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SPOKANE'S ETHAN NEWELL looks to score during his junior basketball season.
Spokane's Newell bounces back from torn labrum to enjoy stellar senior season
Spokane’s Ethan Newell found fulfillment on the ball diamond during his senior year that he wasn’t able to experience on the hardwood. After a torn labrum in his right shoulder put …
NIXA'S TOBIAS THOMPSON, left, receives a baton from Keivon Flint earlier this spring.
Following lean spring, Eagles' Thompson bulking back up for football
After a breakout junior season on the gridiron last fall that saw Tobias Thompson transition from safety to linebacker, he had the look of a defensive back this spring. At 5-foot-10 and 175 …
OZARK'S JETT EASLEY competes in the long jump earlier this spring.
Easley feels his route-running better than ever after 7-on-7 tournaments
No one locally got himself more prepared for 7-on-7 sessions this month than Ozark wide receiver Jett Easley. Dating back to February and running through April, Easley took part in a handful of …
Local News

Raymond Donald Kissee

Raymond Donald Kissee
Students, teachers, and admin at East Elementary celebrate after East Elementary was named a 2025 Missouri Gold Star School. Photo courtesy of Ozark Public Schools.

Ozark East Named Gold Star School

East Elementary was full of hoots and hollers on Wednesday, May 14, when Principal Karen Capen announced to staff and students that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) named Ozark East Elementary School one of eight Missouri Gold Star Schools for 2025.
Dr. David Kelly

Kelly, Duda inducted into Nixa Academic Hall of Fame

Two Nixa High School alumni were recently inducted into the Nixa Academic Hall of Fame.

Yager Pleads guilty to making false and fictitious claims against the United States and wire fraud

Jeffrey P. Ray, acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced on Wednesday, May 14, that a Nixa woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to making false and fictitious claims against the United States and wire fraud.

Press Release: State Rep. Jamie Gragg Shares Concerns about Ozarks Pridefest

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – State Rep. Jamie Ray Gragg (HD-140) is issuing the following statement to express concerns with the City of Springfield regarding the upcoming 2025 Ozarks Pridefest. This event is taking place in downtown Springfield on June 14th featuring drag performances that will have detrimental effects it will have on children and families in the Ozarks community.
News

Ozarks RFD: Springtime would find me at the river

Springtime, when I was a boy on the farm, would find me at the river at least one day or evening a week.

Evenings came earlier in those days before daylight saving time, getting us done with milking and on the river shortly after nightfall — just about the time catfish came out of hiding and began feeding.

Ours were not long, drawn-out excursions, usually just quick trips down to the Pomme de Terre at Potter’s Ford or The Lost Bridge. Two or three hours were plenty to either catch a small string of bullheads or maybe a few big, black perch right before dark.

Most often, Dad and I and my brothers staked out our spots on a gravel bar on our favorite hole just up from the Potters Ford slab. The gravel road there was well-traveled, and the place where we pulled in well-used, but only by local folk.

With our lines baited and cast near the far bank, we propped our rods in forked sticks and watched by lantern or carbide lights for the lines to tighten or go slack, or the rod tips to bounce.

Seldom did we head back home without at least one meal on the stringer. The best part of each trip, though, was not the fish, but just being there with Dad — usually in the middle between me and a younger brother. Sitting on upturned buckets, chunks of wood, or our tackle boxes, we listened for muskrats splashing in a slough and watched for eyes of raccoon reflected in the lantern light.

Sometimes Dad would share stories of earlier trips which produced cats bigger than any we ever hoped to see; of course, those tales were of bigger, more distant waters than these, and some of them may have been true. With any luck, he never got to the end of a tale before a rod. The tip bounced, and one of us was too busy to talk or listen. “Got one,” Russell would exclaim excitedly as he frantically reeled it in.

Must be a big one, I thought, from the way his rod was bowed. But in the lantern light, the truth was told — a big snapping turtle, mean-tempered, dirty green, and quick to snip the line before we could drag him in.

Just as well. Tie on another hook, Russell, grab some bait, and give it another try.

Another splash with that cast, and again it was quiet. Dad’s cigarette glowed red in the dark, wisps of smoke evident in the growing light.

“Moon will soon be over the ridge,” Dad said as he flicked his smoke into the water. “Better start packing up.”

And so it was, on that spring night and many others like it, when I was a boy on the farm.

Copyright 2025, James E. Hamilton, P.O. Box 801, Buffalo, MO 65622

Christopher “Kit” Bond, former U.S. Senator, Missouri Govenor, dies at 86

Christopher “Kit” Bond, who served Missouri as a state auditor, governor, and United States Senator, died in St. Louis on Tuesday, May 13. He was 86.

THE ROCKWOOD FILES: One year after

A year ago, a tornado hop-scotched through our town. It was past midnight, and I was watching a movie at home with our teenagers. When our phones screamed a long, loud beep, we switched to local news to see a meteorologist — sleeves rolled up to the elbows — urging viewers to get into a safe place. A tornado had been spotted in the heart of town.

Clown in a Cornfield

“Thunderbolts*” certainly scared off the competition in its second weekend at the domestic box office. This sometimes happens the weekend after the opening of a huge blockbuster. Other studios will know that they can’t compete against the powerhouse, so they hold off on releasing anything that they think has the potential to be a big or even midsize hit. When that happens, I have to review either a holdover or a newcomer that can only hope to become, at most, a tiny hit. “Clown in a Cornfield” definitely falls into the latter category. This thing is cheap even by horror movie standards, yet in a minor victory, it managed to open in fifth place for the weekend. I’d admire its pluck, but there’s no sleeper hit here, just a movie that didn’t fail too badly when it was sent out to die.

Clay Dane Branum

Clay Dane Branum, age 63, of Bruner, passed away on May 10, 2025. He was born on January 10, 1962, in Ontario, Calif., to Robert Lewis and Grace Hazel (Corbett) Branum.
Local Sports

Christian County Leaders — Vincent, Cloud and Gamble top hitting, pitching categories

NIXA'S JACKSON GAMBLE was a seven-game winner this year.
BATTING AVERAGE Wyatt Vincent, Nixa .407 Ethan Newell, Spokane .395 Gannon Miller, Ozark .379 Gavin Kildea, Spokane .372 Rylan Sutton, Ozark .368 Owen Hall, Clever .366 …
OZARK'S SAM CLARK soars in the long jump.
Christian County Track and Field State Medalists, Honor Roll — 2025 Final Results
TRACK STATE MEDALISTS BOYS Jackson Cantwell, Nixa — 1st discus, 1st shot put Hayden Mays, Nixa — 2nd discus, 2nd shot put William Sanley, Nixa — 3rd pole vault …
NIXA'S HAYDEN MAYS will go for State championships in both the shot put and discus next year.
Already a five-time medalist, Mays may be in line for sweep of State titles next year
Nixa five-time State medalist Hayden Mays doesn’t figure to overlooked and/or underrated next year. All signs point to Mays being the favorite to win Class 5 State Track and Field …
NIXA'S JADE JOHNSON attempts a shot on goal.
Lady Eagles net rematch with Cor Jesu and National Player Of the Year DiMaria
Nixa coach Evan Palmer and his Lady Eagles will face in the Class 4 Final four their sport’s answer to Eagles football star Jackson Cantwell. Nixa meets Maddie DiMaria and Cor Jesu in a …
NIXA'S SAM MCCLAIN keeps herself between the ball and a Blue Springs South player.
McClain getting the best of Cramer at heart of Nixa's win against Blue Springs South
For Nixa’s Sam McClain, playing the six-role Saturday allowed her to make a bigger impact than her customary eight or 10 positions. Can Evan Palmer’s decision to move McClain to the …
NIXA'S SHAELEE FRANCK jumps for joy after scoring the only goal in the Lady Eagles' 1-0 victory Saturday.
'This is the best thing that's ever happened to us,' Franck proclaims after Nixa victory
As incredibly calm and under control as Nixa’s Shaelee Franck was with or without the ball Saturday, she nearly was overwhelmed by emotions and on the verge of losing her composure upon …
CLEVER'S BRECKEN VESTAL tags out a Fair Grove baserunner trying to score on a wild pitch.
Vestal responds to first post-season start by throwing two-hitter over five innings
SPRINGFIELD — A self-taught 12-6 curveball that Clever’s Breckin Vestal throws with the same delivery and as hard as his fastball was on full display during his Class 3 Quarterfinal start …
Business

BBB Scam Alert: Student loan forgiveness scams

As student loan payments and debt collection return, Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) warns borrowers to be on the lookout for loan forgiveness and debt collection scams.
Darlene Roberts, licensed massage therapist and owner of The Good Place, gives an attendee at the Health and Wellness Expo a chair massage. The Good Place was one of about 20 vendors at the expo. Photo by Steve Chapman.

Nixa Parks and Rec hosts Health and Wellness Expo

The Nixa Parks and Recreation Department hosted their Health and Wellness Expo at the X Center on Saturday, May 3. Attendees at the event got a chance to experience massage therapy, learn about judo classes, try out exercise demons, and experience Yoga in the Park. They also had the opportunity to sign up to win prizes.
Speakers at the groundbreaking event pose for a photo. From left: Denver Caldwell, Vice President, John Deere Aftermarket & Customer Support; Ryan Campbell, President, John Deere Worldwide Construction & Forestry and Power Systems; Kevin Schrag, Manager, John Deere Reman; Martha Smartt, City Administrator, Strafford, Mo.; Matt Morrow, President and CEO, Area Chamber of Commerce, Springfield, Mo. Photo courtesy of Dan Bernick, Public Relations manager at John Deere.

John Deere breaks ground on Reman Core Center expansion

John Deere broke ground on an expansion of their Reman Core Center facility in Strafford on Monday, May 5. The project is expected to expand the current Core Center facility by 120,000 square feet and represents an investment of $13.5 million in the area, according to information provided by Dan Bernick, Public Relations manager for John Deere.

'MATHES, CASSIE M.' via CCH news group Fri, May 2, 12:10 PM (3 days ago) to CASSIE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 2, 2025 Ozarks Tech Officially Launches New Airframe & Powerplant Program

Ozarks Technical Community College has officially launched its new Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) program, a state-of-the-art aviation mechanics training program designed to address the rapidly growing demand for skilled aircraft technicians.
Olivia Smith (right) sells her homemade baked goods on the square with a little help from her sister, Kennedy Hodgson, 11. All photos by Steve Chapman.

Downtown Ozark Market Days begins with almost 100 vendors

The Christian County Children’s Charities Sertoma Club kicked off Downtown Ozark Market Days at the Ozark Town Square on Saturday, May 3. About 98 vendors set up booths at the event, selling wares such as baked goods, clothing, handmade jewelry, bath and body items, home decor, wood carvings, and more. The event also featured live music, food trucks, and an opportunity to adopt a duck in the Sertoma Duck Race Festival, to be held on Friday, June 20, and Saturday, June 21.
Education
Century Elementary has been recognized as a Model Professional Learning Community (PLC) at Work School. The school received this honor from Solution Tree for its sustained success in raising student achievement. Century is one of about 600 schools and districts in the United States and Canada to receive this honor, and the fourth school in Nixa to earn this achievement.
When Bella Hill was six, she knew that she wanted to go to college, even though she wasn’t sure what that meant at the time.
Three area school districts were awarded grants from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO) recently. According to a press release from the CFO dated Tuesday, May 6, Billings R-IV, Nixa R-II, and Ozark R-VI each received a $5,000 grant from the organization.
On Friday, May 9, Clever High School  hosted its annual Decision Day, an event for the Class of 2025 to announce their post-graduation plans – which range from college, trade school, the military, or entering the workforce – as they set out on their paths to career success.
Opinion
It is early on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. The sun is rising over the forested hills surrounding the lake. Birds are singing. Deer are at the edge of the water for a drink. On a distant hill, a turkey gobbles.
Don’t give up! In 1952, Florence Chadwick attempted to swim the ocean waters between Catalina Island and the California shore, through foggy weather and choppy seas.
Cosmopolitan Club of Ozark, a Christian County service organization, held their final meeting of the year on May 6 at Estes Farms, Cassidy Station. Cat Edie, event coordinator, gave club members a tour and a history lesson of this amazing property.
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