Springfield offers landfill tours; new flight school opens in Branson

City offers landfill tours in April

Springfield Environmental Services is offering public tours of the Noble Hill Sanitary Landfill this month in celebration of the landfill’s 50th anniversary and to raise awareness about how the landfill operates to protect air, water, and land resources while managing 1,200 to 1,400 tons of trash daily. 

Tour dates and times include: 

• 1-3 p.m. Thursday, April 17.
• 9-11 a.m. Tuesday, April 22.
• 10 a.m.-noon Wednesday, April 30.

Participants must be 18 or older and pre-register, as space is limited. Tours will depart from the Environmental Resource Center, 290 E. Central St., with shuttles to and from the landfill. If all spots fill up, registrants will be added to a waitlist. To register for a tour, visit springfieldmo.gov/landfill.

Build My Future Construction Showcase is April 16

More than 3,300 students from a 26-county area will gather in Springfield on Wednesday, April 16 for the seventh annual Build My Future Construction Showcase. The event, from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. in the E-Plex at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, will include 65 hands-on exhibits showcasing various aspects of the construction industry, allowing students to test drive a variety of careers from design to engineering to labor and more.

The showcase, aims to recruit new workers to the industry to fill vacancies as Baby Boomers retire. The Build My Future model has now been replicated in multiple cities in Missouri as well as in other states including Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Ozark Writers League holds 2025 conference in Joplin

Ozarks Writers League, which traditionally has held its conferences in Branson, is heading to Joplin this year. Writers at all levels, from beginners to published professionals, are invited to attend the spring conference at the Joplin Public Library, 1901 E. 20th St. on Saturday, April 26, from 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Speakers includes nationally known novelist and journalist Max McCoy, presenting “Follow the Wild Trail”; Oklahoma Book of the Year winner Mary Coley, “Building Suspense in Fiction”; award-winning children’s author Dr. Clarissa Willis, “Treating Your Writing as a Business”; and Joplin novelist and writing coach Terry McDermid, “What Does Writing Success Look Like to You?” An open mic session and social hour will precede the conference on Friday, April 25, at 7 p.m. at Candlewood Suites, 3512 S. Rangeline Rd. in Joplin.

Admission is free for OWL members or $20 for nonmembers, and attendees can register at the door. For more information visit ozarkswritersleague.com.

Health Department announces new staff, job changes

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department announced several hirings, job changes and retirements in early 2025, including:

Kendra Findley, the department’s communicable disease administrator, retired March 31 after 20 years with the department. Findley has been a cornerstone of the department’s efforts to prevent and respond to infectious diseases, playing a vital role in protecting the health of our community.

Stephanie Woehl was promoted to Findley’s former position. Woehl, a registered nurse, joined the department in 2015 and previously served as the coordinator for communicable disease prevention. As communicable disease administrator, Woehl adds STI Clinic Services to her existing portfolio.

Jordan Coiner was promoted to the role of chronic disease prevention administrator. Coiner joined the department in 2014 and most recently served as the coordinator for the office of community health strategy. In his new role Coiner will work with teams in the department aiming to improve the health of the community and coworkers by connecting them to necessary resources.

Eric Krug joined the department in February as the public health resource manager, bringing 15 years of experience. Before joining the city, Krug led regional operations and logistics teams, managing complex budgets and driving cost-effective performance across multiple sectors. In his new role, Krug leads the department’s financial and business operational planning.

Koppang joins Central Trust Company

Central Trust Company, a division of The Central Trust Bank, announced the hiring of Beth Koppang as senior trust officer & relationship manager at its Springfield location.

With a decade of experience in wealth management and a strong background in communications, Koppang provides personalized fiduciary guidance and comprehensive oversight to help clients preserve wealth and plan for the future. In addition to professional certifications she is a graduate of the Cannon Financial Institute Trust School and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

PFLAG announces scholarship winners, advocate of the year

PFLAG Springfield/SWMO announced the following 2025 scholarship recipients as well as the recipient of the Kathryn Munzinger Advocate of the Year Award, to be presented at the an April 13 reception.

Recipients of the LGBTQ+ support organization’s Higher Education Scholarships are:

• Christina Johnson
• Sophia Samala
• Mallory Vorel

The 2025 Advocate of the Year is Ashley Quinn, pastor of public theology & justice at National Avenue Christian Church.

New aviation flight school in Branson

YELL Aviation, a new aviation flight school in Branson, announced its grand opening. YELL Aviation offers a comprehensive range of flight instruction, from private pilot certification to commercial pilot training and Multi-Engine Add-On available, designed for aspiring aviators and seasoned pilots looking to advance their skills.

Led by founder and chief instructor Andrew Gammill, YELL Aviation also is offering scenic tours over the Branson area in fixed-wing aircraft. Passengers can enjoy aerial views of iconic landmarks such as Table Rock Lake, the Branson Strip, and the surrounding Ozark Mountains. For more information on flight training or to book a scenic tour, visit www.yellaviation.com, call 417-294-8831, or email yellaviation@gmail.com.

Green for Greene offers free environmental job training

The City of Springfield Department of Workforce & Economic Vitality is offering a no-cost specialized training May 5-9 as part of its Green for Greene environmental job training program. The program is funded by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency and will allow participants to earn HAZWOPER (hazardous waste operations & emergency response) certification, then go on to attend CDL training with Hazmat endorsement at no cost.

“If you are unemployed, underemployed, or want to make a career change, this is a great opportunity to earn certifications that will support environmental-related career paths,” said Jenny Neathery, Green for Green program coordinator. “During the five-day training we will also be offering job readiness sessions to help participants secure jobs upon completion of the training.”

 The sessions will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 5-9. To apply or for more information, visit springfieldmo.gov/greenforgreene. The deadline to apply is April 25. Enrollment is based on an interview process and space is limited.

Forvis Mazars announces promotions

Forvis Mazars announced the April 1 promotions of seven employees to director positions. They include:

Felecia Drumright provides audit, accounting, and consulting services for colleges, universities, nonprofit organizations, and financial institutions. She is a graduate of College of the Ozarks with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

Rikki Holmes is a member of the Healthcare Practice, providing Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement consulting services for long-term care facilities. She is a graduate of Missouri State University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

Callie Mitchell is a member of the Commercial Products Practice, specializing in providing audit and review services to a variety of manufacturing and retail services clients. She is a graduate of William Jewel College with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration.

David Schoenhoff delivers a variety of tax, accounting, and consulting services to financial institutions, corporations, partnerships of varying sizes and industries, and individuals. He is a graduate of University of Missouri, Columbia with bachelor’s degrees in accounting and business administration and a Master of Accountancy.

Kim Swain is a grants management consultant with Forvis Mazars. She has nearly 20 years of grant writing and management experience, including 10 years as a grants director for a sovereign nation, and is a graduate of John Brown University with a bachelor’s degree in organizational management.

Hailey Turner provides audit and consulting services for colleges, universities, nonprofit organizations, and financial institutions. She is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

Brock Wiberg is a member of the Southern Missouri tax team and the Financial Services Practice. He is a graduate of Missouri State University with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting.

In addition, the following Forvis Mazars employees were promoted to senior manager:

Abby Brewer provides tax services to real estate developers, investors, and management companies. She is a graduate of Drury University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance.

Tori Cross provides audit services to a variety of clients in the home care and hospice, long-term care, and education industries. She is a graduate of University of Missouri, Columbia, with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting.

Diane Deulen is a member of the Healthcare Performance Improvement practice unit. She has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare operations, working with large integrated healthcare systems and is a graduate of Drury University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and Webster University, St. Louis, with a Master of Healthcare Administration.

Becca Faulconer provides audit and consulting services for financial institutions and nonprofit organizations as a member of the Financial Services and Nonprofit practices. Her experience includes implementing new FASB pronouncements. She is a graduate of Drury University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

Scotti George assists with various consulting projects, including Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement and cost report preparation services for CHCs. She is a graduate of University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, with a master’s degree in accounting and information management.

Justin Stockam provides tax and consulting services for a variety of clients in the financial institution, construction, and retail industries. He is a graduate of Evangel University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and Missouri State University with an MBA degree.