South Missourian News

Alzheimer’s is a disease of the brain, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior and is not normal aging. SeniorAge Area Agency on Aging will hold the program, Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia, which will be presented by the Alzheimer’s Association...

There is a new face at the Thayer Police Department. Alton native, Joe Nichol recently joined the department and is looking forward to serving the community through his new position with the department. Collectively, Nichol has been in law enforcement for 14 years. ...

Thayer Walmart has received recognition as being the Division I Regional Store of the Year. Awards are given out for categories of store, per region, including Supercenter of the year and Division I, which is considered the “old style” of Walmart stores being non-supercenter based...

You’ve heard the way to the heart is through the stomach. That was very true for 77-year-old Shirley Snider, but not in the way you might think. Her stomach alerted her that her heart was failing, and she took action with only seconds to spare. After caring for her great-grandson, Snider was feeling tired and nauseated. She was sure she was coming down with a stomach virus and went to bed expecting to feel better in the morning...

Oregon County Commissioners observed Thank a Farmer Week by signing a declaration. Farmers are an important factor in the country and throughout the world as they provide food, clothing, transportation and shelter among many things and in honor of this, Missouri Farm Bureau’s across the state joined together to acknowledge the importance of agriculture for the week of Feb. 3 through 9...

Be sure to read the article on page 10 covering the most recent Mammoth Spring City Council meeting and addressing the food pantry topic. Mammoth Spring Food Pantry announced Friday, Feb. 8 via their Facebook page, the last distribution date will be Monday, Feb. 18...

Groundhog Day is a tradition celebrated in the United States and Canada in which every year thousands of people gather at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Penn. to find out the groundhog’s prediction. Will we have six more weeks of bad weather because he sees his shadow or will spring arrive early if he doesn’t see his shadow?...

There is nothing more American than the right of citizens to petition their government. In recent years, voters across Missouri have gone to the ballot box to consider changes to the state’s laws and Constitution. By convincing margins, they voted in favor of campaign contribution limits, limiting new taxes on services, curtailing the culture of lobbyist gifts in Jefferson City, increasing the minimum wage, and repealing a right-to-work provision enacted by the legislature and Gov. ...

This February, Missouri 4-H is partnering with Feeding Missouri in a first-of-its-kind statewide food drive. All of the state’s more than 1,600 4-H clubs, serving youth ages 5 to 18, are invited to participate. Throughout February, 4-H’ers across Missouri will engage in a friendly service competition to see which clubs can contribute the greatest amount of food, cash donations and volunteer hours. The goal is to raise 1 million meals for food banks and pantries statewide...

The year of offsetting changes. That is how Andrew Zumwalt describes tax year 2018. “Tax law changes removed exemptions—the deduction from income for claiming people on a tax return—but the law also almost doubled the standard deduction,” he says. For example, a single person had a 2017 standard deduction of $6,350. For 2018, the standard deduction is $12,000...

It was standing room only left at Mammoth Spring City Hall for the February council meeting. After reading and approving the January meeting minutes and approving paying of the bills, council moved onto address the topic of the Mammoth Spring Food Pantry...

A traffic stop by the Ripley County Sheriff’s Office on Feb. 1, led to the arrest of two subjects in the culmination of a joint investigation between Ripley and Oregon County Sheriff Offices. Officers from both agencies had been co-operating the investigation in a series of burglaries from rural areas in both counties...

If you are interested in furthering your education for a new career path, check out the upcoming programs Greater Ozarks Center of Advanced Technology (GOCAT) has to offer. In March the facility will offer a Machining Technology Program. The 16-week program will prepare students with entry-level skills in automated manufacturing. This will include acquiring skills to set up and operate machines to produce precision parts and other skills necessary for automated machining...

Seeking input from vendors and the community, the Oregon County Farmers Market held a meeting Monday, Jan. 29 in the conference room of the Oregon County Courthouse. Debbie Sallings, who is a member of the market board and the Alton Chamber of Commerce, gave an update on the chamber. Sallings informed those in attendance plans are already underway for the annual 34th Walnut Festival...

Identity theft is a constant concern for Arkansans, but tax time brings additional anxiety over protecting personal information. Tax refund fraud occurs when a Social Security number is stolen and used to file a tax return and the resulting refund is claimed by the thief. Unfortunately, many people are unaware that this fraud has occurred until they attempt to file their own taxes and discover that a return has already been filed using their Social Security number...

Fulton County Fair and Salem Chamber of Commerce are gearing up for the second annual Ozarks Sports and Outdoor Expo, to be held March 30 at the Salem Civic Center. The first expo, held March 2018, was a great success with a large attendance and they are preparing for an even bigger year...

Approximately 100 members of the community gathered at Ozarka College during the course of two meetings Jan. 31 to participate in the CREATE BRIDGES initiative. CREATE BRIDGES, an acronym for Celebrating Retail, Accommodations, Tourism and Entertainment by Building Rural Innovations and Developing Growth Economies, is a pilot program being executed in six regions, two in each of the following states, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Arkansas...

The Mammoth Spring Bears battled it out with Kipp on Tuesday, Jan. 22 and came out with the win, 83-46. Leading scorers for the Bears were: Cole Young, 27 points; Daniel Mayfield, 16 points; Jacob Golden, 11 points and Zack Flynn, 10 points. On Thursday, Jan. 24, the team fell short to Hillcrest, 32-53. Jacob Golden led the Bears with 10 points. The Lady Bears also fell to Hillcrest, 31-42...

If you do a quick web search of the 2009 ice storm, you will find it has its own “Wikipedia” page titled, January 2009 North American ice storm. Jan. 27-28 marks the 10th anniversary of the ice storm which left many in the area without power for weeks...

In celebration of the life and legacy of late civil rights leader Dr. Marin Luther King Jr., WGU Missouri is making it easier for Missourians who are interested in furthering their education to realize their dreams. The nonprofit, fully online university has announced it will award $75,000 in scholarships to those who have always dreamed of completing their college degrees and advancing their careers but faced challenges along the way that prevented them from moving forward...

Farmers around the world provide consumers with food choices, clothing, transportation, shelter and so much more! Missouri’s 99,171 farms on 28.5 million acres of land produce a wide variety of crops and livestock. Farmers are dedicated to stewardship of the land and animals that provide for all of us. Missouri Farm Bureau and county Farm Bureau’s across the state are joining forces to celebrate the importance of agriculture, Feb. 3-9, during Celebrate Agriculture: Thank a Farmer Week!...

Those who frequently travel Highway 289 in Fulton County may not be aware they are traveling across a national historic landmark. This January marks the 10th anniversary of AR 289 Bridge over English Creek being named to the National Register of Historic Places, which occurred on Jan. 22, 2009...

Every year the community out does itself in raising money for a good cause, the annual Country Cares for Kids St. Jude Radio Thon, which is for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In 2018, the event raised more than $200,000. The goal for this year is $210,000. According to a previous press release, “E-Communications is the number one radio station per capita for money raised in a single day in the country for the kids at St. Jude.”...

Recently, there have been rumors and concerns in Mammoth Spring about issues involving the Mammoth Spring Food Pantry, one even that the facility would be closing. The South Missourian News was informed pantry volunteers were told in November the pantry would need to be moved in 2019 and the city was not to be responsible for paying the utilities and insurance on the building. ...

Scammers are recycling an old con to scare Arkansans into turning over prepaid debit cards or wiring money to pay off an unpaid utility bill. The Arkansas Attorney General’s office has received over 100 reports since the first of the year of con artists posing as utility company employees threatening to shut off utility services due to an unpaid bill...

Home BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ GS: HOMB) “Home” or “the Company”, parent company of Centennial Bank, has been ranked #1 on the Forbes 2019 “Best Banks in America” list for the second consecutive year. The Company first achieved the top ranking in 2018, which was an improvement from #8 in 2017’s rankings and #15 in 2016’s rankings. ...

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will host Nature Unfolds and Nature Unleashed trainings at the Missouri State University Campus in West Plains, Feb. 14. Nature Unfolds is for teachers of grades K-2 and is from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nature Unleashed is specific to teachers of grades 3 – 5 and is from noon to 4:30 p.m. All Missouri teachers who register in advance are welcome...

There have been some recent changes to positions at in the Oregon County Library District including the addition of one new member and the changing of libraries for another. Myra Titsworth, who replaced Paula Miller, is new to the Oregon County Library District and working at the Koshkonong Library...

The City of Alton held their regular monthly meeting on Monday, Jan. 14. After reviewing and approving bills paid, Alton resident Don Woods addressed council about a water leak associated with the installation of the new water meter by Kajac. He stated his water bill was “sky high.” After a discussion of the issue, Woods was advised to contact Kajac about the issue. Mayor Paul Haddock stated he would contact Kajac also. Council would like for Woods to keep them posted about the issue...

On Jan. 16 at approximately 9 p.m., Oregon County Sheriff Deputies were dispatched to a suspicious vehicle at the Riverton Church. When deputies arrived they found forced entry to the church. Jacob Cummings, 20, of Thayer, and Johnathon Bayles, 18, of Couch, walked out of the church and turned themselves into deputies at the scene...

Mammoth Spring Mayor, Charles Vaughn is no stranger to the council, but he is new to the position of mayor and is working on determining his plans and ideas for the city. Not yet ready to set in stone his short and long-term plans, he is sure he would like to see growth for the city...

In the digital age, frauds and scams are an unfortunate part of doing business online. We want to protect you as best we can. We urge you to always be cautious and to avoid providing sensitive information such as your Social Security Number (SSN) or bank account information to unknown individuals over the phone or internet. If you receive a call and aren’t expecting one, you must be extra careful. ...