Joplin High School
On May 22, 2011, a tornado that killed 161 people in Joplin extensively damaged the high school and Franklin Tech. The high school's graduation ceremonies had just taken place about three miles away on the Missouri Southern State University campus shortly before the tornado struck.
According to principal Kerry Sachetta, "You see pictures of World War II, the devastation and all that with the bombing. That's really what it looked like. I couldn't even make out the side of the building. It was total devastation in my view. I just couldn't believe what I saw." In the weeks after the tornado, it was determined that the campus was irreparable and would need to be completely rebuilt. 
Planning for a temporary school began four days after the May 22 tornado. School officials announced in June 2011 that juniors and seniors in the 2011-12 class (and possibly later) would attend classes in a section of Northpark Mall. Classes began in the renovated former Shopko location as scheduled on August 17, 2011.
The Ben Miller Band
In 2010 The Ben Miller Band released a pair of albums. "1 Ton" was released on June 10, 2010, with "2 Ton" released shortly after on August 5, 2010. The albums are each entirely unique; a testament to the band's versatility, despite having similar titles and close release dates. On May 22, 2011 their hometown of Joplin, Missouri was destroyed by a tornado. In response to the tragedy, the band established a charity to help restore the community. They also released a benefit album titled "Record for Joplin". The release of this charity album was followed shortly after by another release titled "Heavy Load" in 2012.