Mid America Live

Creepin' on up

2026-05-03T16:24:00.004-05:00

As of today, the national average for regular gasoline is $4.45 whereas it was $4.01 just a month ago; last peaking around $4.50 in the Spring of 2022. As the situation in the Middle East remains questionable, many are left wondering how long it could last- unfortunately, oil futures appear to be painting a rather dismal Summer ahead for many Americans.

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Marginal risk of severe weather Monday

2026-05-03T12:58:02.564-05:00

MONDAY, all of our area is in the 1/5 Marginal Risk for severe weather. The possibility is there for afternoon -> evening -> overnight storms, with some being strong/severe BUT- this morning's data makes me think storms could hold off until the evening hours to fire. I will keep checking on this as we are predominantly looking at a damaging wind/hail threat with this setup. -Greg@660weather

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Obituary - Frank Harlow

2026-05-03T12:57:00.004-05:00

Frank Leroy Harlow, 93, of Mound City, Kansas, passed away peacefully on April 30, 2026.

Frank was born on January 23, 1933, in Leavenworth, Kansas, to Charles and Katherine (Lietzen) Harlow. He graduated from Mound City High School in 1951, beginning a life defined by quiet strength, steady commitment, and a deep sense of responsibility to those around him.

On August 22, 1952, he married Ruth Stanbrough, and together they built a life rooted in family and resilience. That same year, Frank answered the call to serve his country, beginning a distinguished career in the United States Navy that spanned more than two decades. From 1952 to 1973, he served with honor and dedication, earning numerous awards and commendations, including the Navy Achievement Medal, and retiring as a Senior Chief Petty Officer (E-8).

After his military service, Frank returned home and poured that same work ethic into building a successful bulk fuel delivery business, which he later grew into a full-service gas station. It was another chapter in a life marked not by shortcuts, but by consistency, grit, and pride in doing things the right way.

Frank was a proud member of the American Legion, Hewitt-New Post #248. He found joy in the simple, steady rhythms of life—time spent with family, the laughter and competition of weekly card games with his card group, and the comfort of familiar faces and routines. He wasn’t one for grand gestures, but those who knew him understood something deeper: if you needed him, he was there.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Ruth; his parents, Charles and Katherine; his grandson, Christopher Otto; and his siblings, Anona White, Lou Austin, Grace Deets, JoAnn Olson, Mary Brandt, and Tom Harlow.

Frank is survived by his children, Linda (Jerry) Thornton, Phil Harlow, and Gary (Leslie) Harlow; six grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and many nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind a very special friend, Barbara Furse.

Frank Harlow’s life was not defined by what he said, but by what he did—by the way he showed up, stood steady, and carried his responsibilities with quiet dignity. He will be deeply missed and remembered with respect, gratitude, and love.

Funeral service will be 10 am Monday, May 4, 2026 at the Schneider Funeral Home, Mound City Chapel. Burial will be in the Woodland Cemetery with full military honors. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 pm Sunday, May 3, at the Mound City Chapel. Memorial contributions are suggested to Boy's Town or St Jude Children's Hospital. Online condolences can be left at www.schneiderfunerals.com.

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Obituary - Phillip Stevener

2026-05-03T12:56:00.000-05:00

Phillip "Phil" Stevener passed away April 29, 2026 at the home. Phil was born in Nevada, Missouri on October 11, 1955 to Raymond Stevenerand Myra Gibson Stevener. Phil had one brother, Darrell. Phil graduated from Rich Hill High School in 1973. He went on to college at the University of Missouri. He followed in the footsteps of generations before him and dedicated his life to farming. It wasn't just a profession, it was a way of life, value in hard work, good food and time spent with the people he loved. He shared a love of travel with his brother Darrell and was a regular part of their summer family vacations with Debbie and the kids. Phil was always the planner, carefully mapping out destinations and most importantly, the best places to eat along the way. He also had a passion for hiking and exploring national parks, often leading Josh and Mark on memorable trails that pushed them to their limits. Whether they were fully prepared for it or not.

A devoted fan of the Kansas City Chiefs, Phil rarely missed a game. His passion for the team ran deep, even if it sometimes came out as frustration when things weren't going their way. That was just a reflection of how much he cared. He is preceded in death by his parents and brother Darrell. His survivors are sister-in-law, Debbie Stevener, two nephews Josh (Tracy) Sullins, and Mark (Morgan) Stevener. Two nieces Talana Sullins and Traci Stevener, six great nieces, one great nephew, cousins and friends.

Graveside service will be held at 10:00 am, Monday, May 4, 2026 at the Green Lawn Cemetery.

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Obituary - Robert Moore

2026-05-03T12:54:00.003-05:00

Robert David Moore age 77 of Harrisonville, Missouri departed this life Friday, May 1, 2026 at his home surrounded by love and family.

Cremation with no services scheduled.

A complete obituary will be posted once that information becomes available, courtesy Dickey Funeral Home.

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Reminder: The Wall That Heals closing today

2026-05-03T12:52:00.003-05:00

THE WALL THAT HEALS, a beautiful 3/4 scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. is now on display in Butler, open to the public 24 hours a day through Sunday. Please take a moment to come and visit this incredible once-in-a-lifetime event.

Location: Navigate to the Bates County Memorial Hospital 615 W Nursery St, Butler, MO 64730 and look for signs and flags at entrance on Nursery street

Sunday May 3
The closing ceremony will be held at 1:45 p.m.

The Wall will close for visitors at 2:00 p.m.

If you would like to volunteer or have other questions please contact Marsha Youngblood at 816-716-9217, John Gray at 816-547-4797 or Jami Page at 660-424-4215
Additional details about The Wall That Heals https://thewallthathealsbatescounty2026.org/

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Missing your mail?

2026-05-02T19:47:00.001-05:00

Postal patrons around the Butler area missed something today- their mail.

According to the super-nice-and-courteous mailman that delivered some dog food and a lot of beans at the MAL and news-Review editor's home today, the reason was a broken down truck.

Obviously, a very important truck.

It has been reported that the problem has been rectified and likely, it will be a busy day Monday for our local hard workin' USPS folks.

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Don't miss The Wall That Heals this weekend

2026-05-02T19:10:00.003-05:00

Location: Navigate to the Bates County Memorial Hospital 615 W Nursery St, Butler, MO 64730 and look for signs and flags at entrance on Nursery street

Taps will be played at 8:30 pm each day.

Sunday May 3
The closing ceremony will be held at 1:45 p.m.

The Wall will close for visitors at 2:00 p.m.

If you would like to volunteer or have other questions please contact Marsha Youngblood at 816-716-9217, John Gray at 816-547-4797 or Jami Page at 660-424-4215

Additional details about The Wall That Heals https://thewallthathealsbatescounty2026.org/

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Quilts of Valor ceremony held today at The Wall That Heals in Butler

2026-05-02T18:54:00.003-05:00

On Saturday afternoon, 19 Quilts of Valor were presented at The Wall That Heals memorial site under the direction of Marsha Youngblood, owner of Rocking Chair Quilts of Butler. Recipients also received a special pin along with other honors as part of the service.

The recipients were:

Forrest Albin

John S. Bartlett

Ronald E. Bybee

Charles Cantrell

Dale Douty

Phillip C. Godwin

Gary Grogman

Elvin W. Henley

Gary Kennedy

Danny Knox

Ethan L. McVay

Rodney Rom

John F. Snethen

Ronald Steuck

Marvin Taylor

Danny Thomasson

Kenneth R. Thurman

Robert R. Vannoy

Henry Swaters

Thank you for your service

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Art show ongoing through tomorrow in Butler

2026-05-02T17:39:00.004-05:00

A special showing of local artwork is currently on display courtesy of Tom and Beth Stock on the west side of the Butler square. Stop by and see some of this amazing talent at 26 N. Delaware street tonight through 7 pm or Sunday 10 am to 7 pm. You won't be disappointed!

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Butler water plant update

2026-05-02T17:31:00.002-05:00

Earlier today, issues at the Butler water plant prompted officials to urge conservation of water usage until the situation can be remedied. At this time, it appears that the problem has stabilized and there is no boil order in place.

Please continue to practice water conservation until further notice, thank you.

Updates will be provided accordingly.

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A special connection made at The Wall That Heals in Butler

2026-05-02T17:21:00.007-05:00

Gay Nissen of Butler paid a visit to The Wall That Heals this week to rekindle a special connection made many years ago

In the early 1970s, approximately 5 million POW/MIA bracelets were distributed to raise awareness for American servicemen captured or missing in action (MIA) during the Vietnam War and Nissen was the recipient of a bracelet which bore the name of soldier Terence Hanley, a keepsake she has held dear for decades.

In his honor, Nissen located his name and made a rubbing, thus reconnecting with a very special memory of her past.

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To clear up a rumor...

2026-05-02T13:13:00.003-05:00

Amidst heated discussions regarding solar farms in Bates county, much debate has been devoted to the possibility of a data center popping up somewhere along the local landscape.

At this time there is no credible evidence regarding any plans to build one, however there are news releases by the solar companies in question that indicate they would be receptive to providing power for data centers, per se.

To reiterate, Bates county is not zoned against them, solar farms or any other such infrastructure and it is recommended that if our residents wish, they should pursue township zoning OR approach the Bates County Commission regarding a county-wide approach.

Mid America Live will continue to provide updates regarding any such matters as they become available.

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Butler High School Student of the Month, Braxton DeLozier

2026-05-02T12:47:00.002-05:00

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Grace Francis named State Farm Athlete of the Week

2026-05-02T12:45:00.006-05:00

We would like to congratulate our C & S Graphics State Farm athlete of the week a senior from Drexel, Grace Francis. Grace was nominated by her head coach Jenny Wheeler. Coach Wheeler stated “Grace is a compassionate and dedicated young woman. She frequently volunteers to mentor younger students and demonstrates strong leadership qualities. She is very disciplined in her training.” Grace is a 3 sport athlete, member of NHS, president of FCA and on student council. She is a 10 time state qualifier in track and a 7 time state medalist. We asked Grace what it takes to be a successful athlete and she states “it takes a lot of work both individually and at practice. I spend a lot of time lifting weights and running and focus on my nutrition as well.” We asked Grace what her favorite track memory was and she stated “probably her freshman year in track when they went to state. There were a lot of us and it was just a lot of fun.” We asked her what her goals are for the remainder of the season and she stated “hopefully a lot of personal records and some state medals.” Grace plans to attend State Fair Community College after graduation and major in nursing while continuing her track career. It was such a pleasure meeting Grace and we wish her the best of luck in the future!

Pictured left to right: Coach Jenny Wheeler; Grace Francis, daughter of Stephen & Sarah Francis; Kellie Davidson, State Farm; Cody Morris, C&S Graphics

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Whirlwind Jackson Martin goes for the Gold

2026-05-02T12:44:00.001-05:00

On Friday, Archie Whirlwind Jackson Martin went to the MSHSAA State Solo and Ensemble Festival to perform Tension/Release. Jackson received a Gold Rating- in a fun coincidence the composer of the solo Jackson was performing was there, and she said he did a great job! Way to go Jackson!

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Hume Senior Spotlight focused on Kayla Long

2026-05-02T12:41:00.003-05:00

Join us in celebrating Hume Hornet Kayla Long and her exciting future ahead

After graduation, Kayla plans to attend Ozark Technical College, where she will pursue a bachelor’s degree in Respiratory Care.

Beyond her academic and career accomplishments, Kayla has made a meaningful impact in her school and community. As an active member of Active Minds, she has helped promote mental health awareness. She has also shown strong dedication to service through volunteering at the local food pantry and Seeds and Sprouts

Kayla’s compassion and commitment to helping others will take her far in the healthcare field.

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Blackhawks bring home precious medals

2026-05-02T12:39:00.004-05:00

Five Adrian Blackhawks came home with silver and bronze medals this week

Congratulations to the hard-working, talented performers: Adalyn Bridges, Leah Ford, Avaleigh Saathoff, Jozie Fly and Erin Welliver!

Adalynn Bridges, Alto Saxophone solo- BRONZE

Flute Trio, Leah Ford, Avaleigh Saathoff and Jozie Fly- SILVER

Erin Welliver, Trumpet Solo- SILVER

Leah Ford, Flute Solo- SILVER

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Fleeing subject in Bates county now in custody

2026-05-02T12:27:00.001-05:00

A subject who fled from a vehicle pursuit just North of Rich Hill, MO this week was taken into custody overnight as an intense, area-wide search ensued.

More details expected from the Bates County Sheriff's office soon.

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Large crowd attends Bringing Light to Agent Orange ceremony

2026-05-02T12:21:00.003-05:00

There were over 350 in attendance at The Wall That Heals Bringing Light to Agent Orange Ceremony held Friday evening in Butler. Thank you to Matthew Cunningham for your beautiful prayer, Doc Golden for speaking about Agent Orange, and Don Rice for playing TAPS.

Note- A Quilt of Valor ceremony will be held at 3 pm today, please plan to attend. Navigate to the Bates County Memorial Hospital on Nursery street in Butler and look for signs.

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Miami Students of the Month

2026-05-02T01:04:00.001-05:00

Miami R-1 March Students of the Month: Truman Dunsmore-Walker, Lawson Nieder, and Alden Lityma. Not Pictured: Bronc Johnston

Congratulations Eagles and keep up the good work!

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Miami R-1 Senior Spotlight, Riley Talley

2026-05-02T01:00:00.001-05:00

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Special meeting held to discuss zoning in West Point township

2026-05-01T15:44:00.004-05:00

On April 28th, a special meeting was held by the West Point township board so local residents could debate the possibility of zoning, as townships have the option to add zoning independent of the county

The meeting, held at the Amsterdam Community building, was called on the heels of word that a 4,000 acre, 650 megawatt solar panel farm is going to begin construction just south of Amsterdam in July, prompting concerns over blight, pollution and fires, to name a few.

As the meeting progressed, discussions branched to other concerns however, the board worked to stay on track with zoning questions and upon conclusion of the meeting, the following points were made clear:

1. To approve zoning, it must be put on a Bates county ballot and a zoning decision will be exclusive to voters in West Point township.

2. To begin the ballot process, a petition is required that will need to be signed by a minimum of 5% of vetted registered West point township voters. It is reported that a petition is currently being circulated which will be turned over to the township board and eventually passed to the Bates County Clerk for validation.

3. There will be costs associated with putting a zoning question on the ballot. Those will include attorney fees and election fees required by the Bates County Clerk's office. At this time, those costs are unknown but will be revealed further along in the process. To note, proper ballot language is critical, which further necessitates the need for an attorney.

4. Specifically what is to be included in zoning must be decided upon. For example, will zoning only address new solar projects and expansions to existing solar projects? Data centers? There were concerns expressed that zoning could include many other things however, it appears those mentioned above will remain at the top of the list. Hence, the decision can be made to only put solar farms and data centers in the zoning proposal.

A few key points were brought out in the meeting:

1. Zoning will not affect (or stop) the current solar project(s). It would only have a bearing on future projects or possibly existing project expansions. Some will argue that a "good lawyer" can get around grandfather status but it is extremely unlikely.

2. It was said in the meeting that ordinances could be used instead of zoning however, in most cases these two things go hand in hand and at present, more information is being sought regarding if this is truly an option.

3. A question arose as to why the Bates County Commission has not already been working on similar county-wide zoning. The answer to that lies partially in the fact that such projects are relatively new in our region making foresight somewhat difficult. Just as in the case of the township, it would ultimately take action by the people of Bates County to present a qualified petition to get the ball rolling.

4. Some at the meeting said they were never made aware the 650 megawatt project was coming and felt that someone should have notified them. Here's how it all transpired:

A deal was made directly between the solar company and the landowner and in some cases a non-disclosure agreement may have been signed; following that, the company in this case, did notify some adjacent landowners as part of their 'Good Neighbor' program; and during this time the company had been working with the Bates County Commission regarding easements, roads and other requirements.

That said, no other notification to the public is legally or otherwise required. We will note that the Mid America Live website contains well over 25 news releases and references by the Bates County Commission directly related to the solar projects dating back to at least 2022. Most all the same articles were published in the News-Review newspaper and were made available through other media outlets including the Bates County Clerk Facebook page.

At this juncture, the West Point township board awaits the petition before taking further action. It also appears that more research and discussion is being done by members of the West Point community as well.

Mid America Live will continue to follow this story and provide updates as they become available.

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Alert from the Bates County Sheriff's Office, subject at large

2026-05-01T15:16:00.000-05:00

BCSO Alert: BCSO and MSHP are attempting to locate a subject who fled from a vehicle pursuit just North of Rich Hill, MO on Interstate 49. Subject is wearing a white or gray tank top, red and gray ball cap, gym shorts, and converse. Male subject is medium build, bald headed, no facial hair, and approximately 5'7. Call BCSO if you see the subject, DO NOT APPROACH.

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Bears break another record

2026-05-01T09:35:00.001-05:00

Third Butler junior high school record of the day! This time it’s Erica Wilburs in the 1600m run! She has been chasing that record for two year, and today she smashed it by over 10 seconds with a time of 5:46.91! This beats the previous record of 5:57.00 held by Megan Phillips and set way back in 2005!

This is the SEVENTH new school record set this year!

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