South Missourian News

Odds are, if you traveled along US Hwy. 62/412 on Thursday, Aug. 15, you were aware of a motor vehicle accident which claimed the life of one, and had traffic slowed to a standstill for several hours. Sam Kirkland, 23, of Caufield, Mo., was traveling east on Hwy. ...

The Koshkonong FFA is having a Back to School Bash starting a 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22 in the shop at Koshkonong School. People interested in Koshkonong FFA or the Koshkonong agriculture program are invited.

Shining Light Food Pantry in Mammoth Spring is participating in “Stand Up for Hope” fundraiser. For every $25 donated to the pantry, $25 will be matched by the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas, up to the first $10,000 received until Sept. 8. The matching donation means contributions will be doubled, which is twice the help for the pantry...

Mammoth Spring Chamber of Commerce held their monthly meeting on Thursday, Aug. 8 with special guest Julianne Dunn, Instructor of Economic Development at University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Research & Extension. Dunn provided attendees with questionnaires to gather information for ongoing research as part of the CREATE BRIDGES initiative...

The second annual Back to School Fair was held at Couch R-I School in conjunction with open house. Local churches, businesses and individuals helped to make this year’s event phenomenal. Last year, Shawna Smith spearheaded the fair for a FCCLA project. This year, Shawna’s little brother, eighth grader and FCCLA officer, T.J. Smith organized the event. He plans to continue with the project through his Couch School career...

The first, of what is sure to be many meetings, regarding the intersection of Highway 63 and Highway 19, drew a large crowd. The informational meeting was led by Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) representative Michael Wake was held Wednesday, Aug. 14 at Thayer City Hall...

As a part of his annual farm tour, Congressman Jason Smith visited the Cabriejo Ranch in Koshkonong, owned and operated by Trent and Rachel Hendricks. Also joining the tour was Representative Robert Ross, Hendricks’ son, Reuben, and University of Missouri Extension Agronomist Jamie Gundel...

This is Jenny Whisnant’s second year with Mammoth Spring School District and her first year of fulfilling the role of superintendent at the school. Before spending last year as Mammoth Spring Elementary Principal, Whisnant taught in Missouri for more than 20 years...

As the result of an investigation which began in June, Fulton County Judge Jim Kendrick was charged with theft of property, a class D felony. Earlier this summer, Fulton County Sheriff Al Roork received a complaint from a taxpayer involving Judge Kendrick using county resources to make repairs to his personal driveway. ...

Alton R-IV School District will welcome Chris Walker as the school resource officer beginning the 2019-2020 school year. Walker obtained an Associate of Science in Administration of Justice from College of the Canyons in California and attended academies in Alabama, California and Washington...

Thayer alum, Miranda Webber, is working on fulfilling a partnership with Wycliffe Bible Translators, one that will enable her to travel to Africa on a mission trip. Wycliffe is an organization that seeks to provide education, as well as Bibles, for everyone in their language. Webber is seeking to raise funds to help cover the mission trip with expenses through partnering with her for the program...

Jordan Alford’s talents in basketball led to amazing high school career which was followed by many in the area, not just Thayer residents. The 2015 THS graduate continued her love of the game and continued to show off her skills at Columbia College in Columbia, Mo. Her first season with the Cougars was the 2016-17 season, and didn’t go as planned. She had a setback with a blown ACL, but when she came back on the court, she was stronger than ever...

Located between Koshkonong and Rover, is the farm of the 2019 Oregon County Farm Family, Bill and Barb Threlkeld. While visiting with the family on a hot July day, The South Missourian News was given a glimpse into the tradition of responsibility and work ethic handed down through generations...

Fulton County Sheriff Al Roork was heard on a local radio station across the county and surrounding areas on Wednesday, Aug. 7, warning individuals responsible for the senseless and criminal acts committed at the Mammoth Spring Fire Department. The night of Monday, Aug. ...

On Sunday, July 28, Hirsch Feed & Farm Supply in Thayer had property stolen. A box trailer has been recovered, however; there are items which haven’t been recovered. The suspect arrived at 2307 hours and was at the location for approximately four and a half hours loading the stolen property. He damaged the box trailer leaving at approximately 0430 hours...

The City of Koshkonong recently acquired ownership of the Koshkonong Museum. To learn more about the history of Koshkonong, Mayor George Hunt and The South Missourian News visited with Koshkonong residents Charles and Mary Lee Pease on a tour of how the town was in the late 1930s and early 1940s...

Results of a four month remodel at Mammoth Spring State Park Welcome Center were revealed at a special ribbon cutting ceremony held on Thursday, Aug.1. “Arkansas State Parks recently completed a major welcome center restroom renovation at Mammoth Spring State Park. Roughly $60,000 was spent on the project that began in early April and was completed July 31. This project was possible because of the 1/8 cent conservation tax that helps to fund improvements to Arkansas State Parks...

A large group lined up to await the 9 a.m. opening of the Thayer Elementary School doors to gather school supplies for the upcoming school year on Thursday, Aug.1. During this year’s event, 400 backpacks full of school supplies were handed out. Not only did students receive a backpack and school supplies, they also had many great stations to stop by including vision screening provided by Walmart. ...

Jordan Kantola has been busy painting her first mural in Spring Dipper Ice Cream Parlor for approximately two weeks. After hearing Spring Dipper owner Neil McWilliams would like to have a mural painted on the back wall in the restaurant, Kantola’s dad suggested she take on the task...

A car show and fish fry will be held at Alton Senior Center on Saturday, Aug. 10. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors will have the opportunity to admire area vintage cars. Registration fee is $10 and will begin at 9 a.m. Judging will be held at 1 p.m. and trophies for first, second and third will be awarded...

National Immunization Awareness Month is an annual observance held in August to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages, Linda Inmon, Extension specialist for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB), said. It is also a good time to make sure children receive their vaccinations before the school year...

On Thursday, July 26, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that his office was suing an Oregon County dog breeder for continued violations of the Animal Care Facilities Act and the absence of a valid ACFA license. In multiple Department of Agriculture inspections dating back to November of 2017, Cedar Ridge Australians was found to have dogs with thin body condition and wounds, improper shelter and shade accommodations, a buildup of feces and debris in enclosures, debris and algae filled water, and more. ...

The City of Koshkonong held their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 23. Council approved the July meeting agenda, June minutes, June financials, year end financials, and bills paid and to be paid. Also approved was the budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year...

Couch R-I School has been awarded 40 gallons of paint, valued at $800, through the Painting a Brighter Future program. Larry Forschler, owner of Forschler’s True Value in Thayer, explained once the grant is awarded, the school informs him of what they want, it is then ordered, and he mixes the color for them...

Bear sightings in Oregon County are rare. However, with an increase in bear population in Missouri comes the possibility of an encounter. In recent years, Missouri Department of Conservation has focused on monitoring female cub production and survival so the state population may be estimated with the Black Bear Management Plan implemented in 2008...

Arkansas-based Crow-Burlingame – one of the largest Bumper-to-Bumper affiliates in the country and a leader in the replacement auto parts industry – celebrates 100-years in business. From its humble beginnings on Little Rock’s West Fourth Street where friends William Robert Crow and J.G. Burlingame opened their first location back in 1919, the company has grown into the third largest privately-owned automotive parts distribution business in the United States...