Lois McCall Bushman more

Wanda Owens more

Ozark High School senior Nathanael Martin recently made history by becoming one of the first students in Ozark history to be nominated for the prestigious U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. more

Nellie Frangella more

John Duncan, 87, of Nixa, passed away Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. more

Betty Foraker more

All January long, I’ve been mentioning (okay, “whining”) that the month is a dead zone for new movie releases. So it makes sense that the biggest release of the month would be one that opened on the very last day (Friday the 31st) before making most of its money in February. With an estimated $36 million in its first three days, “Dog Man” is already the biggest new movie of 2025. And its success isn’t just commercial, the joyful film also gets my first recommendation of the year. It’s a chilly recommendation, appropriate for January I suppose, but a recommendation nonetheless. more

National Geographic Traveller UK has released a sponsored feature article highlighting Christian County as a must-visit destination in the heart of the Ozarks. The article explores the county’s local events, scenic outdoor activities, and local eats, showcasing the authentic experiences that make Christian County special. more

Before the 1900s, house finches couldn’t be found in this area. Now, the problem isn’t seeing them here – it’s identifying them. more

Florence “Betty” Elizabeth Edgar was born Jan. 31, 1938, in Lockney, Tex. to Bessie Blanch (Lovins) and Ray E. Bowman. She departed this life on Feb. 8, 2025, in Republic, Mo. at the age of 87. more

Dorothy “Jane” McCullough more

Ozark High School’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) students demonstrated their skills and business knowledge at the 2025 FBLA District Competition on Feb. 4, earning 46 medals, seven district championships, and 24 state qualifications. more

A Christian County man was one of two people arrested in a case where they allegedly beat a man severely and stole his car. Jayden Wright, 19, of Ozark, and Jared Dimmitt, 42, of Fair Grove, were booked into the Greene County Jail on Thursday, Feb. 6. more

On Monday, Feb. 10, Gretchen House, a senior at Chadwick High School, was informed that she was a finalist in the National Merit program. This was a highly impressive achievement in itself, as out of the 1.3 million students across the country who took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), only 15,000 were chosen as finalists. For House, however, the designation also carries a special significance: She is the first student in the Chadwick R-1 School District to ever be named a finalist in the National Merit program. more

The Christian County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) will hold their 2025 Youth Academy starting March 1. The course will meet each Saturday from March 1 through March 22. The Academy is open to high school students living in Christian County. more

The Nixa Chamber of Commerce held their annual Nixies Gala at the Ozarks Event Center on Saturday, Feb. 15. Guests enjoyed a catered dinner, professional photography and an evening of music and dancing. The Chamber also celebrated some of their outstanding members with an awards ceremony. The following awards were presented: more

Have you ever gotten a package you didn’t order? It might seem like a fun surprise, but it might be the setup for a scam known as brushing. more

Nadine Dean more

Bonnie Winn Crain passed away at almost 90 years of age on Feb. 14 in Ozark. Bonnie was born on April 16, 1935, and was raised in Osceola, the youngest of three rascally daughters of Riley and Amrine Winn. True to her stubborn nature, Bonnie chose Valentine’s Day to rejoin her husband, Mike Crain, after just over nine years apart. Knowing her, we expect her first question for him was, “What have you been up to?” Bonnie will be dearly missed by her kids, Doug (Jane) of Tulsa and Michelle of Ozark, plus her cat, Missy, of the home. Grandchildren are Adam Crain and Libby Warren (Mike) of Tulsa, Emma Satterfield of Chicago, and Riley Crain of Madison, Wisc., plus a great-granddaughter, Trinity Crain, of Tulsa. She’ll also be missed by the remaining Ozark Bunch whose ranks are getting thinner and thinner. Special thanks to all of the healthcare and service providers who gave Mom such excellent care during her final months. Bonnie will join Mike at the Missouri State Veteran’s Cemetery in Springfield sometime during the spring thaw. Per her wishes, there are no services planned at this time. We’ve kept this short because Mom knows she’s paying for every penny. more

Mamie Wernink more

Shirley Jones was born on July 5, 1947. Shirley loved spending time with her family, being outside with her beautiful flowers, and working in her yard. Shirley was a member of Ozark Family Church where she loved her pastor and had many great friends and great memories. She would tell everyone about her Church and encourage them to come every chance she had. She will missed dearly by family and friends, but they know Shirley is at peace with her Lord and Savior in Heaven, with no more sickness and no more pain. She was preceded in death by her husband, Gary Jones, the love of her life for 42 years. Shirley is survived by: three children, Mike and Sharon Jones, Teresa and Ashley Burks, Tom and Emily Jones, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A celebration of life will held at a later date. more

Lawrence Edward "Ed" Montgomery, age 66 of Springfield, passed away Jan. 26, 2025. He was born on Sept. 12, 1958, in Batesville, Indiana, the son of Lawrence and Geneva (Cameron) Montgomery. more

Charles "Chuck" Swearengin more

GALENA, MO - - The Christian County Livestock & Forage Conference will be 6 to 8:45 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 20, at the First Baptist Church, 105 Kennedy Ave., Clever, Missouri. A catered barbecue dinner will be provided free of charge, compliments of program sponsors, including Bank of Billings, Christian County Farm Bureau, Christian County Soil & Water Conservation District, Earlybird Feed & Fertilizer, Nixa Hardware and Seed Company, Phillip Veterinary Services and Southern Bank of Clever.University of Missouri Extension agricultural business specialist Wesley Tucker will discuss “Bullet-Proofing Your Beef Operation.” “Making our Farms More Drought Resilient” will be the theme for two other presentations. Sarah Kenyon, regional grazing coordinator with Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, will focus on warm season forages. Ian McGregor, MU Extension field specialist in livestock, will focu on the cool season forage side of drought management. more

Have you ever wondered what your student will do when they finish high school? What job, what career, what are the employment options? Is college or technical school an option? Will they live with others? Will they need support or will they live independently? more