Severe storms rolled through Green Country early Tuesday morning and meteorologists say it's likely a brief tornado touched down in the Collinsville area just after 7 a.m. causing damage alongside widespread 70 mph winds The National Weather Service reported Tuesday evening just after 5 p.m that a "low-end" EF-1 tornado "uprooted several trees News On 6 Meteorologist Stephen Nehrenz said radar data and photos suggest a brief spin-up tornado developed as storms swept through Owasso and into Collinsville “You can see it very clearly,” Nehrenz said pointing to a funnel cloud photo from MaKyla Vent “This was just after 7 o'clock this morning More than likely it didn’t last more than a minute or two.” captured a similar funnel from Highway 169 near 116th Street North often on the leading edge of a squall line Nehrenz explained that radar products used to detect non-rain particles (often debris) showed a brief signal indicating likely rotation near Collinsville at 7:06 a.m “That was right where there was just enough rotation to produce that likely tornado,” Nehrenz said “Then it quickly transitioned back to damaging wind potential.” straight-line winds exceeding 70 mph caused widespread damage in parts of the Tulsa metro and northeast Oklahoma Meteorologist Stephen Nehrenz said more rain and severe weather could hit Green Country again soon The National Weather Service in Tulsa is surveying damaged areas and will release official tornado confirmations after their assessments Most meteorologists you meet will tell you that they have been fascinated with weather since a young age Born and raised in Norman in the heart of tornado alley The National Weather Service reported Tuesday evening just after 5 p.m that a \"low-end\" EF-1 tornado \"uprooted several trees and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox Osage SkyNews 6 pilot Dustin Stone was overhead parts of Collinsville and Owasso on April 29 after strong winds and a low-end EF-1 tornado caused damage in the morning around 7 a.m >>> EF-1 tornado touches down in Collinsville Tuesday morning The National Weather Service reported Tuesday evening just after 5 p.m Osage SkyNews 6 is back better than ever, check it out: https://www.newson6.com/skynews-6-hd >>> EF-1 tornado touches down in Collinsville Tuesday morning The National Weather Service reported Tuesday evening just after 5 p.m Osage SkyNews 6 is back better than ever, check it out: https://www.newson6.com/skynews-6-hd and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox A severe storm caused damage in Collinsville and Owasso early Tuesday A National Weather Service examination determined the storm generated a brief EF-1 tornado said she was watching the radar and urging her teenage son to wait a few minutes before leaving for school "I looked outside and it looked that ominous still the stuff on my back porch started to move so I woke up the other kids up and got in the shelter Osage SkyNews 6 images showed sheet metal from the barn scattered for a quarter mile across a pasture News On 6 Meteorologist Stephen Nehrenz confirmed radar data supports a quick tornado spin-up just after 7 a.m “We use a radar product that can help identify debris and that was showing up right over Collinsville around 7:06 a.m.,” Nehrenz said “Just enough rotation to produce a likely tornado for a couple of minutes.” Photos from viewers like MaKyla Vent and Stephanie captured a funnel cloud near 116th Street North and Highway 169 around the same time “These quick spin-ups can happen along the leading edge of storms often with little or no warning,” Nehrenz said While most storm damage across Green Country Tuesday morning came from 70 mph straight-line winds Nehrenz said there are at least a few areas where tornado damage appears likely Emory Bryan is a general assignment reporter for News On 6 He began his news career covering the school board for his hometown radio station and worked on the newspaper staff in college before making the switch to television Emory Bryan joined the News On 6 team in 1994 \"I looked outside and it looked that ominous still The six candidates vying for three seats on the library board in Collinsville and Fairmont City in the Metro East have noticed a marked increase in animosity and controversy at board meetings over the past two years only a handful of people regularly attended board of trustees meetings for the Mississippi Valley Library District most meetings draw crowds — a sign of changed political attitudes disagreed about maintaining aging infrastructure and debated efforts to form a staff union These seven nonpartisan members can be grouped into two ideological categories: one more conservative and one more liberal And the upcoming election reflects that divide But the candidates share a number of similarities — a passion for the library and the importance of community access to information and resources Kathy Murphy is the only incumbent running for reelection She was a member of the conservative majority that won control of the board in the last election not realizing how much opposition she and fellow conservatives would face on the board “Some people coming to the board meetings accuse us of being bigoted and intolerant of things,” she said “But yet their tone of voice and their accusations belie their motives.” As a preschool teacher, Murphy has long used the library to support her professional work, joking she’s probably read more children’s books than just about anyone else. She served a two-year term in 2023 and ran for another two-year term when fellow conservative Lisa McCormick resigned in November That position has been filled for a couple of months by Uta Robinson Murphy believes the current board has improved finances moving some cash into interest-bearing accounts That offset this year's need to raise the district's tax levy or the portion of taxes it uses to fund the budget Her goal over the next two years is to build off that model she said she hopes the community can acknowledge the different viewpoints and still be respectful “It makes me very sad that this is going on in the library because the library is an educational gate in the city “For it to lean and promote one side over the other isn't in the best interest of this community.” Shannon Lawton-O’Boyle will face Murphy for the two-year term She's running for the board because the library has been a great resource for her family She said she began attending meetings over the past year and quickly observed the tension between the public and the board “There wasn't a lot of engagement to diffuse that or to sort of bring things together,” said Lawton-O’Boyle the board of trustees should spend less time focused on ideological disagreements and more time on fixing the problems at hand “I'm not myself looking to make some kind of big political shift,” Lawton-O’Boyle said “I think the shift should be back toward community and systems work — and not sort of put into an ideological pocket.” Lawton-O’Boyle said she’s met many people while campaigning who don’t realize the kind of resources are available at the library It’s especially relevant when discussing the annual tax levy It’s easy for candidates to say they’d never vote to raise taxes because of the current economy There may need to be an effort to reach a middle ground in order to pay for rising minimum wages and repair the aging library “We have to work within that range with a whole bunch of different opinions: from being really conservative about asking for more money and asking for the very minimum to having projections of niceness,” she said O’Boyle’s more liberal allies in the race are Benjamin Wells and Ian Ashcraft who are running for the two other seats with a six-year term They said that all three may not agree 100% on the issues nonpartisan candidates,” but they may caucus with the current board’s more liberal members Benjamin Wells is currently an Amazon employee and said his candidacy for a six-year term reflects a family legacy of supporting community service The main focus of his campaign is "finding ways to interact with non-patrons in the district (and) to ensure that people are more and more involved,” he said The current board’s failure to act quickly on fixing the elevator serves as a good example of its lack of preparedness It had been well known the elevator was on its last legs When it broke last fall and a contract to repair it wasn’t approved right away that showed the board’s inability to govern “Trying to find ways to solve our maintenance issues be prepared for issues that would come about or finding ways to properly finance those capital projects in the future (are) definitely a focus of mine,” Wells said He said the board should explore grants and other fundraising efforts Wells feels that ignoring any possible raises to the tax levy is just silly and not financially feasible He attended board meetings 10 years ago and observed the laid-back nature of previous board meetings when he presented his Eagle Scout project the tone of how people respond to the current board is just completely different,” Wells said Ian Ashcraft decided to run after observing the board over the past two years He and his family grew up using the library which has been an essential part of their academic endeavors Ashcraft works as a grant administrator and feels strongly about supporting the library financially He said that the current library staff has done well but that finding more grants and holding more fundraisers are always welcome “I don't think there are questions about the financial sustainability want to make sure that it is funded the best that we can without costing taxpayers any extra money.” Ashcraft said he was not shocked by the lack of urgency from the current board to fix the elevator He also would like to set money aside to repair or replace aging infrastructure the fountain in front and new carpet inside One of the issues of contention has been the selection of books on the library’s shelves. A fairly recent Illinois law bars banning books by making all libraries in the state adopt American Library Association rules that do not allow books to be removed on partisan grounds without losing funding MVLD’s executive director Kyla Waltermire said no books have been banned in the library district But there has been discussion at meetings "I'm not here to control what other people want to check out from the library and I want the residents and other people who are in the district to be able to have their parental rights and freedom to say you can't check that out.’ I'm not their parent," Ashcraft said and we want you to see yourself at the library So that also means being reflected in the library,” Ashcraft said “Strong libraries build strong communities On the more conservative side of the ticket is Kelly Balaco-Reeder it was a place to hang out with her friends or do research for class projects She said modernizing the library would create a more welcoming environment Running for an open seat on the board is a great way to get involved She's noticed the tension at recent meetings of board members and I think that it takes away from them being able to do their job well,” Balaco-Reeder said the board’s investments are in a better position than they had been She too would like to explore more fundraising opportunities to avoid raising taxes She views her candidacy as being “middle-grounded,” and she’s hoping to bring more balance to the board “If we look at it as we’re here to serve one another Balaco-Reeder is also opposed to banning books “I believe that books give us insight into other people's minds and that's the best way to form empathy,” she said “And the more empathy that we have out there and we treat others the way we want to be treated.” Kenneth Norsworthy is now retired from a career in maintenance at Fisher-Price He said his additional experience operating a business would be an asset to the board especially with the looming preventative maintenance and ongoing repairs He moved to Collinsville five years ago to be closer to grandchildren Norsworthy also ran a homeowners association in Kentucky and said they also struggled with “finger pointing.” that he was able to get a new boat dock replaced without borrowing any money “You can make things happen if you're willing to work with people,” he said To make that happen on this library board will mean agreeing to disagree — but finding solutions because the board works for the taxpayers Raising taxes is something Norsworthy sees as a last resort we can make it work without raising taxes,” he said “I'm totally against putting any more on the taxpayers at this point in time.” he’d like to ensure books are in age-appropriate sections of the library “Anything that's not child appropriate at least needs to be on the top shelf where mom has to hand it down to junior,” Norsworthy said He was a Veteran of the United States Navy a seaman third class during the Vietnam War After serving his country he worked as a truck driver until his retirement James was a simple man in the best sense of the word he played in—and even started—several local bands over the years only to start the process again with the same excitement each time He had a true gift for working on bikes and never hesitated to lend a hand to a friend who needed help fixing theirs James was proud to be a member of multiple motorcycle clubs where he found camaraderie and brotherhood on and off the road His love of engines extended to four wheels as well—he enjoyed drag racing and stock car racing Those who knew James could always find him sipping iced tea at the Spring Garden Restaurant Wanda Thein; 16 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces Memorials may be made to the Nix Family or the Caseyville Public Library Interment: Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery Condolences are reviewed and published within 24 hours Bobby and I will remember all the fun times we had Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and friends I met shades in 2004 as a waitress at Spring Garden him and I always seemed to be able to have easy conversations Thoughts and prayers to his family during this time Met shades over 20 years ago out on motorcycle we were building a chopper motorcycle in the family room of our house in Collinsville he stopped buy few times to help n just hangout nhave a few drinks it was always good to see him he was good to us and had a lot knowledge about Harleys he will be missed My condolences to his family & friends I’ve known him since I was 15 having all of us grown up on Bethel Rd area Was glad I ran into him on a visit in 2012 My thoughts and prayers are with Jim’s family and friends (from a very old neighbor on Bethel Rd.) © 2025. Meridith Funeral Home, P.C. All rights reserved. Login  Design: Serpentine The Collinsville community came together in a big way to celebrate a special milestone for a beloved resident Ida Bruce marked her 101st birthday — and the Collinsville Police and Fire Departments made sure she felt every bit of the love she has given over the years Officers and firefighters organized a joyful parade right in front of her home and warmth are an inspiration to us all," the police department shared in a touching message on Facebook "It’s an honor to celebrate a life so richly lived and rooted in our community.' Video from the day captured Bruce beaming as the parade rolled by a fitting tribute to a woman who has been a pillar of strength The celebration served as a reminder of the lasting impact one life can have on a community Ida Bruce — Collinsville is lucky to call you one of its own and warmth are an inspiration to us all,\" the police department shared in a touching message on Facebook \"It’s an honor to celebrate a life so richly lived and rooted in our community.' The library board in Collinsville and Fairmont City that’s been mired in contentious meetings for the past two years will stay under a conservative majority for another two the more conservative candidates won two out of three contested races for the Mississippi Valley Library District board of trustees Tuesday’s victory for those two candidates will likely give their caucus a 4-3 majority over the next two years Incumbent Kathy Murphy beat Shannon Lawton-O’Boyle for a two-year term Kelly Balaco-Reeder and Ian Ashcraft won full six-year terms over Kenneth Norsworthy and Benjamin Wells according to unofficial results from the clerks in both Madison and St Murphy and Balaco-Reeder were part of a conservative-leaning slate Murphy said she ran a common sense campaign that didn’t promote any social or political agenda “I guess they also like the direction that the library has been going with the funding and somewhat more of a balance,” Murphy said which serves a population of roughly 34,000 in the Metro East has been partially entangled with culture war-like issues since 2023 The Collinsville library hosted a virtual drag queen story hour in 2022 which enraged some community members and motivated some candidates to run for the board What was once seen as an innocuous governing board saw its meeting attendance balloon what books should be on the library’s shelves and The two newly elected board members said they are hoping to build off the financial model of the past two years The current board moved some of the library’s cash into interest-bearing accounts Balaco-Reeder also expressed interest in improving the Collinsville library’s physical appearance “We have some unfinished business that we're going to carry on,” Murphy said The board’s next meeting is scheduled for April 21 When Fairmount Park opens for its 100th season of horse racing in the Metro East next month the facility will look much different as the new owner has started $100 million in renovations After Accel Entertainment closed on the purchase of FanDuel Sportsbook & Racetrack last year the Chicago-based company started construction that includes building a new casino improving many aspects of the track and eventually building a concert venue and maybe a hotel really ensures that the track will be here for another 100 years,” said Vince Gabbert a Kentucky native who’s cut his teeth in that state’s massive horse industry said the planned renovations expected to be complete in the next three years will be monumental growth for a track that’s been distressed And it will serve as a template for other markets Those changes have everyone from Collinsville’s city manager to the president of the local horsemen’s association and the jockeys excited “We think it's going to be a boon to our community and the Metro East at large,” said Collinsville City Manager Derek Jackson Under the state law passed in 2019 that allowed for the creation of “racinos” — racetracks with casinos — Collinsville and the surrounding communities will receive more than $3 million in annual revenue through an admissions and gaming tax But it’s not just municipalities that will see improvements they are hoping there will be more racing that will get more competitive “It's been a long time coming,” said Scott Becker whose family has been racing at Fairmount since the 1960s “There's a lot of us that have just been waiting for this You think about the changes and it almost makes you break down to tears of happiness because we've really wanted this for a long time.” When patrons arrive for the start of the season on April 22 The goal for Accel will be to have a temporary casino running and the 150-person restaurant finished this spring “We'll ask for a lot of patience and grace,” he said that everybody will really love the finished product.” where the main casino will be built over the next three years a place to bet on the ponies and other sports The company already tore down the old tote board the horseracing equivalent of a score board and it will put in a new video version this spring Accel will start to build new barns and dorms for employees It has already ordered new equipment like a tractor and float to maintain the horse racing surface The inner rail of the track will be replaced after this season “A lot of little things that people may not notice but it’ll really improve the look of the product,” he said The infield concert venue and maybe a hotel will be the last pieces of the three-year project Beyond the aesthetic and physical changes happening While eventually Fairmount officials hope to race more Accel and the horsemen's association decided to move up Saturday’s time to 1:30 p.m to draw more bettors watching from around the country president of the Illinois Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and there's a lot of positive changes on the horizon Fairmount Park is going to be a destination.” said Fairmount Park has a chance to place Illinois back on the national stage in the racing industry as other nearby states passed legislation to allow for racinos track improvements and hopefully more racing will help quell some of those problems said the track’s improvement should only make the competition stronger “I think what they're doing is great because it incentivizes more horses to come by the more the jockeys will be able to make and support their families The time change on Saturdays is also welcome for the Collinsville track’s jockeys who often race in northern Illinois on Sundays there’s now a bright outlook for Fairmount after “30 years of negativity.” Shortened racing seasons waiting on the state legislature to pass a bill and watching other tracks close all played a factor into the track’s decline “It's like something you couldn't script up to happen,” Becker said “And there's a lot of long-standing horsemen here that deserve a lot of this to happen.” Collinsville officials made their $3 million regional projections based on conservative estimates that Fairmount Park would see 450,000 patrons this season The 2019 state law allows for a 5% electronic gaming tax Collinsville gets 40% of the tax revenue generated at Fairmount 10 other surrounding committees will get 10 cents per visitor “We’re all about regionalism,” Jackson said The extra tax revenue isn’t the only economic benefit of the upgraded racetrack the more people who patronize small businesses and Collinsville’s downtown “The more people we can have coming into town to pay for services here or entertainment that takes a burden off of our residents when it comes to property tax.” Accel and Collinsville don’t currently have incentive agreements but they are discussing possibilities that could include tax increment financing buying improvements at a discounted sales tax rate and trading some nearby property to build solar panels The solid attendance at Fairmount gives the company hope in its attempt to grow “The exciting thing for me here is it really is a chance to do some cool stuff,” he said The owners and trainers said they’re also excited even though there will be some adjustments “Short term pain for long-term gain,” Watkins said “We understand that we're going to have to be inconvenienced The city of Collinsville is largely without power after high winds the main transmission line went out According to the Collinsville Police Department strong winds downed poles and knocked trees into other poles around the city The most recent update from police said that the main transmission line has gone out leaving the whole city without electricity Related Story: LIVE UPDATES: Wildfire outbreak in northeastern Oklahoma "The main transmission line has gone out due to the winds and we are working to get this restored as quickly as we can." Collinsville is among many cities across the state experience power outage issues to to wind and fires Related Story: Severe Winds Leave Thousands Powerless in Oklahoma Amid Fire Warnings Northeast Oklahoma has various power companies and electric cooperatives many of which have overlapping areas of coverage David Prock is a digital content producer for Griffin Media and is a regular contributor to both News9.com and NewsOn6.com Related Story: LIVE UPDATES: Wildfire outbreak in northeastern Oklahoma \"The main transmission line has gone out due to the winds and we are working to get this restored as quickly as we can.\" Related Story: Severe Winds Leave Thousands Powerless in Oklahoma Amid Fire Warnings A Martinsville man was flown to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital after his vehicle crashed into a parked truck near Virginia Avenue in Collinsville Friday night Jawan Devour Mcarthur Feggans was driving this 1996 Toyota SUV when it exited the Holiday Shopping Center parking lot Friday night and struck a parked utility truck in the Econo Lodge parking lot across the street Family and friends were posting on social media that Jawan Devour Mcarthur Feggans but Virginia State Police could not confirm the death Monday afternoon but did note that Feggans’ condition was “under correction.” when Feggans’ 1996 Toyota SUV exited the parking lot at the Holiday Shopping Center left the roadway and struck a parked Ford utility truck in the Econo Lodge parking lot across the street Radio traffic indicated first responders found Feggans unresponsive and it appears he was flown to Roanoke Memorial Hospital,” Garletts said Feggans may have been suffering from an unknown type of illness at the time of the crash according to the investigating trooper’s initial report bill.wyatt@martinsvillebulletin.com Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter Email notifications are only sent once a day A newly revealed judgement may offer details surrounding the death of a Martinsville businessman and real estate investor who was found dead i… Police now believe the man whose body was found in Henry County on Tuesday morning was shot and killed in the city and a person of interest is… The Henry County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the discovery of a body found on the shoulder of the roadway that appeared to have multiple… Henry County's first brewery is closing as a brewery but opening new doors with plans to become a music and entertainment venue Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInCOLLINSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Collinsville Police Department officials have identified the man killed in a two-vehicle wreck on Monday Officials say 47-year-old Jerry Fred Cozart Jr was killed when his 2015 GMC Sierra crossed the center line on Hwy The driver of the dump truck was not injured in the wreck Collinsville Police are investigating the wreck Click Here to Subscribe on YouTube: Watch the latest WAFF 48 news sports & weather videos on our YouTube channel — Jackie Marte from Collinsville called 2 News because she's stuck paying thousands of dollars for damage to her home she claimed sewage had spewed inside from broken pumps Marte said she believes she shouldn't have to pay for the damage Marte came home to discover Collinsville's sewage system pumps backed up spewing sewage into her home and causing nearly $30,000 in damages I was worried about my kids walking in sewage," said Marte but she was forced to move back into her damaged home because money was tight She called the city multiple times about compensation but hasn't heard back since the incident "I just feel like we're not making any progress saying here we are going to get started so you can get your kids back home 2 News contacted Collinsville city manager Chuck Ralls and provided a statement "The city has turned everything over to insurance and is working to get them compensated and resolved," said Ralls According to Oklahoma Disaster Restoration I had big tubs and boxes of all of their yearbooks and everything I had in here is here is just gone," said Marte Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInCOLLINSVILLE Texas (KXII) - A traffic stop in Collinsville Saturday night turned into a substantial drug bust A Collinsville police officer pulled a vehicle over near Collinsville Elementary School officers arrested two people for marijuana possession in a “drug free school zone,” which increases their punishment A total of three individuals will face felony charges