WANTED someone to mow, rake and bale my 100 acres of hay. 660-679-5928 leave message
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Thursday, April 16, 2026
Dangerous weather possible on Friday
*Friday* is actually the greatest chances for the strongest severe weather we've seen yet.
It's coming at a bad time - we're all in storm fatigue.
Some of us have it worse with already 3 and soon to be 4 confirmed tornados in our immediate area.
Relax today - there's nothing to worry about today.
Tomorrow is a day to have a plan for sure.
Timing: Mid afternoon to evening; but check back for updates.
Spread the word.
In the meantime, have a great day today.
Brought to you by State Line Group a local vendor for storm shelters!
-Greg@660weather
#MidAmericaLive
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Lengthy discussion regarding solar farms held in Bates County Commission chambers
Christina Landis came in to represent Amsterdam. She asked if there will be a meeting with Clearway, the Solar Company, and if he had an idea of when. John told her that there is a meeting to be held later today and they will hopefully have a date and will release that information as soon as possible.
She warned the Commission that Amsterdam is going to want compensation for being surrounded by these panels. John then reassured her that he had spoken to the Mayor and told him to inform the people of the huge impact of the streets and businesses.
John spoke with the Mayor about a possible sewer issue, asphalt on the streets, the park and much more.
Christina worried about the solar farms raising the residents electric bill, but John told her that these solar panels will be putting electricity into the grid so it will not affect their bill in any way. She then brought up the concern of the land value decreasing to which John told her that Clearway is willing to compensate for that.
Jim said that he would like to see the City of Amsterdam have their own meeting to come together and form a list of questions that they can give Commission so they can pass it along to Clearway so they can know what questions need answers at the town hall meeting.
John asked her about the sewer pump issue and if it ever got fixed and told her of some grants for the city and gave her contact information.
Jim told her to call him if she ever needs anything, as she’s had his number, and took her number down as well. He then mentioned that he really means it and he’s not just saying this because it’s an election year. He is tired of hearing people say that he’s “doing this and that” because he’s up for election. He would rather people not wait until last minute to call and then tell him he's only helping because he is running for reelection. He says that is “B.S” and explained that he has always fought for Amsterdam, Hume, Rich Hill, etc. this whole time. People have had his number for years and have never reached out. Jim encouraged Christina, again, that if she had any issues, she needs to contact him and not wait until last minute. He then claimed that even if he had not run again, he would still be fighting for them until the end of his term, as this is not about politics and the people should be able to tell that from everything he has done since he has been in office.
Jason Morris joined near the end of the meeting to observe and learn what is going on with the Solar Farms.
Jim then stated that he wanted it on record that John left towards the end of the meeting to attend another meeting that the other Commissioners were not aware of, dealing with Solar. Jim is tired of John getting up and leaving for other meetings during a scheduled meeting with the Commission.
Kelly Ast, with New Growth Transit, came and spoke to the Commission. They are transporting individuals across 22 Counties and are now Brokers with Medicaid. They have three Volunteers here in Bates County that have traveled 9,000 miles in less than 12 months, Bates County Memorial Hospital being the top destination.
They always try their best to get individuals from their home to their requested destination and back home. They had to pick up individuals that had no way to get home from their appointment because the OATS bus dropped off the individual and did not take them back home.
They run 7 days a week and will pull other recruits from surrounding counties if they need to. Dispatches are out of their office in El Dorado, Missouri. Each driver has a tablet that they log miles on to keep everything tracked.
Kelly shared some of the Individuals testimonies and told the Commission about Companies that sign them on to get their employees from home to work and back.
Jana Rosier, with Osage Valley Electric, came and asked the Commission about the progression on the EEZ Board. Jim updated her. John showed her SB849.
Barry Matchett, Head of External Affairs with Clearway Energy, came and spoke with the Commission and other individuals that joined. Homer Township Residents, West Point Residents, Chris Gach, and Jason Moore and Rock Marquardt.
Barry introduced himself and explained that there is an increase in demand for the grid located in Western Missouri. Whatever land they lease will not be full of Solar Panels, they use approximately 60-70 percent of the land. The land is under a negotiated period determined by the landowner with the privately owned company.
These Solar Farms are expected to last up to thirty years. After the life span has run out, there is an option for renewal if the landowner agrees and if the land was determined usable for another negotiated amount of time. If not, they will start the decommission process, taking down the panels, removing the eye beams from the ground, concrete pads will be removed, and the ground will be reformed. The cost of the decommission will be covered by the bonds that will be set in place, under the responsibility of the Solar Company. The decommissioning bond is suggested to be updated every five years that way there is certainty that there is enough to cover the decommission when the time comes.
If the Solar Company were to dissolve, all the debt and agreements will be sold, and the new project LLC would have to honor them.
Barry explained that there isn’t much of a fire worry, as there are only plastic covered wires being run on the back side of the panels and oil that runs in the transformer. If something were to go up in flames, there will be a team that is trained to deal with it until Emergency Personnel arrives to handle the situation. The expense of Emergency Personnel Response can then be covered by the Community Benefit Fund that will have Board Members that are Bates County Residents that will be able to decide what the money should best be used for.
Chapter 100 Bonds are very important. Without Chapter 100 Bonds, Bates County would not receive anything. Will this increase taxes? Yes, but Chapter 100 Bonds make sure that it’s a normal amount, and the State cannot touch it. These Bonds will be purchased by Clearway’s Investors.
Barry was unsure if Clearway paid property tax and sales tax, but he said he would get an answer.
The electricity that is produced goes into the grid and that same amount is bought and pulled out by Google. This doesn’t touch the surrounding electric bills; they will stay untouched.
If/When Bates County Sheriffs respond to these Solar Farms, they will only see any income from them on a county level. They only receive funding through sales tax.
Replacing these Solar Panels is an easy task. They are easily popped off and popped back on. The only two parts that move are safely engineered so there is nothing that can break these solar panels. If there is a wild storm that should happen, the panels will turn at an eighty-eight-degree upright position and the rain, sleet or hail will roll off and leave the panels undamaged. If anything is ever damaged, the on-sight team will take care of it as soon as possible, as there is a certain amount of energy that Clearway is expected to put out. Therefore, they need all the panels to stay in good shape and able to produce daily.
Everyone’s start dates are different, but they do have agreements already met and can start as soon as they’re able. They cannot disclose the expected amount of revenue, but Barry informed the group he did not know the amount anyway.
The Townships will be gathering a list of things that the town needs and things that are going to benefit the people.
They are expecting to be in working production by 2028.
This will not cause the La Cygne Power Plant to shut down.
There will be a town hall meeting held at Miami School District on the 27th of April at 6:30 pm.
Homer/West Point Residents came to meet with the Commission about Solar Farms. Barry was kind enough to stay and answer questions and reassure the Residents that have rightful concerns. He introduced himself once more.
Chad Wiley asked the Commission when the Decommissioning Bonds will be written, to which he was informed that they will be written with the Road Use Agreement. They previously had agreements with NextEra, a different Solar Company that was wanting to build Solar Farms in Bates County around the same area. He then asked about the property value and how these solar farms are going to decrease that. By Chads research, he discovered major decreases. Barry and John told him that his research was off pieces of land that were assessed differently due to it being from different cities, but Chad reminded them that 10% is 10%. John agreed and Barry told him that it is unsolvable, as of right now.
Chad then asked how the townships and the solar companies can get along. Barry told him that the Good Neighbor Agreement would be a start. Chad then pointed out all the restrictions and absurd things that the contract held. Barry acknowledged a few typos that needed changed but also told Chad to negotiate the contract and that they will work hard to make sure everyone benefits from this. One typo was 100 years when it should have been 30 years. Barry was asked if some people had already signed the contracts with the typos to which he said could be possible.
As others joined the meeting, some of the same questions were asked from last meeting like weather issues and fire hazards. Andy Dudley asked why there was no mention of silt fences, retention ponds and erosions issues. Barry informed him what the soil does and reassured them that very little soil is moving, and onsite workers will tend to erosion once they see it happening. Andy then informed Barry of how the soil works and informed him of his knowledge of the specific land they are putting these solar panels on, and Barry asked for his contact information and said he wanted to speak with him furthermore to learn more from him.
Judith Johnston asked the Commission when there was an environmental study done and when they caught wind that these Solar Companies wanted to come to Bates County, they informed her it was in 2023. She then asked why there wasn’t a single town hall meeting informing these residents about such matters. John asked why their neighbors and friends didn’t inform others, to which Linda reminded them that individuals who signed with these companies also had to sign an NDA and couldn’t speak about it.
Township residents want to see the Road Use Agreement before the Commission signs it.
Substation will be South of Lacygne Power Plant and will be built by Evergy. The energy will be transferred underground to the Substation. John will be here Wednesday to be of help during the next Township resident meeting.
#MidAmericaLive
Severe thunderstorm warning in effect until 5 PM for northern Bates County
A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for northern Bates County until 5 PM.
A tornado watch is in effect for Bates County until 9 PM tonight.
#MidAmericaLive
#MidAmericaLive
Little Apple news
April 15, 2026
National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) is observed annually on April 16 to educate people on the importance of advance care planning. NHDD encourages individuals to express their wishes regarding healthcare to their family and providers. This information can be shared with the providers you go to, clinics and hospitals you use, and specialist you use. Appleton City Rural Health Clinic will be providing information on Advance Directives and Durable Powers of Attorney. Thursday, April 16 from 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in their waiting room
The A.C. Spring City Wide Garage Sale dates are set for April 24 & 25. Permits are $5 and can be purchased at City Hall beginning Monday, April 6 through Tuesday, April 21. Permits to set up in the City Park are $25 for the pole shelter, $15 for the stage, $10 for lawn permits and these fees cover both days. Park permits can also be purchased at City Hall on a first come, first served basis and cannot be reserved by phone. Maps will be available at Food Fair, Casey's, Fika and Powell’s True Value beginning Thursday afternoon. House of Joy Ministries will be at the City Park on Saturday from 3:00-5:00 to collect donations, but may leave earlier if the trailer is full. For questions, please contact Dianne Foster at 660-679-1125.
If anyone has any items leftover from garage sales, or just have things to donate, Growing In Grace Community Center accepts donations, and they use all proceeds towards blessing the community! They can also come pick them up. All proceeds will go towards funding to help the community, such as delivering meals, community dinners with music, kids’ fun day, lawn care, a community garden with fruit trees, back to school supplies, haircuts, clothing, personal items and more.
A program to help residents launch licensed home-based child care programs is now accepting applications. Participants receive guidance, training, mentorship and up to $2,500 to help prepare their homes. Only four participants will be selected. Learn more at an informational webinar at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 28. To apply by May 15 or learn more, contact the New Growth Women’s Business Center at info@newgrowthmo.org; www.newgrowthmo.org Read more at: https://www.newgrowthmo.org/.../start-your-family-child...
Ellett Memorial Hospital invites you to join them for a retirement reception celebrating Beverly Johnson and her 50+ year career at Ellett Memorial Hospital. It will be held 2:00p.m. Friday, April 24, in the hospital’s Conference Room.
AC PTO is collecting Food Fair receipts and Best Choice UPC labels until April 30. Food Fair receipts need to be from January, 2026 to the present. If they are older, they cannot be submitted. Please send them with students or place them in a plastic bag or envelope and drop them off in the Elementary School Office, St. Clair County State Bank with Janet Payton or Little Apples Learning Center by Friday, April 30. This on-going fundraiser raises a substantial amount of money for PTO to use for the children's classroom trips and teacher requests for supplies. Please keep collecting through the summer. The next collection date will be in September.
The Appleton City Public Library is hosting a Rubber Ducky Decorating Contest. Adults and children are encouraged to participate for a chance to win a prize. It is free to enter and for those who would like to vote on their favorite ducky, it is $1 a vote or $5 for 6 votes. Get your ducky and vote in person at the Public Library. The decoration deadline is May 11 and the voting deadline is May 27. Winner(s) will be announced June 1.
Growing In Grace Community Center will be doing something different for the month of May. May 2nd, they will be delivering meals to the community at 2:00 p.m. The menu is not available yet. There will be no community dinner with music. May 9th, they will have a Mother's Day Tea Party at 3:00 p.m. with china tea sets, lots of goodies to eat and a little something special for Mothers because they are so special! So please come, bring your Mother's and let's celebrate them!
The Yellow Rose Day is coming so residents of the Appleton City area your support is needed in placing the over 2000 yellow silk rosebuds on the oldest graves in the Appleton City Cemetery in time for Memorial Day. Roses will be placed on Thursday May 14, 2026 at 8:00 a.m., with a rain date of Friday, May 15, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. All individuals, families, clubs or groups are welcome. For information, contact: Kathy Gengler, 660-492-7065, Pam Bartz, 417-321-4177, Donald Yoss, 660-492-7218 or City Hall, 476-2631.
The Annual "Little Ladies Dance" will be held Saturday, May 2 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Appleton City School Commons Area. Any preschool age to 6th grade Little Ladies from Appleton, Hudson, Montrose and any other surrounding schools are invited to bring their best dancing partner out for a night of dancing. The theme this year is "Pretty In Pink". Admission (at the door) per couple is $20, with an additional $5 per extra family member.
Ellett Memorial Hospital Appleton City offers outpatient specialist services for April, 2026. Call 660-476-2111 for appointments. Thursday April 16 – Podiatry – Dr. Pace, Wednesday April 22 – Orthopedic- Dr. Gray, Wednesday April 22 – Ophthalmology, Dr. Soni, Friday April 24 – Dermatology- Dylan Timmerman, PA, Tuesday April 28 - Rheumatology-Dr. John, Thursday April 30– Neurology- Dr.- Shoaib, Friday, May 1 – Dermatology- Dylan Timmerman, PA, Wednesday, May 6 – Upper GI, Colonoscopy-Dr. Namin, Thursday, May 7 - OB/GYN- Dr. Kallberg, Friday, May 8 – Orthopedic-Dr. Gray, Tuesday, May 12 - Rheumatology-Dr. John, Wednesday, May 20 – Upper GI, Colonoscopy-Dr. Namin, Friday, May 22 – Orthopedics- Laura Noble, FNP, Wednesday, May 27 – Orthopedic- Dr. Gray, Wednesday, May 27 – Ophthalmology, Dr. Soni, Thursday, May 28– Neurology- Dr.- Shoaib, Friday, May 29 – Podiatry – Dr. Pace.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
April 16 NHDD presentation at AC Rural Health Clinic 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in their waiting room
April 18 ACHS Prom
April 24-25 AC Citywide Garage Sales
The AC FFA is holding their spring plant until the end of school. The FFA greenhouse will be open for business from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on any day school is in session. Just stop by the Ag Building for assistance. The FFA has garden vegetables and flowers for sale such as tomatoes and peppers, as well as potting flowers like petunias, annual vinca, impatiens and geraniums. Flowers and vegetables can be purchased as packs, individuals or as hanging baskets. Photos and information about all the items available in the greenhouse are located on the school website, as well as the Facebook pages. Costs are $2/packs, and $15/hanging basket or 3 hanging baskets for $40. For more information, feel free to give Mrs. Leiber a call at 660-424-3668.
Appleton City residential spring cleanup will take place Tuesday, April 28 – Thursday, April 30. Large dumpsters will be located at the Public Works Building, 110 S. Maple (across from the swimming pool). You will be responsible for getting your items into the roll-off containers. There will be 1 20 yard roll-off container for appliances, TV’s, computers and monitors available and 2 30 yard roll-off container will be available for sofas, carpets and other approved wastes. No tires, liquid paint, batteries, motor oils, concrete, cleaning solvents or yard waste can be accepted.
Ellett Memorial Hospital Auxiliary is hosting an open to the public Book and Gift Fair located in the Out Patient Hallway from 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Thursday, April 16. Just in time for Mother's Day and graduation season, you can pick up some gifts, stock up on your summer beach reads or get yourself a little something just because. Payments accepted are cash, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Golden Apples will meet at 5:00 p.m. April 16 at Farmhouse Kitchen banquet room. This week's menu is fried fish and fried potatoes. Please bring sides and deserts to compliment the fish and potatoes. Come enjoy the food, fellowship and fun.
Montrose VFW Post 8820 offers the 2026 Poker Run on April 25. $25 is due at registration. $10 extra hand. Registration on the day of is 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. First car leaves out at noon. Proceeds go to memorial benches for the front of the building. To pre-register, go to the Montrose VFW 8820 Facebook page. Contact Post Commander Jason Brashears at 660-492-9894 for more information.
Ellett Memorial Hospital Foundation is sponsoring a raffle to support local healthcare. You can buy tickets to enter for the chance to win 1/2 a hog. Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20. There will be two chances to win and winners will be drawn at the AC Fair on June 13. The hog was donated by Ethan Bracher family and processing by Murray’s Butcher Block. All money raised will support local healthcare through Ellett Memorial Hospital.
St. Clair County Quilt Guild again this year will sponsor a Quilters and Crafters Day Out 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. on May 2nd. This year it will be at the Assembly of God Church, 3845 Old Hwy 13, Osceola, MO. (Next to Osceola Cheese). There will be a trunk show, 15 vendors, games, a guest speaker, demonstrations, a food court and more. Admission is free.
The Appleton City High School Alumni Luncheon will be held Saturday, May 23, 2026 at 11:30. They are missing a class contact for the classes of 2016 and 2021. Reservation/meal is $15 in advance $20 at the door. , Mail reservations to Patty Purvis Young, 101 E. 3rd St., Appleton City, MO 64724. Please include class year and names for each person attending.
The Appleton City Museum would like to list owners of century farms in their area farm owners of 100+ years. Contact acmolampkin@yahoo.com or voice message 660-492-0131. They will assist you in filing an on-line application to the University of Missouri Extension site OR only be listed (with no fee) in the Appleton City Museum (12 mile radius). Eligibility is ownership by any and all family members for 100 years and income from farming (renting is acceptable). MU requires documentation and a fee. Be proud to be a pioneer family. Your story is priceless.
In this, the 250th year of the independence that our first military fought and won for US, DbarJ Quilts etc, along with Marge Zink, will have at least 3 drawings for quilts this year. There will be no cost to sign up. You need to be a veteran and have a name and phone number. You or a friend/family member can call Marge at 660-207-8063 or Joyce at 660-679-1809 or drop by DbarJ Quilts etc in Rockville, MO to give them your name. Drawings will be Flag Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day.
The Appleton City Ministerial Alliance meets throughout the year providing community services and opportunities for the area churches to gather together for worship. Additionally, the ACMA helps people through the region in a variety of ways. In 2023 the ACMA founded the Tony Reynolds Memorial Scholarship, which is a $1000 scholarship awarded locally to an area student pursuing continuing education post-high school. Some in the community have asked about the ability to make donations directly towards the scholarship fund that are not used in other ACMA endeavors. At any time, you may make donations towards the ACMA and they encourage you to do so. You may make donations at any of their community meetings, or feel free to contact one of the ministers serving in the ACMA for more information.
The Ellett Memorial Hospital Foundation was established in 2000 by a local couple to benefit and carry out the purposes of Ellett Memorial Hospital. The Foundation has played a major role in the Hospital’s recent renovation/expansion project. The Foundation is a 501c3 organization and plays an important role in ensuring the future of the Hospital by providing an avenue for individuals, groups and corporations to lend their financial support through tax-deductible contributions. The Ellett Memorial Hospital Foundation would like to extend an invitation to the community to assist with this project. They would like to welcome all current and past members of the community and service area to make a donation to the Ellett Memorial Hospital Foundation. Donations can be restricted or non-restricted for use as the donor identifies. Recognition will be given for all contributions. For further information, contact Julee Snyder, Ellett Memorial Hospital, 660-476-211.
“The Little Apple” was started by the A. C. Economic Development as way of informing residents of news and events sponsored by area businesses and organizations. Items of a clearly personal nature, such as birthdays, anniversaries, awards (not group sponsored), personal sales and the like are not accepted for publication. Items may be edited for accuracy, grammar or space restrictions. Please email articles for “The Little Apple” to dcp81@embarqmail.com by Tuesday evenings or bring them to Dr. Payton’s office to be included in that week’s edition. To receive "The Little Apple" free by e-mail, or to be removed from the email list, send your e-mail address to dcp81@embarqmail.com If you have changed your email address, please send the current address, so the list can be updated.
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Taylor Brown named Rising Star Teacher of the Year
Congratulations to the 2026 Harrisonville Schools Rising Star Teacher of the Year, Taylor Brown, 5th-grade teacher at McEowen Elementary Wildcats
Sponsored by the Community Bank of Harrisonville, the Rising Star Award recognizes teachers in their first five years who are already making a meaningful impact on students.
Taylor is in her fifth year of teaching, including four years in the district. In her finalist essay, she shared, “Teaching is not just a career for me. It is something I care deeply about because it allows me to build relationships, help students grow academically and personally, support my colleagues, and make a lasting impact beyond my own classroom.”
Congratulations, Taylor—we are proud to celebrate the difference you are making each day!
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