OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (KY3) – An Ozarks police department that lost an officer during a pursuit will be featured on a new program showcasing the challenges and sacrifices of law enforcement.

The A&E series Ozark Law captures the dangers officers face, including the tragic final moments of an Osage Beach officer who died in the line of duty.

The summer hotspot is the angle of the new series Ozark Law, which highlights the dangers officers face and the legacy left behind by Officer Phylicia Carson.

In August, Officer Carson died in the line of duty after her patrol car skidded off the road during a high-speed pursuit and caught fire.

“She was a go-getter. She loved her job, she loved the place she lives, and she always wanted to make a difference.” It’s a difference, Osage Beach Police Chief Todd Davis says, that all his officers strive to make in the community they call home.

A crew from ‘Ozark Law’ was filming the work of the Osage Beach Police Department the night Officer Carson died.

“You never know how that call is going to end out. You know you could be going to a simple what you think is a simple, non-eventful incident, and it ends up in a life, life or death situation,” said Chief Davis.

This is the department’s first collaboration with production crews to create a show. The ten-episode series will highlight how no call is ever truly routine.

“(We) want people to see that it’s more than just arresting people and taking them to jail,” said Chief Davis. “You know, you’re going to see the whole plethora of calls that we respond to.”

That includes pursuits like the one that claimed a beloved officer’s life.

“In the back of our mind that is always there, that this could be our last call, that we go on,” he said.

The first episode of Ozark Law will air on January 8 on A&E. It will also feature the work of the nearby Lake Ozark Police Department.

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (WGEM) – Missouri’s manufacturing sector is going strong, but it faces a big obstacle with a labor shortage.

Gray Manufacturing out of St. Joseph employs over 300,000 Missourians making hydraulic products used in car maintenance. President Stet Schanze says Gray is optimistic about the future of manufacturing in Missouri, and he should be.

A report released Thursday from the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry shows Missouri’s manufacturing industry is improving, but has room for growth. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry released 7 recommendations on how to grow the manufacturing industry in Missouri. The number one recommendation is growing the workforce.

Schanze hopes to target some typically overlooked populations when it comes to hiring, including women. But in order to do that, the Missouri Chamber said the state must first address its child care shortage.

“Manufacturing historically has a lower number of females working for it,” Shanze said. “Childcare is certainly one of the issues where young moms can’t sometimes work because they have to take care of their children.”

A recent study from United WE shows there are three children in need for every one open child care spot. The study said 85% of Missouri does not have enough child care for working parents, which is preventing economic growth.

One tangible solution is cutting the red tape needed to start and run a childcare center, allowing them to bring in more clients. Another is creating child care tax credits so low income parents can afford to drop off children while they head to work.

“When parents don’t have access to high quality, affordable and reliable child care, they’re not going to go to work,” said Kara Corches, president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber.

Another possible growth area for the manufacturing industry is in retired Missourians. One suggestion is to bring on people who aren’t ready to completely stop working as part-time employees.

Copyright 2024 WGEM. All rights reserved.

Missouri quarterback Sam Horn is about 11 months out from Tommy John surgery to fix the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm that was injured during baseball practice before the start of the 2024 baseball season.

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said Horn is progressing as planned and the recovery process has gone exactly to plan.

“He had a follow up after the first week in December, which was the first opportunity that he had to begin throwing a football,” Drinkwitz said. “He went to a well-renowned surgeon who does … Tommy John surgery. We followed that breakdown, or that rehab to a T between Zach Parker, our trainer, the baseball trainer. We were adamant, we did it right.”

Drinkwitz said Horn was present throughout the football season going to meeting and practices, and he was seen numerous times before late-season football games throwing passes, but he was not able to fully participate in practice at any point this year.

“He’s now in the rehab phase where he can throw a little bit, but he’s not medically clear to fully participate in practice,” Drinkwitz said. “… He has been able to ramp up his throwing and we like everything we’ve seen so far.”

The biggest question left then was whether Horn planned to continue playing for Missouri’s baseball team in the spring, which Drinkwitz said he does

“He’s planning on doing both, which is why he signed here,” Drinkwitz said. “So Coach (Kerrick) Jackson and I have a great relationship and we’ve worked out a plan .. we’ve got a plan in place that allows him to be fully involved in baseball when it’s time for baseball, but also in spring ball.”

So expect the first sighting of Horn competing for Mizzou to come this spring when he takes the mound for the baseball team, then competes for the starting quarterback spot through spring football and into summer practices.