April 2 arraignment set for Joplin R-8 Board member on DWI charge

An 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 2, arraignment has been scheduled for Joplin R-8 Board of Education member Phil Willcoxon on charges of driving while intoxicated and exceeding the posted speed limit by 11 to 15 miles per hour.

The hearing will be held in the Division II courtroom with Judge Greg Stremel presiding.

The Missouri Highway Patrol arrested Willcoxon, 47, CEO of the Ozark Center in Joplin and former CEO of Freeman Neosho Hospital, at 9:50 p.m. Friday, February 14 on Coyote Road.

The citation indicates that Willcoxon exceeded the blood alcohol content, though it does not indicate by how much.

The DWI charge was a misdemeanor. Online court records do not indicate any previous marks on Willcoxon's record.

Willcoxon has served two three-year terms on the Board of Education, first being elected in April 2008. He did not choose to seek a third term.