Michael Kram of Ozark, Missouri, fondly known as "Mike" to his friends and family, and Pepaw to his grand and great-grandkids. Michael Kram was born to Paul and Joan Kram on May 19, 1952, in St. Louis, Missouri. Mike lived in several places throughout his life, but his heart always took him to the forests of Ozark, Mo., where he passed away on Dec. 28, 2024, at the age of 72. more

Repeating Events: more

Dec. 19 more

Saul was the self-professed Pharisee of all Pharisees. He was bloodthirsty and angry, determined to extinguish anything and anyone that proclaimed to be a Christian. more

The winter skies are dominated by bright, well-recognized constellations. Orion, Cassiopeia, and Canis Major dominate. Yet one dim constellation sets next to Orion, winds its way down to the southern hemisphere, and contains the ninth brightest star. It is also the sixth-largest constellation but is overlooked by most night observers. It also has an interesting history in astronomy. more

We are in the middle of the first bad storm of the year. I hope it doesn't last many days. Sunshine always makes me feel better than cloudy days. We got a few heavy rain showers on Sunday. Now, to remember to dump the rain gauge before it freezes. more

On a January day several years ago, my wife and I were at the weekend cabin we once owned in the wooded hills south of Ozark. It was our special place to escape to. Winter was our quiet time there. Not as many visitors came like other seasons. more

This morning, I stirred the white powder into a steaming mug of Earl Gray tea, watching it scatter and swirl like a freshly shaken snow globe until it melted from view. The powder is unflavored, but I added a generous dollop of honey so the tea would feel more like a treat and less like a treatment. more

I thought it peculiar when I first read a recent auto crash report in the local paper that the names of the people involved were omitted. more

A Nixa man who pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree statutory rape and one count of Fourth-Degree child molestation in 2021, was arrested and booked into the Greene County Jail after he allegedly violated the terms of his probation. Jared Michael Nave, 27, was jailed on Thursday, Dec. 26. more

The new year had just begun when Nova Finley was born at 12:18 a.m. Not only was Nova the first girl born at Mercy in 2025, she was the first baby born in Springfield. more

On the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 24, the Ozark Fire Protection District (OFPD) came to the rescue of a family whose house caught on fire. The OFPD put out the fire with mutual aid from the fire protection districts in Sparta and Nixa, while the Logan-Rogersville Fire Protection District provided district coverage. Also responding to the scene were Christian County Emergency Services, Christian County Ambulance District, the Ozark Police Department, Christian County Emergency Management, and the American Red Cross of Missouri. more

On Tuesday, Dec. 31, the Christian County Treasurer’s Office saw a changing of the guard. Karen Matthews, the county treasurer for over two decades, officially retired. Succeeding her is Melissa Bilyeu, who was voted into office in the Nov. 5 election. more

Chadwick’s Prestin Kinyon can’t help but wonder if he’s even mentioned in opposing scouting reports on the Cardinals, given the acclaim of teammates Clayton Garrison and Tristan Smith. more

SPRINGFIELD — Nixa sophomore Reed Wilson handed Marshfield’s Tanner Davidson his first loss of the season while winning the Kinloch Classic 150-pound championship Saturday. more

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is seeking public comments through Jan. 31, 2025, on a proposed regulation change for walleye and sauger fishing. The change would allow anglers statewide to take and possess these species during spring spawning months before sunrise and after sundown. more

Nixa Chamber of Commerce will hold a Makeover Monday on Jan. 27 between 5 and 7 p.m. more

WEST PLAINS, Mo. – One of the many perks of owning horses is riding them on trails. University of Missouri Extension has updated its guide on Community Pleasure Trail Riding and published a new Trail Riding Checklist. MU Extension also has updated a publication on Haltering and Tying Horses. more

If you’re one of the many shoppers returning or exchanging a gift this year, make sure you check the return policy before you get started! more

Stockton, MO-“Adding value to your cattle helps make your cattle operation profitable,” says Patrick Davis MU Extension Livestock Field Specialist. Therefore, MU Extension is partnering with Missouri State University to provide the SW MO Beef Cattle Conference, which will educate cattle producers on strategies that will add value to their beef cattle operation. more

I like January. I think most mothers do. Sure, it’s the dead of winter and it gets dark ridiculously early, but January has one big thing going for it. It’s the “cool down” period following the high-intensity workout of Christmas. more

As in seasons past, our home was a family gathering place for kids and kin this holiday season. Putting on the mantle of Grandpa, I again cooked the turkey, dressing, and sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner, while our daughters provided desserts, salads, and other fare. more

Welcome to the first day of 2025. I hope this year will truly be a New Year, in many ways for all of us. I hope it is a year politicians realize that they work for us taxpayers and not for their benefit. If they want a raise, we taxpayers should vote on it, not them. more

Like many critics, I despised the 2019 CGI version of “The Lion King.” The new animation was ugly and the rehashing of the story from the 1994 classic without many changes made the whole thing seem unnecessary. But unlike many critics, I’m not ready to throw prequel “Mufasa: The Lion King” away just because of the sins of its predecessor. I’m not saying that it’s not still inextricably tied to the 2019 film, especially with its still-terrible CGI animation, but the story and characters can do some roaming on their own that makes for a breath of fresh air. more

Dec. 17 more