Kyle Troutman
Pedestrian killed in crash near Purdy
A Monett woman was killed and Purdy woman arrested following a single-vehicle wreck at 6:19 p.m. on Dec. 29, 2026, on Farm Road 1090, two miles north of Purdy.
Woman charged with theft of purse from bathroom
A Shell Knob woman is charged with three counts of felony stealing after allegedly taking a victim’s purse from a bathroom at a Cassville business.
More than $16K raised for Share Your Christmas
Through the efforts of Merry Christmas candidates and community donations, $16,299.91 was raised this year for Share Your Christmas, the local effort to provide gifts for families in financial need Bri Still, left, was crowned Merry Christmas Queen recently.
Kyle Troutman: Charting new territory
As we wrap up the first week of 2026, there’s a pep in my step. Maybe it’s enjoying the last bit of fall weather brightening my days. It could that the kids went back to school this morning and routines can fall back into place. Or, better yet, it’s more likely I’m excited about what’s to come in the next 359 days.
Jon Horner: Creating opportunity together — A new year’s vision for our community in 2026
Here we stand at that annual strange feeling each year as we start to say goodbye to the year before, reflecting upon what has filled the past 365 days of our lives and beginning to see the possibilities which come with the shifting of the calendar to a new year.
Dakoda Pettigrew: American Insights — Liberty or death
He rose, a Baptist clergyman recalled, “with an unearthly fire burning in his eye.” It was Thursday, March 23, 1775, and the fate of American liberty was on the patriot’s mind. To Thomas Jefferson, he was “the greatest orator that ever lived.” To Roger Atkinson, a spectator, he was “a son of thunder.” To his enemies, he was an insolent traitor to king and empire, a man as infamous for his utterances as the Apostle Paul when he stood on Mars Hill and preached to the people of Athens.
Through the Years, Jan. 7
40 YEARS AGO: PROGRESS IN WEATHER BREAK — With springlike temperatures, MECO Construction of Springfield is progressing rapidly on the Walmart store site near Cassville. South wall construction and concrete pouring are underway, and the store is scheduled to open in mid-1986.
Evelyn Elaine Hopkins
Evelyn Elaine Hopkins, 86, of Cassville, Mo. passed away Saturday, January 3, 2026, at her home.
John Tong Lee
John Tong Lee, 69, of Inola, Okla., passed away on Sunday, December 14, 2025, at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Okla.
Lily Ann Petersen
Lily Ann Petersen, 84, of Monett, Mo., passed away Monday December 29, 2025.
