Log in
OZARK'S BRAXTON EDWARDS AND ISAIAH COLLINS combine on a block along the left side of the Tigers' offensive line.
Edwards offers Tigers versatility, smarts and leadership along offensive line
Emerging Ozark offensive lineman Braxton Edwards will be out to protect quarterback Peyton Russell this upcoming season, before turning his attention toward safeguarding our country as part of the …
NIXA'S JAISE COMBS led the Eagles to a Class 6 Final Four berth.
Accomplishments from just-completed school year 'hard to beat' in Nixa's annals
A mainstay at Nixa is proud to proclaim the 2024-2025 school year the most successful for the Eagles and Lady Eagles this century, if not all-time. “This past year would be …
NIXA'S DYLAN REBURA follows the blocking of Lane Meltabarger in last year's Class 6 state championship game.
Missouri one of five states thus far to implement instant replay for football in 2025
If Nixa can make it back to the Class 6 state championship game this year, Eagles coach John Perry may be given a red flag to issue a replay challenge.   The Missouri State High Schools …
Local News

Chadwick News

Another day, more money spent. I may need to spend more time off the road. Of course, I spend the most money on the farm ( a place I love).

SUV crashes into restaurant

A vehicle crashed into Piccolo, an Italian restaurant in Nixa, on Sunday, June 29, at around 8:30 a.m.

When a Circle isn’t a Circle

There have been many contributions to astronomy that have moved forward the true nature of how the universe works. Many new discoveries have come from bold, radical departures from the established view.

THE ROCKWOOD FILES: Pete and Roy walk into a brain

Being a professional writer has a few perks, like knowing when “i” comes before “e” and eavesdropping on strangers’ conversations in the name of “research.” But being a writer does not, unfortunately, come with a cure for procrastination. Our inner 15-year-old still puts things off, just like we did with that term paper in 10th grade. And every time we wait too long, we feel tremendous guilt for being lazy. Then we wonder what’s wrong with us — why we can’t just be a grown-up who gets things done.
News

OZARK RFD: Many descended from patriots of ’76

As another Independence Day approaches, I am mindful of the patriotic foundations and shared heritage of our celebration.

Correction

In the article “Christian County gather for balloon glow,” which appeared in theJuly 25 edition the Headliner, it was stated that the Sertoma Duck Race Festival is a fundraiser for the Children’s Smile Center, and that the Hot Air Balloon Glow was part of the duck race festival. In fact, the festival is a community event that raises support for children's charities in Christian County. The Children’s Smile Center is one of the beneficiaries of this event. Other beneficiaries include: Care to Learn Ozark, Dogwood Ranch, Least of These, Ozark HS JROTC program, the Ozark Senior Center, and CCCC Sertoma.

Cindy Lou Coble

Cindy Lou Coble

Brad Leroy Drake

Brad Leroy Drake, of Highlandville, passed away on June 24, 2025, at the age of 67. He was born on December 16, 1957, to Nelson and Nadine Drake.

Letter to the Editor: NHS Class of 1975 celebrates 50-year reunion

On June 21st, the Nixa High School Class of 1975 celebrated their 50-year reunion at the Fremont Hills Country Club. Thirty-three of the original ninety-one classmates attended with their guests. There were three of the class teachers present: Joe Melton, Muriel Wood, and Hosea Bilyeu. Time was spent honoring the 13 classmates who have passed and honoring the service of the 14 men and women who had served in all four branches of the US Armed Forces. All of the class officers were present: Joe Pruitt, Jane Alldredge Kreider, and Carol Plank Asberry. There were several games, lots of visiting and catching up, cash prizes, and fantastic food.
Local Sports

Following torn ACL in both knees, Baker looks to make long-awaited impact

OZARK'S SETH BAKER carries the ball during a Tigers practice.
The anniversary of Seth Baker suffering a torn ACL a year ago came and went Wednesday with a reminder, but no incident.   The Ozark running back completed the Tigers’ practice …
NIXA'S ADAM MCKNIGHT is coming off a sophomore season in which he passed for 1,733 yards.
McKnight would like to copy Cantwell and make college choice before senior year
Nixa quarterback Adam McKnight thought it was an ideal timeline his All-American teammate, Jackson Cantwell, followed during his whirlwind of a recruiting trail that led to Miami last month.   …
OZARK'S PEYTON RUSSELL drops back in the pocket.
One of COC's veteran QBs, Russell relates his confidence, 'at an all-time high'
Ozark’s Peyton Russell is among a handful of experienced and proven quarterbacks across the COC who will be back behind center this upcoming season. QB play in the COC should be high …
NIXA'S WYATT VINCENT finished his career with 106 stolen bases.
Eagles' career leader in eight categories, Vincent tabbed First-Team All-State
Wyatt Vincent has been named to the Missouri Baseball Coaches Association’s Class 6 All-State First Team for the first time in his career. The Nixa senior center fielder is one of only …
NIXA'S SCHOLAR BROWN falls into the end on a touchdown reception.
New Nixa arrival Brown suddenly gives Eagles starter's experience at wide receiver
SPRINGFIELD — When it came time for Scholar Brown’s father to choose his son’s name, he was brimming with optimism, looking ahead 17-18 years into the future with dreams college …
OZARK'S HENDRIX HAYMES takes a break during the Tigers' practice Wednesday.
Tight end Haymes on track toward ending Tigers' drought of producing D-I recruits
Hendrix Haymes very well could be on his way toward distinguishing himself in Ozark’s recent annals on the gridiron. Earlier this month, Haymes’ trip to a Lindenwood Prospect Camp …
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 …
Business
Scammers are taking advantage of new AI technology that allows them to "clone" the voice of people; they use the cloned voices then to scam their loved ones. Photo courtesy of the Better Business Bureau.

BBB Scam Alert: Spotting an AI "grandparent scam"

Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) advises consumers to be on the lookout for AI-generated phone calls, voicemails, or voice messages.

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.
Education
On June 19, the Ozark Board of Education voted to hire Lisa Anderson as the Ozark Middle School assistant principal for the 2025-26 school year. The position became available recently after the board named current Assistant Principal Jared Lotz as the middle school principal for next year.

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, who served Missouri as a state auditor, governor, and United States Senator, died in St. Louis on Tuesday, May 13. He was 86.
Opinion
It has been 23 years (not 28, somewhat frustratingly) since British audiences were first introduced to the mind-and-body-ravaging Rage virus in “28 Days Later.” The virus turned everyone it affected into zombies, known as The Infected, obsessed not so much with feeding as with turning more people into zombies. The film’s heroes had a hard time evading The Infected, and then just when it looked like they were safe, they had to deal with the degenerate humans who had appointed themselves to power after the collapse of civilization. The Infected were still at large five years later in “28 Weeks Later”, and humanity was more monstrous than ever. Nothing interesting must have happened 28 months later from the events of that film, because the series skipped right over it. Instead, it jumps to 28 years later, when older children and even adults have never known a world not affected by The Infected.
One thing is for certain: now that I’m a white-haired old man, none of my neighbors will likely call to see if I can help haul in a few hundred bales of hay.
Summertime has sure come, and the wind has made the heat feel worse. It doesn't help that my air conditioner stopped on Friday evening, and they can't get here to fix it until early Monday morning. Oh well, I lived without an air conditioner for many years, and a few days won't hurt me. It will make me appreciate it more when it gets fixed.
Special Sections
X
X