Good morning, Springfield.

Salvation Army opened registration Monday, Oct.

26 for its 2026 Angel Tree Toy Shop, with online sign-ups running through Nov. 6 and in-person registration continuing Oct. 26 to 30 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 3:30 p.m. at the Worship Center (1707 W Chestnut Expressway); registration is limited to the first 1,000 children or 350 households and families must bring photo ID, child ID, and proof of address.

Gracie, a 13-year-old Australian shepherd with limited sight and hearing, has been missing from her Crane home since Sept.

28, and her family is offering a $500 reward for her safe return (call Tammy Thomas at 417-612-3566 or 417-872-7300).

A family at Wadsworth Trailer Park kept a mountain lion named Bobo in their home in 1989, where the 8-month-old had his own bedroom and ate 6 lbs. of cat food daily (about $160 per month in today's dollars).

The National Weather Service in Springfield releases two weather balloons every day that climb to about 100,000 feet carrying radiosondes to measure current temperature, dew point, and winds, and after the balloon bursts the radiosonde falls and anyone who finds it may keep it.

Fall color is starting around Springfield, with peak viewing typically from the end of October into the first week of November at spots such as Lost Valley, Hawksbill Crag, Pedestal Rocks, and Greer Spring (trails sit about 100 to 145 miles south and southeast).

Check the Missouri Department of Conservation's weekly fall-color report, updated Thursdays, and plan hikes soon.

Federal officials say cychlorphine, a synthetic opioid up to 10 times stronger than fentanyl, showed up on a federal map of last year's drug lab reports that included Missouri, but Mercy emergency doctors and Springfield police say they have not confirmed a local case; 55 deaths nationwide have been linked to the drug this year.

W.F. Norman Sheet Metal in Nevada has hand-stamped tin ceiling tiles since 1898 and became well known when the tin-ceiling trend returned in the 1980s and 1990s, and KY3's Ed Fillmer visited to share the company's story from the archives.

Week 9 stars included Ryder Spickard (Glendale), 317 passing yards, and Kaiden Wirtmiller (Ozark), 177 rushing yards, as Metro scores featured Nixa 59-14 and Fair Grove 56-7 and district playoff matchups are now set.

High school football playoffs begin Friday, Oct.

30, with Springfield-area teams in Greene and Christian counties playing district quarterfinals across Missouri. Winners will advance toward the MSHSAA Show-Me Bowl at Missouri Western in St. Joseph, with state championship games Dec. 3-5.

Missouri State landed 6-foot-9 forward Donovan Clement when he committed on Oct.

17 after visiting campus in late September, joining the Bears' 2027 recruiting class as a three-star prospect from CATS Academy (near Boston).

Strafford defeated Mountain Grove in a three-set sweep to win the Class 3 District 10 volleyball title on Monday at Fair Grove High School, ending a two-year drought and extending its win streak to 16 matches (they will face Sullivan in the state sectional on Thursday).

Evangel's winningest coach Chuck Hepola announced Monday he will step down as head football coach after the 2026 season to focus solely on athletic director duties, and the school will launch a national search for his replacement; Evangel hosts Tabor at home on Oct.

31.