Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Missourians aged 18-34, and 66 percent of those involve a firearm. Safe firearm storage is a very important part of suicide prevention. To help encourage and support safe firearm storage, Community Partnership of the Ozarks (CPO) has developed a series of videos showing how to safely store a wide range of firearms, including semiautomatic pistols, revolvers, lever action rifles, shotguns and more. Storing firearms unloaded and locked with ammo stored separately is the best practice for safe firearm storage, but there are a variety of options for safe firearm storage. more

The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Nixa Police Department, Missouri Children’s Division and the Springfield Child Advocacy Center conducted the second annual Crime Scene to Trial training in Ozark from Nov. 14-16. more

Finley River Community Foundation (FRCF) is seeking nominations for the 2023 Ozark Citizen of the Year. The recipient of the 2023 Ozark Citizen of the Year award will be announced at the Ozark Community Awards Banquet on Feb. 17, 2024. This annual event is hosted by the Ozark Chamber of Commerce to honor outstanding achievement and service in Ozark. more

The improvement zone is between Tracker Road and State Route CC, one of the key east-west arteries between Nixa and Ozark. more

State and regional data sources show that January 2022 brought a high volume of COVID-19 infections to Christian County and the rest of southwest Missouri. January brought the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in a month since the end of the Delta surge in August 2021. more

The Ozark Police Department had a brief pursuit with the driver, an unidentified juvenile, moments before the fatal wreck happened at a curve on Highway 14 near 32nd Street near Fremont Road. more

Officials with the Spokane R-VII School District announced it has been selected to participate in the Missouri Postsecondary Advising Initiative, a statewide effort to place trained advisors into high schools, alongside current school counselors, to provide students with individualized college and career preparation support. more

Green Bridge, Hawkins Bridge, and Red Bridge are all more than 100 years old, and have reached the ends of their useful lives. They do not allow proper access for emergency vehicles, school buses, agricultural use and other public services. more

Trail connections remain a top priority for some of Ozark's top appointed and elected officials. A funding opportunity through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources could lead to more development on the Finley River near the new Riverside Bridge. more

Presiding Judge Laura Johnson ordered that all judicial officers in Christian County, which encompasses all of the Missouri 38th Judicial Circuit, will be closed on Feb. 3, “due to inclement winter weather creating unsafe driving conditions.” more