On Sunday, May 17, the Nixa High School Class of 2026 graduated. During the ceremony, 426 high school seniors received their diplomas. Except where otherwise noted, all photos by Joseph Giddens of Giddens & Co. Visuals. more

Thousands of people descended on Nixa during the 68th Annual Sucker Days festival, held on Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16. more

Sandra Pace more

Matthew Goodrich more

Christian County 4-H would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who came out to support our Pie and Dessert Auction on April 30 at Victory Baptist Church in Nixa! From the delicious homemade desserts to the incredible community support, the evening was a huge success. We are so grateful to everyone who donated desserts, attended, bid, volunteered, and helped make this fundraiser possible. The generosity shown by our community means more than we can express. As part of 4-H, we are passionate about providing youth with opportunities to learn, lead, grow, and give back to their communities. Events like this help make future experiences possible for our members, and every dollar raised stays right here in Christian County to support local youth programs, activities, leadership opportunities, camps, and educational experiences through 4-H. We are incredibly thankful for the continued support of our community and for everyone who believes in investing in our youth. Your support truly helps our members grow into confident, capable leaders. We could not have done it without the amazing auctioneers at Melton Auction & Realty LLC and Christian County Sheriff's Office - Sheriff Cole! Thank you for helping make the night so fun and successful. And a big shout out to Victory Baptist Church for hosting! Thank you again to everyone who helped make this event one to remember! more

Ozark School District recently received a $2,500 grant through the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, in partnership with the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation and Commerce Trust. The money is for the Steps to Success program, which is an effort to provide shoes on a limited basis to students who attend the Back to School Bash. more

Had some cattle to move around and get weaned from calves, and they are not happy with the change. Lots of bawling going on in this quiet neighborhood. more

When you get older, you notice things or remember things you paid no attention to when you were younger. I was driving in the country a few weeks ago, away from the busy highways of today, and I began to notice something that I had never paid any attention to before. more

In the early 1980s, following my second trip to visit my brother in New Mexico, I penned the following notes on the journey. more

Margaret Joyce Keeley more

Sara Evalina McCauley more

The Nixa Chamber of Commerce held the 68th annual Sucker Days Festival on Friday, May 15, and Saturday, May 16. A collection of photos from the event appears here. All photos by Steve Chapman. more

A Billings man was found guilty of First Degree murder, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm after a four-day trial on Thursday, May 21. Austin Michael Stone, 25, will be sentenced on Thursday, July 9. more

Clever Mayor Eric Beaudoin and the members of the Clever City Board of Aldermen met with members of the community at the Clever City Hall on Tuesday, May 19, to discuss the proposed partnership between the city and the Christian County Sheriff’s Office, where the sheriff’s office would provide law enforcement for the city. more

Finley River Art Gallery in downtown Ozark is sponsoring a traditional art contest for "newbies"--those who consider themselves students who are learning the craft of drawing and painting. This will be the first contest specifically for newer artists of all ages who are reluctant to compete in contests with established artists. The theme is Summer Fun and can be done in a wide range of mediums with no size restrictions. Entries are due no later than Saturday, May 30. Winners will be announced at a reception Friday evening, June 5, at 6:30 p.m. at the Gallery. Complete rules for this contest and for framing/presentation are available at the Gallery's website, finleyrivergallery.com, and at the Gallery located at 100 E. Elm St. The Gallery shares the large "giraffe stone" building on the south side of the square with the Christian County Historical Museum and is open Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m.- to 3 p.m. each week. For questions, call 417-551-4011 during open hours. more

Nixa's 68th Sucker Days began with a parade. Here is a photo gallery of scenes from the parade. Except where otherwise noted, all pictures by Steve Chapman. more

Carole Gene Meek Hernandez more

Ozark East Elementary is one of only two schools in the state of Missouri named a 2026 National Gold Star School by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). The announcement was made by NAESP on May 10, 2026. more

Marion Plank more

Vera N. Bowline more

Jerry Jay Budd more

Memorial Day is an American holiday observed on the last Monday of May each year. It is a day of remembrance dedicated to honoring and remembering the men and women who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. more

MacBien “Mac” Russell Rost more

The 68th Nixa Sucker Days festival opened with one of the events most beloved traditions, the Sucker Days Parade. Hundreds of festivalgoers lined the parade route to watch the procession, which included marching bands, vintage and modern cars, floats, and for younger parade-goers, lots of candy. Look for a photo gallery of the parade on the Christian County Headliner News website. more

About four months after its soft opening in January and 14 months after ground was broken on the building in March of 2025, the staff of the Children’s Smile Center in Nixa celebrated the facility's grand opening on Monday, May 11, with a special ribbon cutting ceremony. About 200 people attended the ceremony, while a total of 400 people RSVP’d that they would visit to tour the facility. more