Charlotte Ann Smith more

Izekiel David DeVenney more

Robert Reed Hartley was born on July 14, 1948, in Birmingham, Ala. and died on Feb. 11, 2026, in Ozark, Mo. He graduated from the University of Alabama with a B.S. degree in business and marketing. He was a veteran of the Marine Corps Reserves during the Vietnam War and also served in the Army National Guard Reserves. Rob married Judy Junkins and had two children, Austin and Casey. Rob and Judy owned over forty Mexican restaurants and became multi-millionaires. Rob further worked as Vice President of Marketing at KinderCare Learning Centers, president of The Caring People, and Director of Development for CBN’s 700 Club. Rob moved to Missouri to become Vice President of Marketing for Silver Dollar City and eventually owned Mountain Man Nut & Fruit Company. Later in life, he was awarded Top Salesman at Balboa Bed Company and First Employee of the Month and Employee of the Year at Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium. Rob served on various boards and ministries, giving generously and supporting the local and international church. He considered it his spiritual gift to pray and encourage people. He was an avid photographer who loved capturing nature and people, especially his family. Rob’s funeral was held at Ozark Full Gospel Church on Tuesday, Feb. 17, followed by military honors and burial at Weaver Cemetery. He is survived by his wife, Judy; his children and their spouses, Austin and Andrea, and Scotty and Casey; his sister Christy, and his twelve grandchildren, who loved him dearly. more

The Christian County Museum, located on the square at Ozark, is celebrating its 50th year in operation. The museum, which houses a comprehensive collection of the county and its towns’ history, has in the past three months been completely overhauled with 25 new exhibits pertaining each to a specific subject of our county’s unique and vibrant history. more

The Ozark Chamber of Commerce celebrated the Ozark community with the 2026 Community Awards Banquet, held at the Ozark Community Center on Saturday, Feb. 7. The evening’s festivities included a catered dinner, live and silent auctions, live music, and Community Bingo. more

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An Ozark, Mo., timeshare salesman was sentenced in federal court today for attempting to evade taxation. more

John Richard Thompson, Jr. more

Alice Sue Strain more

At the Jan. 27 meeting, the Ozark Board of Education approved a one-year contract extension for Superintendent Dr. Lori Wilson, extending her leadership through the 2028-29 school year. more

When Ella Justice, 17, hosts the Five and Two Dinner, her senior capstone project, later this month, she plans to feed more than just the people who are attending the meal. The Ozark High School senior plans to also raise funds for Least of These, Inc., to help those facing food insecurity in Christian County. The dinner will take place at the Ozark Innovation Center on Saturday, Feb. 21. more

The Ozark Community Center provided area fathers to create some special moments with their daughters during its annual Father-Daughter Dance on Saturday, Jan. 31. About 350 people attended the event, which was themed “Under the Big Top”. Dads and daughters were able to enjoy dancing, refreshments, photo opportunities, a limbo contest, prizes, and more. more

A Texas man was taken into custody hours after he and a four-year-old boy he allegedly abducted were spotted in Ozark and an AMBER alert was issued in regards to the alleged abduction. more

Linda Kay Mincks more

Jeffery Niel Irby more

Roger Terriance Cochran more

Randy Sixkiller, age 65 of Ozark, died Jan. 8, 2026. He was born Sept. 3, 1960, in Kansas City, Mo., the son of Burney L. and Bernice “Pat” (Wainwright) Sixkiller. more

An Ozark man was sentenced to a total of 21 years in prison two months after he pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree statutory sodomy. more

Cox Health celebrated the grand opening of the Cox Health Rehabilitation Hospital, located in Ozark, with a ribbon cutting held on Wednesday, Jan. 21. During the event, guests were able to tour the new facility and learn about the various services that will be available there. The hospital will begin admitting patients on Tuesday, Feb. 3. more

An Ozark woman was booked into the Greene County Jail after she allegedly attempted to break into a Springfield Police vehicle and attacked the officer driving it. Dawn Marie Friend, 44, is charged with two felony counts of disarming a police officer and three misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree assault. more

Love is in the air - and on the air - at the Family Bible Broadcast station. Jerry loves Opal. Opal loves the broadcast. And Stan Silver simply loves to be loved. Add Widow Gentry’s matchmaking wiles and the ambitious dreams of the broadcast crew and you’ve got a mix-up made in heaven. Will misunderstandings destroy the broadcast, or will newfound stardom and faith put “Love On the Air”? more

Tiger Paw recently received not one, but two Power Up Grants through the White River Valley Electric Cooperative totaling $1,177. more

On Dec. 29, 2025, Dr. Phillip Andrew Shufford, who served for 12 years as the director of missions for the Tri-County Baptist Association of Southern Missouri (TCBASM), died after a battle with cancer. He was 66. more

On Sunday, Dec. 28, 2026, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints formed a new congregation in Christian County named McCauley Park. The congregation includes members from eastern Nixa bordering the City of Ozark. more

Norbert Roy Laengrich, age 88, of Ozark, Mo., passed away peacefully on Jan. 8, 2026, at his home. Norbert was born to Oscar Carl and Hazel Neda Laengrich on July 3, 1937, in Jones City, Okla. He was raised in Jones and later moved to Checotah, Okla., where he graduated from high school in 1956. Norbert married Mamie Lucille Tillery on Aug. 10, 1968, in Carlsbad, N.M. Norbert and Lucille shared many years of marriage until her death on Nov. 20, 2014. Norbert proudly served in the United States Army from Aug. 21, 1956, to July 31, 1962. more

JEFFERSON CITY, MO – As our great nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026, Missouri Lieutenant Governor David Wasinger today announced an exciting initiative to engage Missouri’s students in reflecting on what makes America exceptional. more