The Ozark Square was aglow with Christmas lights and decorations during Friday Night Lights, the annual Christmas celebration hosted by the Historic River District and Christian County. The event included free train rides for children 12 and under, live music sung by students from the Nixa, Ozark, Spokane, and Sparta District, as well as students from HEYDAY, horse-drawn carriage rides, and the Holiday Cheer Challenge, where area first responders decorated their vehicles and attendees at the event voted on their favorite. more

Here are pictures from Friday Night Lights, held on the Ozark Square on Friday, Dec. 12. All pictures by Steve Chapman. more

Ozark, MO – The Christian County WIC announces a contract continuance to provide WIC services for federal fiscal year 2026 has been signed with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. more

Ronald Glen Dickey, 87, of Ozark, Mo., passed away on Nov. 25, 2025. He was born on Feb. 26, 1938, in Marmaduke, Ark., to Thomas and Dora (Hopkins) Dickey. more

Roger Lee Heidt more

One constellation has two bright stars that dominate its borders. It is also home to two different deep sky objects, the discovery of two planets, and two meteor showers. more

Christian County Elks Lodge #2777 proudly hosted its annual Thanksgiving luncheon for Veterans on Wednesday, Nov. 19, welcoming more than 100 guests for a heartfelt celebration of service and gratitude. Over 70 veterans enjoyed a full traditional Thanksgiving dinner—turkey, trimmings, and all—prepared entirely by lodge members who spent the morning cooking and getting everything ready for this special occasion. All food for the event was generously donated to support the lodge’s ongoing mission to serve those who served. more

The hope out of Ozark is that the Tigers will go from being one-and-done at point guard to having as much stability at that position over the next four seasons as any SWMO program. more

On Saturday, Nov. 22, the Ozark Chamber of Commerce held the 60th Annual Ozark Christmas Parade, with over 150 entries. Here are pictures from the event. All pictures by Steve Chapman. more

On Saturday, Nov. 22, the Ozark Chamber of Commerce held the 60th Annual Ozark Christmas Parade. Before the parade began, people were able to enjoy Santa's Village, which had several family-friendly activities for children and adults. Here are pictures from Santa's Village and other pre-parade activities. All photos by Steve Chapman. more

On Friday, Nov. 21, Ozark Mayor Don Currence kicked off the city's holiday season with the annual tree lighting ceremony at the Ozark Community Center. Here is a collection of pictures from the event. Photos by Steve Chapman. more

Donald Lynn Bobbett, 83, formerly of Ozark, Mo., passed away on Nov. 15, 2025, surrounded by his loved ones at his home in House Springs, Mo. more

Imagine that you’ve gone out to lunch or dinner, and as you reach for your wallet to pay the check, you find that you forgot and left it at home. Or maybe you tried to pay with a credit card, only for the server to tell you it’s been declined. In most places, you’d be in a jam, but at Lolli’s, a restaurant located off the northwest corner of the Ozark square, you would be rescued by the generosity of others, thanks to the Giving Wall, a bulletin board in the restaurant where other customers have already provided the means to pay. more

The Christian County Commissioners are proud to announce our unanimous vote to become a Missouri Farmers Care Agri-Ready County. Your organization’s partnerships with outstanding agricultural and farming groups—such as the Missouri Farm Bureau, MFA Incorporated, and many others—are vital to supporting Missouri agriculture. more

The Ozark Chamber of Commerce hosted the 60th Annual Ozark Christmas Parade on Saturday, Nov. 22. This year, the parade’s theme was “60 Years of Sparkle,” in recognition of the parade’s Diamond anniversary. more

Natalie Wilks, a 2023 graduate of Sparta High School, and Kenna Humble, a 2023 graduate of Ozark High School, have joined the Ozarks Teacher Corps, a special scholarship program managed by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks to recruit teachers for rural school districts. more

Eric Johnson, Ozark city administrator, has released a statement in response to the Ozark Special Road District's announcement that they were suspending their road share agreement with the City of Ozark, effective Monday, Dec. 1. more

The Ozark Special Road District is sending this notice to the public that it is suspending the road share agreement it has with the City of Ozark, effective Monday, December 1st. This means that streets within the Ozark city limits that the Road District has maintained will go back to city responsibility. These functions include repairs, snow removal, and stormwater maintenance. more

Congratulations to Elementary KITES Teacher Junee Townsend for being selected as a 2025 McDonald’s Outstanding Educator. She was chosen out of hundreds of nominations from 126 McDonald’s restaurants. more

As emergency departments across the United States brace for an expected increase in patient demand due to the federal government cutting $1 trillion from Medicaid, Mercy Hospital Springfield has invested $32 million to increase patient access to emergency care. Mercy’s new emergency department opened (Tuesday, Nov. 18), on its south campus, which houses Mercy’s orthopedic hospital, a medical destination center of excellence that draws companies like Walmart because of high-quality, lower-cost care. more

The Christian County 100 Club held their fourth annual gala at the White River Conference in Springfield on Thursday, Nov. 13. The event, a fundraiser to assist the families of first responders killed in the line of duty, was the largest the nonprofit has held so far, with 320 people attending. more

The seven school districts in Christian County honored area veterans with special assemblies on Tuesday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day. The assemblies featured patriotic music, speeches from veterans who shared their experiences, as well as students who spoke about their memories of family members who served or the history behind Veterans Day. more

To the east of Ozark Middle School and to the south of North Elementary sits a beautiful secret that many Ozark residents don’t know about — multiple outdoor classrooms nestled among trees, wildlife and a peaceful trail. This fall, that outdoor space got an update, thanks to the Lowe’s Hero Project. more

7 Brew Coffee celebrated the opening of their first location in Ozark on Thursday, Nov. 13, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and free coffee drinks, which they continued to hand out through their first official day of business on Monday, Nov. 17. more

Here is a collection of photos from some of the various Veterans Day celebrations held in schools across Christian County. more