radar
reading of passing cars and displays it for drivers. These are both efforts to slow cars
down around schools where several kids often cross the road. Remember a 12 year old Carver
middle school student died crossing this street last year. Council members had considered
adding photo radars near schools that would automatically generate tickets for speeding
motorists. The cost of that was very high and I think the cost along with some other
issues a lot of people aren't very comfortable with a machine that gives you a ticket as
opposed to an officer. The council still has to give final approval but committee members
want the council to spend about $50,000 to install speed boards near 5 to 10 schools
before kids go back to class in the fall. They pick up their trays and fill it with
food every day of the school year but what happens when students are on summer break?
Not all of them get healthy meals. Fox 27's Angie Whitinger found a program in Springfield
that's working to change that. It's open to everyone under the age of 18 and here's
how one honest second grader rated the program. I had a rib sandwich, mashed potatoes and
pudding. That's the meal 7 year old food critic Michael Nowlin is analyzing. There's a good
variety on he and his brother's plates but he knows sometimes it's excellent and it's
great, sometimes it's bad. The great food? Soft tacos. And this meal? It's good. But
his mom? Are you going to eat that? Is much more enthusiastic about it. They both eat
lunch together and then I have to worry about taking them home to make them lunch. And the
price is even better. It's free. Yeah that's what I like about it. It helps a lot. So who's
picking up the tab for all of this? Well the federal government is providing us with funds.
All to make sure every kid in Springfield has a full stomach during the summer. There
are many of our kids who only eat at school and they don't have the means at home to get
food. During this lunch period about 400 kids walked through this line and got a free lunch
and the district says it needs to be more. If our numbers aren't enough to where we,
if they're not high enough then we can't continue the program. That's because there has to be
enough kids coming in for this free food to offset the cost of those people paid to serve
it. We're not out to make money on it at all. It's just we want to be able to provide as
many meals as possible for kids. And this brutally honest kid gives the program a thumbs
up and a clean plate down. In Springfield, Angie Weidinger, Color 10 News. If you want
to take part in the free meal program just show up at one of three schools. McGregor,
Portland or Watkins Elementary for breakfast from 7 until 8 in the morning or for lunch
from 11 to 1230. McGregor is the only school that serves on Fridays. The program runs through
July. Adults can also get one of the meals for a small fee of $2.50. It's an old saying
that rings true every time. What goes around comes around. And that's exactly what happened
for Mitzi Nichols in Hampton, Virginia. She donated a kidney to a total stranger three
years ago and this week she won the lottery. She has lots of plans for her million dollars
but at the top of her shopping list is fixing the kidney recipient's broken car. It's the
simple things in life that make people happy like beef jerky. We'll explain a little later
and the Branson Landing Project is plugging along. We'll get you up to speed on the progress
next. Might see just a little more sunshine tomorrow than today but not much and we still
have the ongoing scattered threat for very heavy rains through full Fox forecast in 12
minutes. Michael Jackson's settlement with a boy who accused him of sexual abuse has
been top secret until now and the attacks on September 11th were terrible. What could
have been even worse? Find out the terrorists original plan tonight at nine. The rainfall
pattern has been interesting heavy but in very small spots. Will that change your forecast
at nine?
Fox Sunday treat dad to a Homer size Father's Day celebration. I think these are my husband's
size. Excuse me can I ask you a favor? Perfect I'll take it. The Simpsons at 8-7 Central
Park Sunday. Chevy we brought you the first SUV. Now we bring you eight. Now get $3,000
cash back on a 2004 Chevy Suburban and 2004 Chevy Tahoe or current GM owners in less ease.
Get $5,000 loyalty cash on Suburban and Tahoe. Chevy turn the key. Start a revolution. See
your Chevy dealer of the Ozarks. We're with American Family. We're with American Family.
We're with American Family. Because American Family is with us. American Family Insurance
agents live and work right in the community right in the neighborhood. So they care about
us and the neighborhood. Services professional. The handling of claims is quick and the peace
of mind is wonderful. We're with American Family. We're with American Family. American
Family Insurance. All your protection under one roof. American Family Insurance. Think
Young, Track Young, Buy Young Blood. Young Blood took a lot of inventory for our bosses
out of town sale including tons of trade ins. With construction of our new Nissan dealership
underway we don't have room so our deals become your steals. Think Young, Track Young, Buy
Young Blood. Construct your own deal on your next Nissan Chrysler Kia or pre-owned car.
During our June construction sale at Young Blood on South Campbell today. Think Young,
Track Young, Buy Young Blood. They're knocking down trees, digging dirt and bulldozing buildings
along Lake Taneycomo. That's because construction has begun on the Branson Landing Project.
As Fox 27 Shane Devine reports the groundbreaking was in May and almost immediately construction
crews went to work. They've wasted little time. The groundbreaking was on a Saturday.
By Monday construction crews were demolishing buildings. That's the kind of feverish pace
you can expect with the Branson Landing Project. It's scheduled to open in less than two years.
We're still looking forward to a March of 2006 opening date. That's less than two years
to wipe the slate clean which is what they're doing now. And built from scratch a 300 million
dollar 70 acre entertainment shopping district boardwalk and convention center. We had to
remove all of the underground sewer, water and electrical pipes that were below the ground.
Plus we had to remove the trees that were going to be in the way of the buildings. The
demolition work is expected to wrap later in the week. Next week they'll begin hauling
in load after load of rock to build up the property which is along Lake Taneycomo. And
then we will start the masquerading of about 200,000 yards of rock will have to be imported
to the site to bring it up above the 100 year floodplain into different areas. And right
after that's complete then the construction of the buildings will start. If spectators
want to watch the progress they'll have to do it from a distance. Fences will keep onlookers
out. And while there's definitely a buzz in town surrounding this downtown project, the
developer says people will have to be patient. It's like anything now that we're started.
Everybody would like to see it I think move faster. And you know we're hoping to keep
the project on schedule. In downtown Branson, Shane Devine, Fox 27 News at 9. The developer
of the Branson Landing Project says the retail and restaurant space is already half full.
Some of the latest to get on board are Cheeseburger in Paradise, that's a restaurant, and Victoria's
Secret and Limited Express, the fashion store. Later in our second half hour a man assaults
a bar full of people with a pretty unusual weapon. If you have twins in your life, don't
miss our Smart Living Report. Get advice to understand the twin bond and understand where
you fit in. Fox 27 News at 9 is brought to you in part by Chrysler. That was amazing.
The classic chicken strip basket from Dairy Queen, crispy white meat chicken, fries, Texas
toast and country gravy. Do one and deque something different. And finish off with a
tempting chocolate dipped strawberry blizzard treat.
Having a lasting impression is our first priority. Remember themey, Shadle Hicks. We could go
on and on about the deals at Reliable Chevrolet this weekend. But we only have 30 seconds.
So remember one thing from this commercial. Get moving by Monday and get a new car plus
$200 worth of gas. We'll beat any local dealer's price plus give you $200 worth of gas. Rush
to Reliable Chevrolet. These gastronomical savings end Monday. All my Missouri friends
save at Reliable Chevy. Comfort costs a lot less this week at Furniture Factory Outlet.
Orthopedic Pillow Top Queen mattress sets only $297. Genuine leather sofa and loveseat
only $898. Big savings in every store. Quality five piece wood dinette only $197. Save on
rooms for less. Sofa, loveseat and three matching tables only $1298. Pretty rockery glider only
$197. Don't miss it all week long at Furniture Factory Outlet.
Fox 27 News at 9 continues with Mark Miller. Between 1980 and 2000 the number of twin births
increased by 74%. 12 out of every 1000 births are twins, which means you likely know a set.
Whether it's a friend, a sibling, a child or a significant other, Kelly Rostick has
some tips to handle the twins in your life. It starts in the womb. We have a special bond
because we are twin sisters. We're always there for each other. Along with their similarities,
twins are individuals. Joseph is laid back. He's a character. He's a clown. Ryan is very
contemplative. People would do the twin thing to us and we would kind of go, why are they
doing that? You know, we don't look anything alike. Nancy and Jana Sipes now use their
experiences with twinship to help other twins and the people in the twins' lives. Our mom
says by the time we were six months old, she knew that we didn't need her. What they did
need was to be treated like their own person. What are they like? What is each individual
one like? And go ahead and give them that gift. It's okay. That also means giving them
time apart when they're young, something Nancy and Jana wish their parents had done before
they went to school. The school we went to predates in separate classrooms. It was a
very horrible, traumatic experience for us. Twins also have their own way of fighting.
You can have this knock down, drag out fight and in five minutes, well, I got to make up
with her because I need to borrow her blue sweater. They found this can be disastrous
with others. Your significant other or your best friend is not going to be so willing
to forgive you and move on. So what do these two think about the practice of dressing twins
the same? We were dressed exactly alike until we were in the eighth grade and there are
those who think we turned out okay. And they're helping other twins turn out just as well.
I'm Kelly Rossick with tonight's Smart Living. Having twins in the family can also be hard
on other siblings. Nancy and Jana suggest you get the other sibling involved by letting
them push the stroller and answer questions about how to tell the twins apart. Still ahead,
the first cell phone virus is making its way around. Plus, if your legs twitch at night,
you have a pretty common disorder, but you also need treatment. We'll check it out in
better body. Some parts of Springfield got an inch of rain from a lone thunderstorm this
evening. I'll tell you if that kind of activity will continue with your full Fox forecast
next. At GMC, being professional grade means you build a better SUV. That's why the GMC
Yukon has the tightest turning radius in its class. Envoy XL has unsurpassed cargo capacity
in its class. An Envoy comes with unsurpassed horsepower. Now current GM owners or less
ease can get 5,000 loyalty cash toward a new Envoy or Yukon. See the pros at your GMC dealers
of the Ozarks today. Come to the people who know Meeks. Crestline vinyl or wood windows
will add beauty to your home and are energy efficient. Keep your energy costs down with
insulation from Guardian, bat or blow in plus save with rebate. Keep the weather out with
Qual Super K waterproofing sealer and from Valspar, give your home a new look with integrity
interior paints. Visit any one of 29 Meeks locations throughout the Ozarks. Sale ends
June 19th. Introducing the Rocky Mountain Edition Jeep 4x4s. With their special new
look, unique wheels and stylish interiors. You go out of your way to keep them clean.
But hurry because they're only available for a limited time. Check out the Rocky Mountain
Edition Jeep 4x4s during June bonus days or now qualified returning Daimler Chrysler less
ease can lease a Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo for only $2.99 a month. The Ozarks are becoming
the first of its kind. Metropolitans made financing or refinancing a home easy with more options,
faster turnaround and extraordinary service. If you're looking for a better bank, I work
at one. You'll be glad you met Metropolitan National Bank. Fox 27 News at nine is sponsored
in part by Premier Auto Outlet. Now your Fox 27 News at nine first forecast from the Weather
Lab.
Ted, we have some very isolated thundershot showers tonight, but just because they're
isolated doesn't mean they don't put out some rain. They put out some good rain and I think
you could guess that because it's been so humid, but also the slow movement of these
storms attributed quite a bit to the heavy rainfall. Really? Yeah. And we also had some
severe weather reports in the area today, mostly out to the west of us near Joplin and
in the counties along the western areas of Missouri where they had some wind damage trees
down primarily. But now looking at live digital Doppler, the heaviest rain or thundershowers
are now occurring out to the east of us through southern Wright County and through the heart
of Texas County. Generally areas of rain with some embedded heavier rain and it's still
raining lightly in parts of Greene County. Not shown, but I have access to OTC's data
down there at our weather sensor and they recorded 1.19 inches of rain from that evening
storm here today. 72 in Springfield, it has cooled down, but does it feel more comfortable?
I would say so. The dew point's at 70 right now. The humidity is very high and with cloud
cover expected to stay around the area and with practically no wind tonight is going
to feel fairly muggy, especially in areas that got some of those downpours. On virtual
sky you see just a smattering of showers left over from what was some pretty good cells
from time to time. But again, most of you out there did not see rain, but if you did
it was a fairly significant rain I'll bet. And there again was some concern for some
strong winds and hail across parts of the Ozarks. Now when you zoom out like this and
take a look at what's going on out here in Colorado, what we have looks a little puny,
but we are still embedded in this area where there's an upper level low kind of shearing
the winds and causing a little bit of lift in some places, tapping into an air mass that
just really wants to produce rain. It doesn't take much, a sneeze would set off a shower
or a storm. 70 tomorrow morning, 88 to high tomorrow. I think somewhat brighter skies
to look forward to tomorrow. And at nine o'clock there was a thunderstorm at the airport. I
think that's diminished quite a bit now. 72 degrees, southeast winds at seven and to the
best that I can figure, the airport didn't get nearly the rain. They got downtown on
the eastern side of Springfield. 85 and 69, the high and low today. And I think the official
total, I'll add it up here in a minute, but I think it was under a tenth of an inch. Not
unusual for these summer time storms to play favorites. 70, the low tonight and our high
temperature tomorrow up to about 88 degrees. As cool air can be seen to our north. It's
going to try to make a run for the Ozarks. It's not completely supported by the jet stream
flow though. And you'll watch over the next couple of days as these clusters of showers
and thunderstorms try to get organized and move toward us. Some of them go south of us.
Some of them go north of us. Some of them fade before they get here. And on top of all
that, let me just tell you that I don't have a whole lot of confidence in any of that because
this is just the kind of pattern that these computer models don't latch onto real well,
especially much further out than a couple of hours, half a day or so. Tornado watches
that have largely been allowed to expire or have been shrunk down through Colorado. There's
a severe weather watch in the panhandle of Texas. Just looking at this map, you just
see there's a general flow of air here across much of the country where it's clear that
any little disturbance can set off rain and thunderstorms and what almost appears to be
kind of a chaotic pattern. And some organizations that as possible toward Thursday night and
Friday night here, I've got rain in every single day of the forecast for the next seven
days simply because I'm just not sure if we're really going to dry things out in a big way
anytime soon. 70 will be the low tonight with those bands of thunderstorms, mostly cloudy.
And then tomorrow, 88, sunny clouds mix that tropical feel still around. Isolated afternoon
storms can't be ruled out tomorrow night. 67, a little bit of rain and thunder perhaps
in the area. And then on a Friday, part of cloudy day with a high of 83 and storms again
toward evening and perhaps an overnight round of thunderstorms, which while it'll probably
slide a lot to the north, will impact the Ozarks. I think I've got scattered showers
and storms again in the forecast for the next seven days at your Fox forecast. If you've
ever awakened in the middle of the night because of a weird feeling in your legs, you might
have restless leg syndrome. Researchers say it affects about 10% of the population. The
biggest problem with restless leg syndrome is it deprives you of sleep and it often goes
undiagnosed. The symptoms vary from patient to patient. Some people have frequent pain
and involuntary jerking. Others describe a creepy crawly feeling in their legs. Doctors
don't know what causes restless leg syndrome and there is no cure, but there are treatments
that influence the chemical dopamine in the brain. Pain medicines obviously will be of
some help. Hypno sedatives or sleeping medications. Make sure your doctor knows what kind of medication
you're taking for restless leg syndrome. For more information, go to this website, www.rls.org.
Bass Pro has big plans for another big shop in Missouri. We'll show you where it's going
up. And some hoops are baffling people at Home Depot. Find out what the problem is when
we come back.
Fox 27 News at 9 is sponsored in part by Ramsdale Law Firm. We could go on and on about the
deals that reliable Chevrolet this weekend, but we only have 30 seconds. So remember one
thing from this commercial. Get moving by Monday and get a new car plus $200 worth of
gas. We'll beat any local dealer's price plus give you $200 worth of gas. Rush to Reliable
Chevrolet. These gastronomical savings end Monday. All my Missouri friends say that Reliable
Chevy.
Grab your hat and get ready. The Cabinet and County Fair is busting out of the gates June
17th, 18th and 19th. Three days of exhibits, rides, games, food and nightly entertainment
for the whole family. Thursday is Christian Family Night and admission is free. Friday
is kids' nights. Kick up the action at Bull Blast, sponsored by Mike Shepard, Chrysler,
Dodge. Then return on Saturday to the roar and rumble of the sleeper lawn and tractor
pull. Save two bucks off Bull Blast tickets at participating retailers in Camden, Lebanon
and St. Roberts. So come early, stay late. Only at the Camden County Fair June 17th,
18th and 19th.
Add a little excitement to your summer. Play the Missouri Lottery's Lost Treasure Adventure.
Collect game pieces on special scratchers tickets, match them to the spaces on the game
board and win cool prizes like a Chevy Tahoe or Avalanche or a trip to Jamaica. Discover
Summer Fun with the Missouri Lottery. Play the Missouri Lottery's Lost Treasure Adventure.
You can win a new Chevy Tahoe or Avalanche, trips to Jamaica or Walt Disney World, a Missouri
Mall or Bass Pro Shopping Street, laptop computers and lots more. Discover Summer Fun with the
Missouri Lottery.
From the dawn of time, there have been traditions. And mankind has always known it's just not
a mix. Without the Chex. Now there's a whole new spin on Caramel. New Chex Mix Caramel
Crunch. With a salty sweet caramel taste and new crunchy caramel swirls. New Chex Mix Caramel
Crunch. Get into the mix.
It could soon cost more to build a home in Nixa. City leaders are considering one-time
building impact fees to keep ahead of all of their growth. The city says new building
impact fees of up to $5,000 per home could pay for some of that. But the Home Builders
Association believes the fees could push developers outside the city limits. Today the group brought
in two national consultants to talk with city leaders from Nixa and other communities about
the other funding options available. The city says it's open to anything but wants a funding
mechanism that won't cost people already living in Nixa.
Our goal has never been to slow down growth. We want to make sure growth is managed and
we want to make sure that growth does not have a major financial negative impact on
our current residents.
Our goal always has been to keep new housing as affordable as possible. We know that for
every thousand dollar increase in the price of a new home nationwide, more than 500,000
homes are priced out of owning a new home.
Some of the alternative funding options suggest there are bonds, tax increment funding and
private-public partnerships. After tearing down the historic Riverdale Bridge, Christian
County Commissioners have opened traffic on the new concrete bridge over the Finley River
south of Nixa. The old one-lane steel and wood bridge was taken down last summer because
it had become too dangerous for heavy traffic like school buses. The new bridge is two lanes
and the roads leading to the crossing are level. The county has also put new asphalt
on the approach roads. A formal ribbon cutting will be held in the future.
What's thought to be the world's first virus to attack cell phones isn't causing much damage
yet. Some underground virus writers have unleashed an internet worm that spreads on software
that powers millions of Nokia phones. The worm is not considered dangerous because it
carries no code that destroys files or performs other damaging functions. But computer experts
say the worm could cause a busy signal when users try to dial. An Idaho man is charged
with assault with a deadly weapon for throwing a rattlesnake into a crowded bar. Police say
he walked into the bar, pulled a three and a half foot rattler from his pocket and tossed
it into a crowd. Customers used a crutch to sweep the angry snake to a cleared area and
then wrapped a t-shirt around its head and dropped it into a bucket and no one was hurt.
With convicted the man could face five years in prison. Troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan
will soon get a taste of the American Midwest.
And just a reminder that people in Iowa actually care and still care about the troops that
are deployed whether it's Iraq or Afghanistan. So what's the treat coming to troops? Beef
jerky and lots of it. Farmers in Iowa started a campaign called Beefin' Up the Troops. They've
raised $30,000 so far and will buy beef sticks with every cent. The first shipment of jerky
is on its way. More than 12,000 sticks were in the first load. The home of Harry Truman
will soon be home for a new Bass Pro Shops outdoor world. According to the outdoor store's
website Bass Pro plans to build a new store in Independence just outside Kansas City.
It will feature a 160,000 square foot lodge style retail facility and hotel on 180 acres
of land on I-70. Also included is a nature park with walking trails and an 18 acre lake.
The opening is targeted for 2006. Bass Pro is headquartered in Springfield and has 22
stores in 13 states. When birds smash into windows you may think, hey those birds aren't
too bright. But some barn swallows at a Home Depot in Minneapolis may have you rethinking
that conclusion. Forget windows, these guys can actually open doors. Workers couldn't
figure out how they kept getting inside the shop. If you watch closely you can see how
they do it. They fly in front of the motion detector of the automatic door then fly right
in. Customers sometimes get spooked but the store managers have just learned to deal with
all the squawking. And these sure don't look like the play houses we had as kids. They're
for sale in Dallas as part of a fundraiser for CASA. CASA provides special court appointed
advocates for abused and neglected children. Some of the play houses have running water
and working lights. Others come equipped with snack refrigerators and draw bridges. Pretty
sweet. Political ads will soon bombard television viewers more than they already have. Up next
a closer look at why the Reagan family says it supports Bush but not some of his advertisements.
I'm Noel Zanchelli in the Sports Den. Tomorrow morning the opening round of one of golf's
majors, US Open. Today many of the players have practice rounds. Coming up later in the
Sports Zone you're going to hear from two of the favorites to win it all. That's a little
later in the show. Fox 27 News at 9 is brought to you in part by Men's Suit Mart.
Bush administration gave Dick Cheney's old company no bid contracts for Iraq on a silver
platter. Then the Pentagon caught Halliburton overcharging 61 million dollars for gasoline.
Worse, they build over 100 million dollars for meals for our troops that they never delivered.
And George Bush is still doing business with them. George Bush, a failure of leadership.
Move On Pack is responsible for the content of this advertisement.
Less than a week after Ronald Reagan's funeral there's a new political ad that invokes images
of the former president. And the Reagan family is not happy about it. Bruce Morton takes
a closer look. Were you wondering when the fighting over Ronald Reagan's legacy would
start? Well, it already has. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall. The Club for Growth,
which supports President Bush, is running this ad showing Reagan in Berlin and Bush
in New York after 9-11. And the people who knock these buildings down will hear all of
them. The ad, which will run on cable and in three battleground states, compares Reagan
and Bush, one fighting communism, the other terror. A Reagan family spokeswoman objected,
saying Mrs. Reagan supports Bush but is not taking requests from political organizations.
And quote, has not authorized the use of her husband's image for any issues, candidates,
or products. The Club for Growth is going ahead. In some of the print ads we've run,
we've had images of Ronald Reagan and the family has objected to that. But there's
no legal problem with it whatsoever because, as I said, President Reagan's image is in
the public domain. Another instance of a Reagan pointing out differences between the two presidents,
Reagan's son Ron, a TV commentator, noted at Friday's funeral service in California
that his father, like this president, was religious but more private about it. Dad was
also a deeply, unabashedly religious man. But he never made the fatal mistake of so
many politicians, wearing his faith on his sleeve to gain political advantage. True,
after he was shot and nearly killed early in his presidency, he came to believe that
God had spared him in order that he might do good. But he accepted that as a responsibility,
not a mandate. And there is a profound difference. A slap at this president who talked about
his religion in his eulogy at the Washington service, a reference to the two families'
differing views on stem cell research, maybe just a natural desire to protect the image,
the privacy of a man who's just died. I think the family is probably going to be very protective
of the former president and his memory and what he stood for. And I'm sure there will
be a hesitant to allow groups, no matter what group it is, to use his face or his name to
sell an ideology or to sell a product. On its website today, the Club for Growth stated
that it will not air the ad containing Reagan's image for one week out of respect for Mrs.
Reagan's wishes. Still ahead on Fox 27 News at 9, a cat that's really confused. Plus,
what are hundreds of people lining up to take pictures of? That's later. We have some real
gully washers for select few, including some folks in Springfield. I'll tell you how much
some folks got with your full Fox forecast next. Fox 27 News at 9, it's sponsored in
part by Grand Country Square. Since oil executives George Bush and Dick Cheney took office, gas
prices have risen in Missouri by a whopping 53 cents a gallon, costing the average family
an extra $551 a year. Meanwhile, oil companies are making record profits. What did you expect?
When we go to the lake, we need to get there as fast as possible. We go to Walmart Supercenter
where we can get everything, get in, get out, get to the lake. We use the Supercenter because
it's quick, it's efficient, they have everything that you could need. When you have a large
family like I do, you need great prices. Oh, the kids love the lake. They absolutely love
to be. Get them to go home. We like to hang out, catch some sun. Lots of eating, fishing,
lots of fishing. We go to the Supercenter because the sooner we get there, the more
fun we have. The best times are at the lake. Youngblood took a lot of inventory for our
Bosses Out of Town sale, including tons of trade-ins. With construction of our new Nissan
dealership underway, we don't have room, so our deals become your steals. Construct your
own deal on your next Nissan Chrysler KIA or Pre-Owned car during our June construction
sale at Youngblood on South Campbell today. At All American Rental, name brand washers
and dryers were only $14.99 a week. It's all about you. Compaq and Dell computers loaded
$29.99 a week. It's all about you. We have furniture set by Ashley and Benchcraft from
$17.99 a week. It's all about you. JVC big screens, stereos, and DVDs, and much, much
more. Delivery and set-up for free. No credit needed because it's all about you. It's the
All American Way. Since oil executives George Bush and Dick Cheney took office, gas prices
are at a 23-year high, oil prices a record high, oil companies are making record profits,
and Bush's campaign has taken more than $8 million from Big Oil. What did you expect?
Many parts of the city of Springfield got over an inch of rain from a storm this evening,
and some of those scattered storms are still out there, still capable of producing a heavy
rainfall punch. Earlier today, those storms in the counties between, let's say, Joplin
and Nevada did produce some scattered wind damage in those areas. And by and large, that
kind of activity has been continuing for the last couple of days where these isolated cells
produced a heavy rain and also occasionally produced some very gusty winds and some large
hail. And it's so widely scattered it's hard to just kind of generalize that and put it
in the forecast because I know that most of you won't see that tomorrow, but there's a
possibility it could happen again tomorrow. Virtual sky shows, again, what's left over
of the showers and storms, and while most of the time the heavier storms do tend to
bubble up during the heat of the late afternoon and early evening, this is the kind of weather
pattern that would sustain some rain into the overnight hours. It's not as if it's going
to disappear completely and then reform tomorrow afternoon. Now, by comparison, our area looks
a little bit on the small and disorganized side when compared to this cloud deck and
the rain thunderstorms occurring underneath it. Nice little bow echo there in West Texas
with a severe watch there, tornado watch for part of that line. But again, as has been
the case the last couple of days, the jet stream is not configured to blow this tortoise
real fast anytime soon. Futurecast shows that banding effect to the rain today and as it
mostly disappears overnight but not completely, and then reforms in patches again tomorrow
afternoon in what is a reoccurring pattern for us where we have extremely humid air,
pretty unstable air, not a real good forcing mechanism for the showers and storms, meaning
a good front or a strong jet stream push, but we have these weak meandering little weather
systems and this kind of atmospheric sneeze would actually set something off. It's an
exaggeration but a little tiny thing is enough to set off a shower or a storm. Our high was
only 85 today. You can see a cooler push of air out to our northwest and none of that
will really get into the Ozarks unfortunately. In fact, 88, back up to 88 tomorrow after
a low and a muggy start to the day at 70. Thunderstorm in 72, that was at 9 o'clock
but the rain has subsided quite a bit now at the airport. By the way, they've received
a lot less rain. I think I need to add it up and call them to make sure but I don't
think they had more than a tenth of an inch from that rainstorm today. 69 and 85, the
high and low temperature today. You can see the cooler air is trying to get in but the
jet stream is not really blowing in a way that really supports that. And if you just
look at the map here, you just see a lot of rain in different places for various reasons
in the U.S. One thing they all share in common though is tapping into some pretty good moisture.
Bands of thunderstorms and heavier rain patches tonight, mostly cloudy. They'll tend to settle
down a little bit but may not completely disappear. 88, the high tomorrow, that tropical feel
and the isolated storm still around. Scattered rain and thunder may linger into tomorrow
night with a low of 67 and mainly cloudy on Friday. Storms toward evening and the high
of 83. Looks like one of these thunderstorm clusters may go slightly north of us on Friday
with a pretty good rain forecast for central and northern Missouri but stay tuned, that
could hit us. It's going to cool down slightly over the weekend but rain chances are mentioned
for the next seven days. That's your Fox forecast. Summertime is watermelon time. Tonight, Jill
has a simple solution to pick out the perfect one.
One of the most popular melons this time of year is watermelon. Surf slightly chilled,
the sweet juicy flavor is perfect on a hot summer afternoon. But don't you hate it when
you go to the store and the melon you pick out isn't as sweet as what you thought it
would be? Well let me show you some tips on picking out the perfect melon.
Color is not necessarily a good indicator when picking out your melons. That's because
the color can vary from light green to dark green. What you do want to look for is at
the bottom of the melon, this area should be yellowish in color. That means it's been
sun ripened. If it's white, that means the melon was picked before it was fully ready.
It's important to look for ripeness before you leave the store because once the melon's
picked it's not going to get any sweeter once you get home. You can store an uncut melon
in a cool dry place for up to ten days but once you cut it, you're going to want to store
it covered in the fridge for just a couple of days. Keep these tips in mind the next
time you go shopping and your melon picking will be a sweet success. I'm Joanne Kordas
with another simple solution. Six kittens apparently isn't enough for a cat in Texas
so she's raising a baby skunk. Vets at the University of Texas took in the skunk and
cats from a shelter in Corpus Christi. The skunk was paired with the cat and her litter
at the shelter and began nursing right along with the kittens. All of the babies are about
three weeks old and said to be getting along nicely. Pistons fans are celebrating in the
Motor City. Detroit won the NBA Championship last night over the LA Lakers. Today fans
lined up to snap pictures with one of the city's most notable landmarks, the Spirit
of Detroit statue. The statue was draped with a huge Pistons jersey that took a team of
seamstresses three weeks to make and Noel joins us now with sports and he has more on
Pistons big win. Give it up for Motown. That was a pretty good game last night. Yeah it
was. And if you didn't see it we're going to recap it for you and you're going to hear
from the series MVP, a fellow University of Colorado graduate like our very own Mark Miller
right here. We can play some hopes and colors. That's right he did. That's coming up plus
we'll also hear from track and field star Marion Jones. She denies more drug allegations.
We're coming right back with the sports zone. The purple pages in the SBC phone book severe
weather tips from the weather lab. What's he doing? He's taking it back. I don't want
mayonnaise. I want Miracle Whip. I got you Miracle Whip. Right here. With the tangy zip
you love and half the fat of mayonnaise a sandwich just isn't a sandwich without Miracle
Whip. Nice try Matthew. I'll get the seats you get the stroller. Introducing the only
minivan with two rows of folding floor seats. The all new 2005 Grand Caravan with exclusive
stow and go seating and storage. Honey you coming? And now during June bonus days qualified
less ease can lease a Grand Caravan SXT for just $2.99 a month. Hi we're Paul and Cindy
Tees the founders of Camp Barnabas and we want to thank the Strong Law Firm for helping
us provide a wonderful Christian summer camp experience for children with special needs
and for helping us build our new water park. With the support of our friends at Strong
Law Firm we are making a difference. The Strong Law Firm meeting the legal needs of those
seriously injured or who have lost loved ones due to the fault of others. Two dogs with
fleas. One calls his vet for Frontline Plus. The other gets the number two product. Both
claim to be long lasting but over half the dogs treated with the number two product had
fleas after just one week. The Frontline dogs not one flea. Frontline is the one that's
waterproof and kills fleas fast all month long. So ask for the vet's number one choice
Frontline Plus and say goodbye to fleas and ticks. SportsZone on Fox 27 News at 9. Hi
again everybody and welcome back. An era of NBA basketball came to an end last night at
the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit. The heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers lost the
NBA Championship Series to the Detroit Pistons four games to one. Detroit wins the championship
with a 187 victory last night. It's the Pistons first championship since 1990 and they did
it really without a true superstar. The Lakers had four future Hall of Famers on their roster
in Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton, and Carl Malone but the mailman did not play
last night because of a knee injury. Kobe Bryant 24 points. Shaquille O'Neal 20 in the
loss. Chauncey Billups consistent play in all five games earns him most valuable player
honors in the finals. He had 14 points six assists last night. Billups says everybody
thought the Pistons were underdogs but them.
To the series you know nobody gave us a chance but we we felt we had a great chance man.
We knew that it would be a tough task you know playing against you know Shaq and Kobe
and the other great players that they had but you know we knew as a team we just felt
we was a better team you know and they got you know maybe better individual players but
as far as the team and teamwork we felt we we had the best cohesiveness in this league
this year. The Cardinals continue interleague play tonight with the middle game of a three
game series against the Oakland A's. Last night the Redbirds handed Tony LaRusso's former
team an eight to four loss. Pick up the action tonight scoreless the top of the second. A's
pitcher Rich Harden, slow-roller Scott Rowland makes a great play to get the out and end
the inning. I don't know what game Joe Buck is watching. That was exciting. Bottom of
the inning now Jim Edmonds facing Harden. Jim Edmonds moving the yard. Solo home run
is 14th long follow the campaign. That makes it one zip. Cards on top. Later in the second
St. Louis threatening again two on for pitcher Jason Marquis and we're obligated here as
sports guys to say he's helping his own cause. Built a long double to the wall the opposite
way two runs score and the cards with a three zip lead. Now the A's get two runs off back
to back solo home runs from Jermaine Dye and Scott Haddeberg in the sixth. St. Louis wins
tonight. The Royals also with an interleague game tonight. They're in Atlanta for the first
ever series with the Braves. Last night the bullpen blew a lead for the Royals as the
Braves won three to two. Now there's of course no designated hitter in the National League
so to get Ken Harvey's bat in the lineup he started in left field last night and again
tonight scoreless in the bottom of the first. Raphael for call. Getting a hold of this one
with some good wood. Give it a ride. That's a solo home run off the Royal starter Jimmy
Gobble. One nothing Braves just like that. Kind of a foreshadowing for Jimmy Gobble tonight.
Bottom of the second. Bases loaded. Raphael for call. The dish again. He gets locked.
Gobble walks in a run. That's JD Drew who scores to make a two nothing Braves. The Royals
do rally back in the eighth inning and right now have a lead five to four. Elsewhere in
baseball a happy ending for Nick O'Brien. The little boy was pushed out of the way by
a rude and offensive fan at the Cardinals Rangers game last Sunday. That rude fan is
Matt Starr. Former youth minister by the way. Starr agreed to give baseball back to the
boy. Now Starr will also send a letter of apology to Nick O'Brien and his family. Starr
will also provide the O'Brien family with tickets to future Texas Rangers games. Tomorrow
morning round one of the US Open returns to Shinnecock Hills. One of the oldest and most
historic golf courses in the United States. Shinnecock hosted the very first US Open in
October of 1895. Three years after the course and club opened. Today many of the favorites
to win this event played the course. A little warm up. A little tune up. Among those with
high hopes Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Masters champion Phil Nicholson and of course Tiger
Woods who says he is well rested and ready to play. The main thing I want to come in
here fresh. You know mentally and as well as physically and you know that's the most
important to me. Whether I come in here with my game great or game not so great. Whatever
it is as long as I come in here fresh I feel I can still win. I think that we all know
that when Tiger reaches his level of play he is still almost unstoppable. We're still
trying to get to that level where we can compete with him when he's playing his best. And I
think we all appreciate the fact that he's sharing the wealth and letting us win some
tournaments. Yesterday Lance Armstrong did it today. Olympic track champion Marion Jones
held a press conference to deny allegations from the US anti-doping agency that she may
have violated rules banning performance enhancing drugs. She wanted to remind everybody she
has never failed a drug test and she wants to compete in the Summer Olympics. Alright
thanks a lot Noel. The Olympic Games in Athens are creeping up around the corner and today
the torch got some star treatment on its way through LA. We'll have the buzz on who carried
it next. To get the job done right you need the right tool for the job. And now when you
drive home any super duty truck during Ford Truck Power Days you'll also receive this
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trucks on the road. Don't miss Ford Truck Power Days going on now at your Midwest Ford
dealer.
Finally a visit. I got your favorite corn flakes. You'd have to eat four bowls of corn
flakes to get the B vitamins in one bowl of total. You should eat. How about raisin bread
mom? Ten bowls to match the zinc in total. You're too skinny anyway. You always like
your special cake. Forty bowls to match total's calcium. If you don't eat it I'll have to
throw it out. Only total's got 100% daily value of 12 vitamins and minerals. No other
leading cereal comes close. Got total mom? Not until you finish what's in front of you.
Total total raisin bran. One bowl 100%. Reliable Toyota Superstore. Reliable Toyota's got it.
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the new Sion. Get more drive for your dollar. Reliable Toyota. Sunshine in 65. The Olympic
torch had some famous hands on it today as it made its way through LA. With a theme to
a signature movie, Rocky blaring in the background, Sylvester Stallone took the Olympic torch
from Mayor James Hahn this morning and carried on the first leg of a journey toward Dodger
Stadium. Once he got to the stadium he handed the flame off to Dodger's owner Frank McCourt.
Tom Cruise and Halle Berry will also carry the torch tonight. And if they were running
around here the torch might have been put out. It might have been put out by some very
heavy downpours in about three different spots. The seven-day forecast has rained every single
day. I just cannot see a dry enough push of air to be able to clear any of those days.
Gonna be wet in the future. Yes. Thanks a lot for watching Fox 27 News at 9. Good night.
Some cars are just born to follow. One dimensional. Charisma free.