Finley River Art Gallery will offer free spring classes beginning March 8. Classes are open to teens and adults. Classes are free and all materials are provided; classes run from 10 a.m. to noon. Space is limited, so attendees must pre-register at the Gallery. The first class is Pen & Ink on Saturday, March 8. March 22 is Watercolors; April 12 is Floral Watercolor. May 10 will be collage, and May 31 will be Abstract Watercolor. The Gallery is located at 100 E. Elm in downtown Ozark and is open Wednesday through Saturday,10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Class sign-up can also be done by phone at 417-551-4011 during open hours. more

A Nixa man is facing three counts of first-degree statutory sodomy after it was alleged that he inappropriately touched two minor-aged children. Jacob Amadeus Lorr, 33, was booked into the Christian County Jail on Friday, Feb. 21. more

A Joplin man who allegedly threatened to shoot a man “in the face” at the Walmart in Ozark was taken into custody after he failed to appear at a scheduled court hearing. Michael Brandon Landrith, 43, was booked into the Christian County Jail on Friday, Feb. 21. more

Cleta Marie Werner Fulbright, 81, of Ozark, Mo., passed away on Feb. 23, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of love, faith, and music. Born on June 2, 1943, in Brown's Spring, Mo., to Mabel Indiana Harmon Werner and John Clark Werner, Cleta lived a life filled with devotion to her family, her faith, and her passion for music. more

A total lunar eclipse will be visible on the night of the 13th through the morning of the 14th. Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Full Moon. The light from the Sun strikes the Earth, causing a shadow on the Moon. The term for when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are exactly or very closely aligned is called syzygy. more

Hello to all my friends out there and enjoy these nice days. more

The AETOS Center in Nixa hosted three showings of Gazillion Bubbles on Saturday, March 1, and Sunday, March 2. Led by bubble artist Deni Yang, the show featured lasers, lights, music, stories, and, of course, lots of bubbles. Children in the audience had the opportunity to come up on stage and take part in the show, and audience members also had the opportunity to have pictures of themselves taken while they stood inside an actual bubble. more

The NCA All-Star National Championship, a national-level cheer competition held in Dallas, Tex. was marred on Saturday, March 1 when a suspected active shooting event caused a mass evacuation of the venue hosting the tournament. According to a social media post by the Dallas Police Department (DPD), the source of the cause for panic actually proved to be a fist fight. more

Stefanie McCall more

The Finley River Community Foundation is accepting applications for its 2025 community grant round. All applications are due by the end of the day on March 31, 2025. A total of $10,000.00 is available for programs and organizations in Ozark and Eastern Christian County. more

The Missouri Alliance to Curb Problem Gambling, in partnership with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), recognizes March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM). The annual observance provides an essential platform for organizations across the country to highlight the availability of resources that support problem gambling prevention, education, treatment, and recovery. more

“These are my folks (people)” and “Proud to be an American” are two of many phrases describing Charles James Stewart, born Oct. 9, 1931, to Walsie B. (Brown) and Ralph G. Stewart and reunited with the love of his life, Helen J. (Davis) and their two angel daughters, on Jan. 29, 2025, after 93 years of laughing, caring and loving life. more