James Andrew Moore, 69, of Springfield, passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 12, 2025, in his home. Jim was committed to his family and a Christian. He greatly enjoyed NASCAR and other types of racing, close friends, and summers at the lake. more

The Nixa Drone Team 2319 X, consisting of Dalton Jones, Andrew Durbin, and Faith Helterbrand, took first place at the 2025 All-Service JROTC Drone National Championships on Friday, April 4 and Saturday, April 5. The tournament, which included 83 drone teams from around the United States, included teams from Hawaii and Samoa. After 160 grueling qualifying rounds, Team 2319 X, as well as Nixa's two other teams, placed high enough in the seeding to advance to the single-elimination rounds. However, only 50 percent of the teams advanced. more

Rylan Sutton is on track to become the first member of Ozark’s 100-hit club since 2019 grad Blake Mozeley. more

When I was a boy, dinner and supper were much different from today. more

For over 43 years, I was in the pharmacy industry owning a 26-store pharmacy chain. I saw local families come in every day, getting medications to help with their health needs. Increasingly, I and many others in this industry were seeing patients – people we have grown to care for deeply – struggling with a new challenge: opioid addiction. It is a constant struggle to look out for fake prescriptions, watch for signs of abuse, and defend our stores from theft. more

It was dusk on an evening in mid-April several years ago. My wife and I were at our cabin near Mark Twain National Forest. I was on a hilltop where I could see something I had heard about from our neighbors. A rarely seen bird called the woodcock. more

A man wanted in Douglas County for first-degree burglary and stealing, more than $25,000, was captured by Christian County deputy sheriffs after a brief chase on Tuesday, April 8. Shane Worthey, 44, was taken into custody near Sparta. more

Congratulations to our Ozark Tigers who are retiring! They were recognized during an all-staff meeting April 7. We are so thankful for their many years of service! Combined, they have more than 500 years of service in education. We will miss them and wish them the best of luck in the future. more

JEFFERSON CITY, MO — The Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday returns this spring, giving Missourian’s the opportunity to save money on select purchases while stimulating economic activity in the state. more

Since 2021, identity and information theft reports to BBB Scam Tracker SM have totaled more than 16,600 and monetary losses are rising, according to a new study by the Better Business Bureau’s® International Investigations Initiative. more

Christian County voters approved Ambulance District Property Tax Relief, a ballot measure that the Christian County Ambulance District put forth on the ballot for the election held on Tuesday, April 8. During the election, 2,770 people, or 52.29 percent of the voters, cast “Yes” votes for the proposition, while 2,527 people, or 47.71 percent of those who voted, cast “No” votes. more

The Ozark Chamber of Commerce will hold the 2025 Showcase Ozark Community Expo at the Ozark Innovation Center on Saturday, April 19. The event is free and open to the public more

Congratulations to the EagleAir staff for being recognized in NBCU Academy's nationwide student broadcast news contest. Freshmen Alexander Eggleston, Scarlett Mahy, and Dusty Stewart won a 6th Place Finalist award for Outstanding Video News Report from the NBCU Academy contest called The Edit. The contest required students to create a video news package centered around the subject of "wellness," using the Adobe Express video editing app. Their news package focused on how students can balance screen time with overall health. The Edit Spring 2025 contest received submissions from schools across the United States, with registrations from over 600 teachers representing more than 23,000 students. more

The Sparta Park Board held their annual Easter Egg Hunt at Roller Park on Saturday, April 12. About 150 children vied for a share of 17,000 candy and prize-filled plastic eggs in the park. Participants took part in the egg hunt in one of five categories: Special needs, ages 0-1, ages 2-4, ages 5-7 and ages 8 and up. Those who found special tickets in their eggs were able to claim additional prizes. Children were also treated to a special visit from the Easter Bunny. more

That old wind just keeps on blowing and moving things around. When I look out and things look strange, it is because that was either in the backyard or maybe out in the field the day before. more

Christian County Deputy Sheriff and D.A.R.E. Officer Bill Whitaker officially retired on Wednesday, April 2, after a four-decade-long career in law enforcement. Whitaker got his start with the Springfield Police Department, and he transferred over to the Christian County Sheriff’s Office in 2009. In his retirement, Whitaker plans to spend more time with his grandchildren and catching up on projects around his house. He won’t completely disappear from law enforcement, however; he plans to remain with the Christian County Sheriff’s Office as a reserve officer. more

Nixa residents had the opportunity to see several service vehicles up close at the first annual Hands On Nixa, a service-learning project organized by the Nixa High School JROTC, on Saturday, April 12. About 1,000 people attended the event. more

A Sparta man is in custody in Douglas County after he allegedly rammed several police vehicles while being pursued by law enforcement. Steven Browning, 48, is charged with three counts of first-degree assault - serious physical injury or special victim, three counts of armed criminal action, one count of fleeing a stop or detention - causes physical injury, one count of possession of a controlled substance, one count of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, and one count of driving while intoxicated. more

SPRINGFIELD — Nixa finished first in three relays at the Jim Vaughan Invitational on Friday. more

This year, as is the case every year, safety is the most important component of Missouri’s spring turkey season. more

If you’re hitting the road any time soon, make sure you keep track of your tolls. Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) has recently seen a wave of reports about phishing text messages that impersonate road toll collection services to trick people into paying for fake outstanding tolls. more

Nearly 50,000 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed each year, and approximately 25% have no known risk factors,1 which emphasizes the vital need to watch for warning signs and make healthy life choices. In recognition of April being Oral Cancer Awareness Month, Delta Dental of Missouri – a non-profit organization and the state’s leading dental benefits provider and oral health philanthropist – is reminding Missourians about preventive practices to help reduce the risk of oral cancer. more

The value of a Dollar at Nixa has risen over the past month. more

Donna Fetterhoff more

Carol Johnston more