Editing Joplin, Missouri (section)

===21st century===
The city had three hospitals at one time.  Oak Hill Hospital, which was located at 34th & Indiana.  Joplin General Hospital was founded by Dr. Kilbane and was later moved and renamed Oak Hill Hospital. Freeman Hospital merged with Oak Hill Hospital to become the Freeman-Oak Hill Hospital Health System.  The city has two major hospitals now, which serve the Four States region, [[Freeman Health System|Freeman-Oak Hill Hospital Health System]] and [[Mercy Hospital Joplin]], the latter replacing St. John's Regional Medical Center which was destroyed in the May 22, 2011, tornado. Freeman Hospital East, the former Oak Hill Hospital, and Landmark Hospital serve more specialized community health needs.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Witte|first=Griff|date=July 4, 2020|title=A small Missouri city thought it had dodged the coronavirus. Now, it's hitting home.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/a-small-missouri-city-thought-it-had-dodged-the-coronavirus-now-its-hitting-home/2020/07/03/fd1c3778-bc7e-11ea-80b9-40ece9a701dc_story.html|access-date=2020-07-04|newspaper=Washington Post|language=en}}</ref> The city's park system has nearly {{convert|1000|acre|ha}} and includes a golf course, three swimming pools, {{convert|15|mi|km}} of walking/biking trails, Chert Glades and the Shoal Creek Nature Center located in Wildcat Park. A waterfall, [[Grand Falls (Joplin)|Grand Falls]], the highest continuously flowing in the state, is on Shoal Creek on the southern end of the city. 

Numerous buildings in Joplin have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places for their historic and architectural significance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joplinindependent.com/display_article.php/mariwinn1136493341 |title=Historic Preservation Commission is revitalized |publisher=Joplin Independent |date=January 5, 2006 |access-date=May 24, 2011}}</ref> The city has undertaken Agenda 21; a major project to revitalize its Main Street downtown district, which lies on the historic Route 66. It has refurbished building facades, sidewalks, and added old-styled lamp posts, flower baskets, and benches to highlight the historic center of the city.  A gasoline-powered citywide trolley system evokes images of the city's vibrant past.

Numerous trucking lines such as [[Contract Freighters, Inc.|CFI]] are headquartered in town, as the city is situated near the geographic and population centers of the nation. [[Eagle-Picher|Eagle-Picher Industries]], Tamko Building Products, [[AT&T Communications]], and [[Schaeffler Group]] are noted employers in Joplin, and [[Leggett & Platt]] (a [[Fortune 500]]) is located in nearby Carthage. The city is served by the [[Joplin Regional Airport]] located north of town near [[Webb City, Missouri|Webb City]].

Since the 2011 tornado, the city continued to expand eastward toward [[Interstate 44|I-44]]. Large-scale development occurred along [[Range Line Road]], particularly around [[Northpark Mall (Missouri)|Northpark Mall]]. Numerous other smaller cities are in close proximity to the city include [[Carl Junction, Missouri|Carl Junction]], [[Webb City, Missouri|Webb City]], [[Duenweg, Missouri|Duenweg]], [[Duquesne, Missouri|Duquesne]], [[Airport Drive, Missouri|Airport Drive]], [[Oronogo]], [[Carterville, Missouri|Carterville]], [[Redings Mill, Missouri|Redings Mill]], [[Shoal Creek Drive, Missouri|Shoal Creek Drive]], [[Leawood, Missouri|Leawood]], and [[Saginaw, Missouri|Saginaw]].

Due to its location near two major highways and its few event and sports facilities, Joplin attracts travelers and is a destination for conferences and group events. Joplin offers nearly 500 hotel rooms, the majority located within a 1/4-mile area of Range Line Road and I-44. It has the {{convert|30000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} [[Rogers Convention Center|John Q. Hammons Convention and Trade Center]], which serves as the primary event facility for conventions, associations, and large events.

Each June, Joplin hosts the [[Boomtown Run]], a half marathon, 5K, and children's run. The event attracts runners from across the country, and features USTA certified courses which start and end in the historic downtown area. Celebrity runners featured at the [[prerace banquet]] have included Bart Yasso, Sarah Reinerston, Suzy Favor-Hamilton, and Jeff Galloway. In 2011, due to the devastating EF5 tornado that struck Joplin on May 22, just three weeks before the run, the event was transformed in the Boomtown Run Day of Service. About 270 individuals registered for the race after the tornado struck, knowing their proceeds would benefit tornado recovery. On June 11, about 270 registered runners and volunteers turned out to help clean debris and sort donations, contributing more than 1,200 hours of service. On August 7, 2012, the Village of Silver Creek and the City of Joplin voted to have Silver Creek annexed into Joplin City limits.<ref>{{cite web | title = Boundary Changes | url = http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/partnerships/bas/2010-2015entitychanges.txt | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170818212400/https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/partnerships/bas/2010-2015entitychanges.txt | archive-date = 2017-08-18 }}</ref>

====2011 tornado====
{{Main|2011 Joplin tornado}}
[[File:Joplin 2011 tornado damage.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of tornado damage]]
[[File:Obama-joplin-missouri1.jpg|thumb|President [[Barack Obama]] greets an 85-year-old tornado survivor in front of his house on May 29, 2011.]]
On May 22, 2011, an EF5 [[tornado]] formed near the western edge of the city at about 5:34&nbsp;pm CDT (22:34 UTC) and tracked eastward across the city and Interstate 44 into rural portions of [[Newton County, Missouri|Newton County]]. The tornado's damage path reached up to {{convert|1|mi|km||spell=in}} in width and {{convert|22.1|mi|km}} in length, though the six miles of the path through Joplin itself contained the heaviest damage.<ref name="CRH2">{{cite web |title=Storm Event Survey, May 22, 2011: Joplin Tornado Survey |url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/sgf/?n=event_2011may22_survey |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302154024/http://www.crh.noaa.gov/sgf/?n=event_2011may22_survey |archive-date=March 2, 2012 |access-date=August 31, 2013 |website=National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Springfield, MO |publisher=NOAA.gov}}</ref> About 2,400 houses, 1,000 cars, and businesses were flattened or blown away in Joplin, particularly in the section between 13th and 32nd Streets across the southern part of the city. The tornado narrowly missed the downtown area.

St. John's Regional Medical Center was damaged, and demolished in 2012. The Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team <!-- (DMAT) --> temporarily replaced the demolished St. John's Regional Medical Center with a mobile hospital<ref>"[http://blu-med.com/missouri-dmat-mobilizes-blu-med-hospital-to-joplin/ Missouri DMAT Mobilizes BLU-MED Hospital to Joplin]" (June 1, 2011). BLU-MED. Retrieved on May 21, 2014</ref> until the permanent hospital was rebuilt. The local high school, Joplin High School, was totally destroyed, as well. A total of 161 people died from tornado-related injuries as of the end of July 2011. Communications were lost and power was knocked out to many areas.<ref name=reuters>{{cite news |work=Reuters |date=May 22, 2011 |access-date=May 22, 2011 |title=Powerful tornadoes kill at least 31 in U.S. Midwest |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-weather-tornadoes-idUSN2213101220110523}}</ref> An official statement from the [[National Weather Service]] has categorized the tornado as an [[Enhanced Fujita Scale|EF5]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Unattributed|publisher=United Press International|date=May 23, 2011|access-date=May 23, 2011|title=Five families rescued, 158 dead in Joplin|url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/05/23/Tornado-death-toll-at-24-in-Joplin/UPI-69631306125745/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ky3.com/news/kspr-tornado-strikes-joplin-major-damage-reported-20110522,0,7268775.story |title=Tornado Strikes Joplin; major damage reported |publisher=Ky3.com |date=May 23, 2011 |access-date=May 24, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525213915/http://www.ky3.com/news/kspr-tornado-strikes-joplin-major-damage-reported-20110522%2C0%2C7268775.story |archive-date=May 25, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.kansas.com/2011/05/22/1859953/tornado-strikes-joplin-mo.html |title=Joplin tornado death toll jumps to 89; ''The Wichita Eagle''; May 22, 2011 |newspaper=Kansas.com |date= May 23, 2011 |access-date=May 24, 2011}}</ref><ref name="CNN">{{cite news|author=<!-- the CNN Wire Staff Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/05/23/missouri.tornado/index.html?hpt=P1&iref=NS1 |title=116 dead in from tornado in Joplin, Missouri; number expected to rise |publisher=CNN  |date=May 23, 2011 |access-date=May 24, 2011}}</ref> On Sunday, May 29, President [[Barack Obama]], Missouri Governor [[Jay Nixon]], and [[Federal Emergency Management Agency]] Director [[Craig Fugate]] visited and toured Joplin to see what the damage looked like and attended a memorial service for the deceased. Later that day, the city held a moment of silence at 5:41&nbsp;p.m., to mark the time the tornado struck. The area was declared a federal disaster area.

In July 2011, the City of Joplin entered into a contractual agreement with a master developer company, hired to assist in nearly $3 billion in reconstruction efforts. Priority construction projects included residential districts and senior and assisted-living facilities; 7,500 residential dwellings in the city were damaged or destroyed by storm. The city council began receiving government funds for additional recovery projects intended to spur expansion and economic growth included the construction of a new and expanded public library and a senior center, among other city amenities of trails, sidewalks, transportation, and park enhancements. A variety of additional major projects were to follow, greatly enhancing and expanding all aspects of the community's development.  City Manager Mark Rohr said, "This effort is the greatest opportunity the city has ever seen." Among other resources and support from governmental agencies, the [[Economic Development Administration]] provided $20&nbsp;million to construct a new Joplin Library and a two-year funding agreement to hire a disaster recovery coordinator to help coordinate the city's nearly $850&nbsp;million in immediate restoration and recovery efforts.<ref>KSN</ref>

In the summer of 2012, the [[United States Housing and Urban Development Department]] awarded a $45&nbsp;million community development block grant for reconstruction efforts and in 2013 awarded another $113&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x941526949/City-outlines-plan-for-CDBG-funds/print|title=City outlines plan for CDBG funds|last=Woodin |first=Debby |website=Joplin Globe|date=July 15, 2012 |access-date=2016-05-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x182746760/Proposed-spending-of-second-round-of-CDBG-funds-spans-many-sectors|title=Proposed spending of second round of CDBG funds spans many sectors |last=Woodin|first=Debby|website=Joplin Globe|date=June 22, 2013 |access-date=2016-05-11}}</ref> In May 2013, the [[Missouri Department of Natural Resources]] awarded Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center $500,000 to help with the restoration of the urban forest, which was passed through to the City of Joplin as a subgrant; 1,500 large-calibre trees were planted in the tornado zone and along an urban stream, Joplin Creek.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x1696741641/1-500-trees-being-planted-from-Campbell-Parkway-to-Landreth-Park|title=1,500 trees being planted from Campbell Parkway to Landreth Park|first=Wally|last=Kennedy|website=Joplin Globe|date=July 9, 2013 |access-date=2016-05-11|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130711200316/http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x1696741641/1-500-trees-being-planted-from-Campbell-Parkway-to-Landreth-Park|archive-date=2013-07-11}}</ref>

In May 2016, a summit was held under the name of "Joplin Disaster Recovery Summit". The summit's purpose was to tackle several issues and ensure that the recovery plans take place.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/22/us/joplin-tornado-anniversary/index.html|title=Joplin, Missouri, tornado: 5 years later|author=Carma Hassan, Faith Karimi and Ralph Ellis|website=CNN|date=May 22, 2016 |access-date=2017-06-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.joplinproud.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/JoplinProud-SummitProgram-8.5x11-WEB.pdf|title=Joplin Disaster Recovery Summit|date=2016}}</ref>

As of March 2018, the only project finished that was proposed in the recovery effort besides the hospital and schools was the new public library. [[David G. Wallace#Wallace-Bajjali and personal bankruptcy|Wallace-Bajjali]] was sued by a city they formerly contracted with and skipped town without fulfilling the contract made to refurbish Joplin.

[[Mercy Park, Joplin, Missouri|Mercy Park]] was created at the site of the former hospital.