Arkansas State Representative Michelle Gray, of Melbourne, recently received two awards; 2019 Statesman Award and 2019 Business Matters Leadership Award. A press release detailing the awards were issued. Gray was awarded the 2019 Statesman Award by Family Council Action Committee. ...

Kevin Sanders, 49, was charged with obstruction of interference with emergency medical personnel or first responder, class D felony, from an incident occurring on Sept. 7. Randy Ninemire, of Mammoth Spring, was charged with maintaining drug premises, class B felony; possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine/cocaine), class C felony; and use or possession with the purpose to use drug paraphernalia, class D felony...

The traditional country sounds of Porter Union will return to the Salem Civic Center during the Fulton County Hospital Foundation’s Boots, Bands & BBQ fundraiser Saturday, Nov. 2. Cole Michael Porter and wife Kendra Porter, of Springfield, Mo., have crisscrossed the country performing for a decade. ...

Marlin Matchett, of Monett, who has been employee of Oregon County Ambulance District for more than 20 years, was recognized Monday, Oct. 7 for his response in the duck boat tragedy that occurred on Table Rock Lake in Branson on July 19, 2018. Matchett was presented the Public Safety Civilian Partnership Award by Missouri Governor Mike Parson during a ceremony held in Jefferson City...

Announcement made after town makes social media outreach to add a store The campaign for Koshkonong to have a Dollar General added to the town did not go unnoticed and has resulted in plans for a store. Dollar General announced Friday, Oct. 4 it “is excited to announce it is planning to add a new store to Koshkonong, Mo. ...

Oregon County Library Coordinator Janice Richardson recently attended the 2019 TAP into Libraries conference in Burlington, Vt. held Sept. 4 through Sept. 7 during which she attended various sessions. As part of the process of being selected included, Richardson wrote a continuing education grant to the Missouri State Library to attend the conference presented by the Association for Rural & Small Libraries...

Community members were invited to visit the historic home located right off of Main Street in Mammoth Spring to learn about an upcoming restoration project on Friday, Oct. 4, which, when completed, will bring various artists to the region as well as different culture...

Thayer Fun and Friends Senior Center needs volunteers to deliver Meal on Wheels and to help with the duties at the front desk including greet visitors to the center. There are five routes to deliver meals to and only three volunteer drivers. Delivery drivers may use their own vehicle or vans are available for transportation for the trips. Drivers must have a valid driver’s license and up to date insurance. Volunteers will receive a free lunch at the center for delivering meals that day...

Thayer Fall Festival will be held in the downtown on Saturday, Oct. 12s from 4 to 8 p.m. The event will feature live music by The Howell Family, who will begin singing around 5:30 p.m., and Alec Shrable, who sings contemporary Christian music, will sing during intermissions. There will be numerous booths, vendors and games for patrons to enjoy including food, crafts, and bounce houses...

The seventh annual Oregon County Soil and Water Conservation District’s Farm Trade Show will be held on Saturday, Oct.12 at the Thayer High School, East of Thayer, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. There will be many vendors and booths as well as door prizes, games and more. Agriculture vendor booths are $50 deposit. Merchandise will be available for purchase. Vendors from all areas will be there. To reserve a booth call 417-778-7561 ext. 3...

The Hardy City Council held its regular meeting Oct. 1 during which, the city’s water system, grants and more were discussed. Following the approval of minutes and additions to the agenda, Councilman and Hardy Advertising and Promotions (A&P) Commissioner Bruce Thurow provided the A&P report...

Following a gut wrenching accident during the Oct. 4 football game at Rebel Stadium in Highland, students gathered to support one of their own. Highland High School student Brandon Dennis was taken off the field in an ambulance and sent to Children’s Hospital in Little Rock Friday night. That night Michael Spurlock, who is a member of the Highland Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS) approached the club sponsor, Blake Medlock, to see if it would be possible to hold a prayer circle for Dennis...

Vincent Prokop, 29, of Cherokee Village, was sentenced to one year in the Arkansas Department of Corrections with 90 months suspended sentence, by Judge Harold Erwin Oct. 3 for the charge of sexual assault in the second degree, a class B felony. Prior to the plea agreement, Prokop was facing charges of rape, computer child pornography and pandering or possessing visual or print medium depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child...

The City of Ash Flat will be taking applications for the position of Chief of Police following the resignation of Anthony Wiles. According to Mayor Larry Fowler, Wiles’ last day was Oct. 3, however; Wiles has offered to help if needed over the coming days until a new chief is selected...

Evening Shade resident, 27-year-old Ryan Harrington, has always had a love for rockets. So much so, when he could not afford the kits, he began constructing detail oriented and scaled models from paper. “When I was little I always wanted model rockets, but they were always too expensive and actually they still are. ...

A man from Independence County, Mo., was declared deceased Sept. 24 following a head on collision with a semi. According to a report from the Arkansas State Police, Raymond Watson, 77, was headed north on Highway 63 South in his 2010 Ford Taurus, when he crossed the center line into the path of a 2005 Kenworth, striking the semi head on...

For quite some time, Izard County resident Sheri Jones, has been fighting for her life as she battles stage four colon, lymph node, liver and lung cancer. Although she has been receiving treatment from White River Medical Center in Batesville, Jones said the treatments are not only taking a toll on her health, but her finances as well...

Thomasville Community Center is closer to being fully restored after the devastating flood of 2017. Cost effective solutions are being utilized along the way. “When the old floor was torn off there was a concrete base there that was originally the support for the wood floor,” said Brenda Bell...

Thayer School District tragically lost a beloved coach over the weekend. While traveling with his family, Assistant Coach Bryan Tate died unexpectedly after a medical emergency while on the way to a football game in Quincy, Ill. on Saturday, Sept. 28. He was pronounced deceased at 2:30 p.m. after being rushed to Hannibal Regional Hospital in Hannibal, Mo. He is survived by his wife, Angela, a teacher at Alton School District...

After a lot of hard community work, The Ingle Hotel Coffee Shop officially opened the morning of Friday, Sept. 27 just in time for Thayer homecoming weekend. Visitors to the coffee café had the opportunity to purchase various kinds of coffee and pick from an array of sweet treats donated by local bakers...

The 34th annual Ozarks Black Gold Walnut Festival will be held Saturday, Oct. 5. Sponsored by Southern Bank, the festival will begin at 9 a.m. on the square in Alton. On Friday, Oct. 4, events will kick-off with Alton Chamber of Commerce hosting the annual 5K/Walk for the Gold. ...

An arrest has been made in the vandalism of Mammoth Spring Fire Department in August. Sammy Poulette, 19, was arrested for allegedly tampering with fire trucks, draining the water and detaching equipment, disabling the vehicles from responding to a possible emergency call. Poulette, who is a relative of former Mammoth Spring Fire Chief Casey Poulette, is charged with felony obstruction or interference with emergency personnel or first responder. He was released on OR bond...

Brenda Breckenridge with the Sidney Baptist Church is seeking donations and volunteers to help create gift boxes as part of Operation Christmas Child. “It is part of Samaritans Purse and is spearheaded by Franklin Graham. This is my first year spearheading the project for our church and what we are asking for are hygiene products and other useful items and then what we call ‘WOW’ items. ...

The Spring River Area Chamber of Commerce’s sixth annual Business Expo, slated for Oct. 19, is quickly approaching and Executive Director Kari Hollis said spots are filling up quickly. “We are accepting vendor applications for this year’s Expo. It will be held at the A.L Hutson Memorial Center. ...

Sheila Donley and Vicki Lamb, two area artists from the Spring River area, will be hosting a two-woman show at the Harlin Museum in West Plains, Mo. According to Donley, the show will be held the last two weekends of October and the first weekend in November. During those weekends, those who travel to the museum will have the opportunity not only to check out the more than 50 pieces of artwork, but also to purchase works...

Recycling and animal control were among the topics discussed at the Cherokee Village City Council Sept. 19 monthly meeting. Following the approval of minutes and the agenda, Mayor Russell Stokes offered his report to the council. Stokes said he had a proclamation for the month of October and Breast Cancer Awareness. He also discussed the issue of recycling...

Ariel Housmann has been selected as the new probation officer for Sharp County. Housmann started work as the new probation officer in mid-September and has spent time reviewing files and determining how she intends to structure her department. As the misdemeanor probation officer for Sharp County, Housmann oversees anyone who gets put on probation for misdemeanor charges. ...

This year marks the 29th annual Hardy Homesteaders Day slated for Oct. 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Loberg Park. The annual festival is among the longest running in Sharp County and is designed to give a brief glimpse into what life was like prior to modern convenience...

The Highland Rebels lost a home conference game on Friday, Sept. 27 to the Westside Warriors in a close contest, 20-14. Highland fell to 0-4 for the season and 0-1 for in conference play. Westside moved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in conference. The Rebels kicked off to the Warriors, and Westside started off at their own 36-yard line. ...

Last week’s article for Suicide Prevention and Awareness was from the perspective of an individual who attempted suicide, and now strives to be an advocate for mental health. This week’s outlook on suicide is another very personal account. Myranda Hobbs, of Hardy, is speaking from a different side of suicide. “My husband, James Hobbs, died by suicide in April of this year,” she said...

Salem High School is the first in Arkansas to install a device to help with an ongoing issue in teens … vaping. Salem School District Superintendent Wayne Guiltner said vape detectors have been installed in the high school restrooms recently. “Right now, everywhere you go, you see people vaping. There are some health concerns being put out there to everyone, but it still seems to be accepted,” said Guiltner...

Salem School District welcomed a new school resource officer (SRO) at the beginning of the school year. Joey Patten, a native of the West Plains area, was excited to accept the position, as it meant a goal in his law enforcement career had been reached, becoming a SRO...

It was a packed room for the Oregon County Historical Society’s September meeting held at the Country Cottage in Thayer. This month’s meeting featured guest speakers that are no stranger to the rodeo. Marge Shipp presented The South Missourian News 50 year ago page that featured local winners from a horse show and officers elected...

Young’s Produce held their customer appreciation day on Friday, Sept. 20, during which visitors had the opportunity to congratulate long-time employees Tim Hand and Cliff Sisco for their many years of dedicated work. Tim Hand, who has worked at the store since he graduated from high school inquired at the store if there was anything to be done and received the reply, “to go to work.”...

The new Alton Fire Department building is now under construction. Located on Highway 160 near Harp’s Grocery Store, the structure will be 48x60 in size and is expected to be finished this fall. The building arrived on Friday, Sept. 13 and construction began on Monday, Sept. 16...

Joe Blankenship, 24, of Alton, was seriously injured the morning of Saturday, Sept. 21 when the 2000 Chevrolet pickup he was traveling in northbound on County Road 405, went off the right side of the road and struck a tree. Blankenship was transported by aircraft to Cox South in Springfield...

The Black Gold Walnut Festival was the main topic of discussion at the Alton Chamber of Commerce meeting held Thursday, Sept. 19 in the courthouse. The festival will be held Saturday, Oct. 5 brought to you by Alton Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Southern Bank...

Every month we will feature Volunteer of the Month at Alton Senior Center. The first recipient of this honor, Julie Vetter, has been volunteering at the center for approximately one year. Vetter is at the center almost every day for three to five hours helping. One of her duties is call reassurance, which involves checking on area seniors...

The Ash Flat City Council held their regular meeting Sept. 10. Fire Chief Stacy Horton was first to deliver his report which covered from Aug. 8 to Sept. 3. “We performed a couple of residential fire inspections on East Main and they were in good shape. We had 20 calls since our last meeting,” Horton said. “We made around $700 at Eaglefest and we are gearing up for our chili fundraiser for Oct. 25 at 5 p.m. We also set a date for our Christmas party and it will be Dec. 9 at 6 p.m.”...

Centennial Bank in Highland has partnered with the Department of Human Services (DHS) for the seventh annual Coat Drive. According to Amber Griffin, project head at Centennial Bank, with the support of the community, more than 600 coats have been distributed to the children of Sharp County since the project’s inception...

Chris Clem was recently the recipient of the highest awards honor from the Lions Club. According to Marc Herring, president of the Cherokee Village Lions Club, Clem was presented with the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award. The award is presented to outstanding individuals who embody humanitarian ideas consistent with the mission of the Lions...

Residents of Ozark Acres will soon see an increase in their water bills. Following an announcement from the Ozark Acres Water Association the flat rate will increase from $3 to $8 per line. Residents were notified by way of letter, but on Sept. 18, board members and employees of the water association also made themselves available for questions from residents...

Rebecca O’Donnell, the suspect in custody for the murder of Linda Collins, appeared before Judge David Goodson at the Randolph County Courthouse in Pocahontas Sept. 19 for her pre-trial hearing. The courtroom at the Randolph County Courthouse slowly filled up as friends and family of Collins and O’Donnell made their way to a seat, anxiously waiting for the proceedings to begin...

Ozarka College announced the purchase of the former Clary Fitness building, adjacent to Walmart, with plans to open a technical center. According to Dr. Richard Dawe, the college had been looking to expand in the region and when presented with the option to purchase the building, the location and size made for an ideal expansion opportunity...

Erica Cooper has been named Community Development Coordinator for FNBC according to Dana Batterton, Chief Risk Officer. In this role, Cooper will provide grant-writing support, and will coordinate and lead new funding solutions for the bank’s Community Development Financial Institution designation. ...