The national weather service has issued a tornado warning for Bates County. A tornado was confirmed on the ground near Worland Missouri moving northeast at about 30 mph. It is recommended that those in the Butler and Passaic areas to take cover.
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Monday, April 13, 2026
Bates County Memorial Hospital Hosts Lifesaving Blood Drive to Support Local Patients
Community Blood Center urges donors to help replenish the region's supply
Butler, MO -- Community Blood Center {CBC}, the primary provider of blood to 70+ hospitals across Kansas and Missouri, will host a blood drive on Wednesday, April 29 at Bates County Memorial Hospital, located at 615 W Nursery St..
For more than 65 years, CBC has served the region by providing over 150,000 lifesaving blood products annually to more than 70 hospitals, EMS, and healthcare partners.
"A strong, consistent blood supply is the backbone of patient care in our community," said Chelsea Tibbetts, Executive Director at Community Blood Center. "We are deeply grateful to our blood drive hosts for stepping up to help save lives and support patients in our local hospitals."
Every day, nearly 600 donations are needed to meet hospital demand in the Greater Kansas City region. Blood has a short shelf life and must be constantly replenished to ensure it's available when and where it's needed. Just one hour of your time can help save up to three lives.
WHEN: Wednesday, April 29
WHERE: Bates County Memorial Hospital, 615 W Nursery St.
WHO: Blood Donors, Volunteers, and Community Blood Center Representatives
WHY: One in three people will need blood in their lifetime, and nearly one in seven hospital admissions requires a transfusion. Blood donations support cancer patients, trauma victims, surgery patients, new mothers, premature infants, transplant recipients, those living with chronic conditions like sickle cell disease and thalassemia, and many more.
To make an appointment at this drive, donors can visit savealifenow.org/group and enter Group Code: KCBS, or call 1-877-468-6844.
Blood donors can give every 56 days and are encouraged to give at least once per season. In light of recent updates to FDA guidance, more people than ever may now be eligible to give. To view current eligibility guidelines or learn more about donating blood, visit savealifenow.org.
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Taylor Zander to face charges in heinous sexual predator case
Due to the extreme nature of the accusations and the fact he was listed as child guardian, Zander could receive multiple life sentences.
Charges as filed:
1. Statutory Rape Or Attempted Statutory Rape - 1st Degree - Person Less Than 12 Yoa
{ Felony Unclassified RSMo: 566.032 }
{ Felony Unclassified RSMo: 566.032 }
2. Statutory Sodomy Or Attempted Statutory Sodomy - Deviate Sexual Intercourse - Person Less Than 12 Yoa
{ Felony Unclassified RSMo: 566.062 }
{ Felony Unclassified RSMo: 566.062 }
3. Statutory Sodomy Or Attempted Statutory Sodomy - Deviate Sexual Intercourse - Person Less Than 12 Yoa
{ Felony Unclassified RSMo: 566.062 }
{ Felony Unclassified RSMo: 566.062 }
4. Statutory Rape Or Attempted Statutory Rape - 1st Degree - Person Less Than 12 Yoa
{ Felony Unclassified RSMo: 566.032 }
{ Felony Unclassified RSMo: 566.032 }
5. Statutory Sodomy Or Attempted Statutory Sodomy - Deviate Sexual Intercourse - Person Less Than 12 Yoa
{ Felony Unclassified RSMo: 566.062 }
{ Felony Unclassified RSMo: 566.062 }
6. Statutory Sodomy Or Attempted Statutory Sodomy - Deviate Sexual Intercourse - Person Less Than 12 Yoa
{ Felony Unclassified RSMo: 566.062 }
{ Felony Unclassified RSMo: 566.062 }
7. Child Molestation - 2nd Degree -Child Less Than 12 Yoa
{ Felony B RSMo: 566.068 }
{ Felony B RSMo: 566.068 }
8. Endangering The Welfare Of A Child Creating Substantial Risk - 1st Degree - 1st Offense - Sexual Conduct
9. Endangering The Welfare Of A Child Creating Substantial Risk - 1st Degree - 1st Offense - Sexual Conduct
{ Felony D RSMo: 568.045 }
{ Felony D RSMo: 568.045 }
10. Endangering The Welfare Of A Child Creating Substantial Risk - 1st Degree - 1st Offense - Sexual Conduct
{ Felony D RSMo: 568.045 }
{ Felony D RSMo: 568.045 }
11. Endangering The Welfare Of A Child Creating Substantial Risk - 1st Degree - 1st Offense - Sexual Conduct
{ Felony D RSMo: 568.045 }
{ Felony D RSMo: 568.045 }
12. Endangering The Welfare Of A Child Creating Substantial Risk - 1st Degree - 1st Offense - Sexual Conduct
{ Felony D RSMo: 568.045 }
{ Felony D RSMo: 568.045 }
13. Endangering The Welfare Of A Child Creating Substantial Risk - 1st Degree - 1st Offense - Sexual Conduct
{ Felony D RSMo: 568.045 }
14. Endangering The Welfare Of A Child Creating Substantial Risk - 1st Degree - 1st Offense - Sexual Conduct
{ Felony D RSMo: 568.045 }
{ Felony D RSMo: 568.045 }
The defendant is being held on a $1,000,000 bond and a motion for discovery was filed on April 7, 2026 in Bates County.
Zander is represented by public defender Jason Speer of Harrisonville, MO.
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Appleton City Bulldogs Shine at Home Meet Behind Record-Breaking Night from Michael Smith
By Cody Morris
The Appleton City Bulldogs turned in a strong showing Thursday at their home varsity track meet, highlighted by a school-record performance from Michael Smith and several personal-best efforts.
The Appleton City Bulldogs made a strong statement early in the track season. This past week, the Bulldogs hosted a home track meet, and they showed up and showed out.
The night was highlighted by Michael Smith breaking an Appleton City High School record, but Smith wasn’t the only Bulldog with a strong outing on the evening.
Michael broke the school high jump record, clearing 6 feet and 2.75 inches on his way to a victory in the event. Smith also took home 4th place in the 200m, while recording a Personal Best.
Gage Boin was a double winner for the Bulldogs, taking first in both the 110m hurdles in a personal-best 16.69 seconds and the 300m hurdles in a personal-best 44.44. David Connor also claimed first in the shot put with a personal-best throw of 13.55 meters.
Brycen James, secured the silver in Pole Vault
Kate Wareham won the 400m dash with a time of 1:02.66, while Emma Snyder took first in the triple jump and Shea Brownsberger won the pole vault and placed third in the 200m with a personal-best time.
Lanie Swaters added a first place Shot Put finish but wasn’t done there, as she went on to add a 2nd place finish in the Javelin. Ava Uptergrove recorded a 2nd place time in the 100m hurdles.
Appleton City also got strong relay performances on the evening as well.
Overall, as a team, the Lady Bulldogs finished second, while the boys placed fourth out of 13 teams.
This article is sponsored by C&S Graphics, be sure to go follow their Facebook!
Graphic created by C&S Graphics, with pictures from Page Martin!
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Henry County Sheriff seeking whereabouts of Janice Cook
The Henry County Sheriff’s Office continues assisting in the ongoing missing person investigation involving Janice Cook, as concern for her well-being continues to grow.
Those who know Janice have advised that her disappearance is completely out of character, and her family and friends remain deeply concerned for her safety. If you have seen Janice or have any information regarding where she may be, we ask that you please come forward. No piece of information is too small and may be critical in helping bring answers to those who care deeply for her.
The Henry County Sheriff’s Office remains actively involved and will continue working hand-in-hand with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and Pettis County Sheriff’s Office as leads continue to develop across jurisdictional lines. All agencies involved are actively following up on investigative leads and will provide more substantial information if and when it becomes available.
Anyone with information related to this investigation is encouraged to contact the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office at 660-747-2265, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office at 660-885-5587 or Lt. Kubilus at 660-885-7328, or their nearest local law enforcement agency.
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Reports from the Bates County Commission
John spoke at the Capital on Tuesday the 24th and spoke over SB40 and Shelter Workshops across Missouri. He also visited the offices of Denny Hoskins, Rick Brattin, Dane Deihl and the State Auditors.
Trent and Jim attended the West Central Commissioners Association at the Capital on Thursday the 26th.
Shelly Harrison, Jami Page, Terry Bettels, Jean Furr, Danyelle Baker, and Kacie Robey with Bates County Women, met with the Commission to follow up on the signing on the American 250 Resolution.
Trent made a motion to put Resolution 26-001 in place for the 250th Celebration and Commemoration of the United States. John seconded the motion. All were in favor. Motion carried. No opposition. Jim signed the Resolution and pictures were taken.
The Commission sat down together and discussed recent concerns and caught up on some situations.
John explained a meeting with the Wall That Heals Committee that took place in the Commissioner’s Office that Jim had caught wind of and had concerns over it. Jim mentioned that he did not like people using the back door to enter the building, so John just wanted to clear the air that it was a meeting that had nothing to do with work related issues. John then asked Jim about a meeting between Meghan Robbins, Trent and Jim that took place after hours. Jim and Trent explained that she only stopped in to ask about the software and how it was coming along. John asked if the meeting was recorded and told them that it was an illegal meeting.
John then continued to speak on the Software and the bid process that took place. He also informed the other two Commissioners of information he had learned from different individuals. He learned that Ulrich has kept data from Counties that have left. John also has an issue with this as well, as that data belongs to the County. Jim pointed out that it does state in the Contract that Ulrich understands that the data belongs to the County, but John is worried because that did not stop them from holding data hostage from other Counties. Ulrich uses the same DOS system that the current software uses, but there is a significant increase in money totals and then the chance of losing the Counties data if they decide to leave. Trent said that he spoke to several individuals at the West Central Commissioners’ Association and heard nothing but good things, to which John agreed he has heard great things as well, but he wants to make sure the County is covered in case anything should happen, due to the bad things he has heard. Jim stated that he had talked to people about Vanguard but there wasn’t a side for the Collectors Office and he too heard that Vanguard had several issues when paired with another company and was warned to use a company that had both offices available.
John informed the Commission about the bid proposal from Vanguard that was sent to the Assessor’s Office before there was a bid placed and asked if the Commission wanted to send the Contract over to their Attorney so they could make sure it’s all ironclad over the issues they have. John doesn’t like that there isn’t a Termination of Cause in the Contract.
John threw out the idea that Ulrich sends us our data every six months. Jim thought that there was already something in place that had been backing up our data but was unsure. He then said he was going to call Ivan and see what the holdup was. John stated that he sent over a copy of the Contract to Ivan this morning and one to his attorney was well.
As Jim was on the phone with Ivan, John spoke to Trent about how he felt it was unprofessional that the Collector and Assessor received the bid for Ulrich on February 17th and waited until March 9th to come in and demand signatures and to move forward.
Jim got off the phone with Ivan and explained that Ivan stated that most of the companies will not put anything in a contract for releasing data.
The Commission agreed that it’s time to get away from Governmentor but wants the County to be covered in all areas before they switch. He wants to wait to hear back from the attorneys before making any moves. He stated that the money that is going to be spent is from the Taxpayers and he wants to make sure it’s being spent carefully.
Jim got a call from Sam Ulrich and they said they will be sending over an addendum to download and transfer data by Wednesday. They have rewritten the Contracts, and the Commission is going to review them.
Cathy Pittman came in and asked the Commission about the process of making some of her personal property into a personal burial site.
April 1, 2026 The Bates County Commission met with Presiding Commissioner Jim Wheatley, Northern Commissioner John Gray and Southern Commissioner Trent Nelson present.
Ellen Galab came in and addressed issues that she was having with the Assessor’s Office. The Commission was able to contact the DMV, make more sense of the situation and ease her mind until the Assessor's Office was able to distribute the waiver she needed, as their software was down. Jim went to Assessor's Office to check into the situation and there was nothing that could be done until the software was up and running again.
Christian Farris, with Viebrock, came in and presented a bid to the Commission. Great River had put out a bid for the Bridge #48500121 Project happening at County Road 3286. Great River expected another bid, but they never showed. The Commission was under the impression that Great River would be in attendance as well, so John called Zack Olivias and lined out the situation. Zach apologized, he was only planning on a follow-up call when the decision was made.
John made the motion to accept Viebrock’s bid. Trent seconded the motion. All were in favor. Motion carried. No opposition.
Kacie Robey, with the Treasurer/Collector Office, and Carl Bettels, with the Assessor’s Office, came into follow-up on the Software Bid progression. Meghan Robbins and Carolyn Lake joined alongside Carl and was accompanied by Lonny Duckworth and Troy Hendrix.
Right off the bat, Jim called for a motion to be accepted to sign the contracts for the Software. There was no second motion made. Two voted Aye in favor and one not voting.
Jim reminded Carl and Kacie to get with Ulrich and updated them that Ulrich is still waiting for the NDA to be signed by iNetVisions, their attorney is still looking into things before they sign. He then went over the contracts, reading the part that needed to be updated before they signed where they state there is a three-year contract and a data release agreement.
Trent spoke over conversations he had with other Commissioners and how they talked highly about Ulrich. Kacie then explained that she and Carl did her research and strived for software that was going to benefit the county best, they didn’t just jump into this. They needed something that isn’t as outdated and better customer service. She explained that she enjoys Gene, he’s just getting old. Carl then chimed in and mentioned that it’s about time for Gene to start thinking about retiring.
Chris Gach joined the meeting to observe.
Contracts were signed and they are going to make copies.
John asked Kacie if he could have a few minutes of her time, to which she happily said yes. John mentioned that he had seen some of her comments on social media about the HR contract that was explained in previous minutes. He explained to her when the Commission spoke about the HR contract, when HR came in and met with the Commission and when the contract was signed. Kacie mentioned that she appreciated the information and thanked John.
Several individuals from West Point, Homer and Prairie Townships came in and spoke once more about the Solar Farms that are to be joining Bates County. Chris Gach was still in attendance, as well.
These individuals were here to push the questions they had asked the Commissioners’ at the last solar meeting. Jim and John both were told by Clearway that they would be in attendance, but they were a no show. The Commission informed these individuals that they had no agreement with the Chapter 100 Bonds, and they haven’t had many conversations to speed up the process, just emails here and there.
There were mentions of Ordinances the Commission could pass if they go fully taxable, since no one expects these Solar Companies to back out.
Brent Bettels pushed the Commission, again, to be the ones to reach out and make the move to get a meeting put in place so the citizens can ask questions directly and get the answers they deserve.
The Commission also mentioned that they have not seen any contracts that the Solar Companies are giving the landowners or the neighboring landowners, so contracts were presented and copied for the Commission and any other individuals that wanted one. Chad Wiley also shared a map of where the panels will be located. The map was also copied and passed around to any individual that wanted one.
They spoke over reclamation and decommissioning bonds, again.
John said he did speak with Clearway to try and rush them and that is when they said they would be in attendance.
It was asked why this had been hidden, to which John replied that it had been in the minutes on Facebook. Jim asked the individuals to spread the word and get questions that they might have, to which an individual stated that it should be the Southern and Northern Commissioners’ job. John stated that they had been.
It was also noted that Ivan Schrader testified in Court that he was an employee of these Solar Companies and is currently in a lawsuit in Henry County. John noted such matters and stated he was going to investigate that and thanked Stan Klinksick for the information.
Chad asked when the Commission would get a contract from GilmoreBell, John said they are waiting for the Commission to get back with them and hoped they’d know more next week.
They spoke over numbers and percentages, but the Commission cannot give them a certain amount due to not having that information from the Solar Companies.
Chad asked if the Commission could send out letters to inform citizens about the solar farm project and to get meeting dates figured out, but John felt as if it would be best for the Solar Companies to do that, but agreed to do so.
Rock Marquardt came in and spoke to the Commission over the Solar Panels that are soon to take place in Bates County. He asked about how the assessment on the land will work and how it will be determined and the money this will bring to Bates County. They discussed zoning and John reminded him that Townships are their own Government, so they have the right to zone. John reassured him that he is not settling for a small amount, he is pushing for the most they can get for the county.
Jim told him that he drafted a letter that is going to be sent out to the citizens that reside in the Townships that the Solar Farms are located in.
Trent informed him about Wednesdays meeting about the Solar Panels and encouraged him to join and gather as much information as possible.
John made a motion for a one-time bid for metal and plastic culverts. Trent seconded the motion. All were in favor. Motion carried. No opposition.
The Bid sheet will be given to the Newspaper and emailed to previous companies that have bid on culverts in the past.
Gary Tolle came in after receiving a call from Trent about trees in the courtyard. He had previously spoken to the Commission about trees, but they had projects in the works and now that those projects are finished, they are ready to add trees.
Gary also mentioned redoing the Larry Berry Memorial Tree upon his own offering because it seems to not be doing too well and needs redone. He will be doing a walkthrough of the courtyard and placing marker flags to see where trees would look best and to see how many are needed.
Brent Bettels came in and spoke to the Commission. Jim presented the drafted letter he made to send out to townships to him and spoke over that.
Brent then mentioned that he has been seeing an uproar on social media about these Solar Farms and warned the Commission that the group that is worried with them coming to bates county is growing and they will now be meeting every Wednesday at 3:30 with the Commission, as well as Brent coming in every Monday at 2:00 to prewarn the Commission of questions and concerns that will be displayed during Wednesdays meeting.
Brent spoke over ways that the Commission can negotiate with the Solar Companies. He believes they should demand several different things like trees to block the view of the panels, a certain amount of feet away from the road or residence and to be maintained regularly. John asked Brent how far away from the road or neighboring residence the panels should be placed and Brent felt they should stand firm on a thousand feet.
John asked Brent why these individuals are not advocating for themselves, to which Brent replied that the citizens of Bates County are relying on the Commissioners to fight these companies for the citizens as they have more power than these citizens would. John agreed and reminded Brent that each Township is their own Government, they can choose to be zoned, but Brent reminded him that the process of getting a township zoned could not be done in time before the project started.
Brent says he will sleep better at night knowing that he has tried to be part of the process that made this benefit everyone rightfully. He then presented a list of questions that will be asked at the upcoming meeting on Wednesday.
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Bates County Court news
Fines do not include added court costs
City of Butler v Jewell Cochran- expired plates, fine $50.50
St v Richard Petrey- fishing without permit, fine $149.50
St v Jacob Hensley- seatbelt violation, fine $10.00
St v Scott Sawyer- speeding, fine $80.50
City of Butler v Ahmed Babar- defective equipment, fine $165.50
City of Butler v Joshua Schuman- expired plates, fine $50.50
City of Butler v Johnathan Tarvin- displaying plates of another, fine $50.50
City of Rich Hill v Nathaniel Driver- speeding, fine $120.50
City of Butler v Duane Scrogham- parking violation, fine $50.50
City of Butler v Zackary Underwood- fail to register vehicle, fine $50.50
City of Adrian v Mason Rusow- expired plates, fine $50.50
St v Tina Jones- speeding, fine $50.50
St v Vincent Shields- speeding, fine $50.50
St v Darius Harris- speeding, fine $50.50
St v Tristen Bowden- speeding, fine $120.50
St v Ryan Anderson- excess window tint, fine $50.50
St v Kevin Cockrum- possession of controlled substance, 5 years DOC, SES, 5 years probation
City of Adrian v Jacob Mumma- speeding, fine $120.50
City of Adrian v Kendall Bailey- expired plates, fine $50.50
St v Marcus Lemon- Felony D stealing, SES, 5 years probation
City of Rich Hill v Ashley Detienne- animal at large, fine $50.50
City of Adrian v Brian McGuire- fail to stop at stop sign, fine $60.50
City of Rich Hill v Ashley Detienne- no animal license, fine $50.50
St v Rose Smith- no working horn, fine $200.00
City of Butler v William Skinner- parking violation, fine $50.50
St v Patricia Alvarez- speeding, fine $120.50
St v Jose Alvarez- seatbelt violation, fine $10.00
City of Butler v Dennis Appleberry- parking violation, fine $50.50
St v Patricia West- fail to yield, 2 years supervised probation
St v Kathy Carver- speeding, fine $80.50
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