Obituary - Gordon E. Hendrix

Gordon E. Hendrix, 83 of Nevada, passed away on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at Freeman West Hospital in Joplin. Gordon was born on December 29, 1942, in Nevada to William H. and Bessie W. (Koehler) Hendrix. On October 7, 1961, he was married to Wilma R. Simpson and she survives of the home. Gordon was raised in Nevada and attended Nevada High School.

Gordon served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War where he was stationed in Alaska. He worked at 3M in Nevada for 30 years until his retirement. He loved fishing, carpentry work, and, most of all, being with his family.

Survivors in addition to his wife, Wilma, include two daughters, Kelly Butler (John) of Eldorado Springs, MO and Brandi Cassidy (Greg) of Nevada; nine grandchildren, Jonathon Butler, Jonelle Hoffman, Rilyn Taylor, Kendall Butler, Shanee Phillips, Megan Hendrix, Elizabeth Cassidy, Julia Buckley, and Teisha Graves; 27 great-grandchildren; a brother, Carl Hendrix (Joy) of Moore, Oklahoma; a sister, Bonnie Powell of Independence, MO; and numerous nieces and nephews. Gordon was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter, Sherry Hendrix; thirteen brothers; and 4 sisters.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am on Monday, March 9, 2026, at Ferry Funeral Home in Nevada with pastor Terry Mosher officiating. Interment with Military Funeral Honors will follow in Moore Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 3-5 p.m. on Sunday at the funeral home.

Those who wish may contribute in Gordon’s memory to Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO c/o Ferry Funeral Home.

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Obituary - Ronald Joseph McCunniff

Ronald Joseph McCunniff, 75, of Adrian, MO, passed away on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at Bates County Memorial Hospital. Full obituary and service information will be posted when it is available, courtesy Atkinson Funeral Home


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Obituary - Richard Lewis Mitchell

Richard Lewis Mitchell, of Cleveland, Missouri, passed away on March 2, 2026, at the age of 90, at Overland Park Regional Medical Center in Overland Park, Kansas. Per his wishes, a celebration of life will be held at a later date.

A complete obituary will be posted when it is available, courtesy Atkinson Funeral Home

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Hume Lady Hornets to make their first quarterfinal appearance since 1990

L-R: Coach Justin Wehar, Freshman Kyleigh Hubbard, Sophomore Kamee Snider, Junior Baileigh Rogers, Sophomore Addisen Rushing, Sophomore Lily Terry, Sophomore Jaylin Toms. Seniors Kenzee Snider, Talya McFrederick, & Evie-Lyn Lewis

The Hume Lady Hornets began postseason play on Wednesday, February 25th at Hume High School, where they took care of business against Drexel in the semifinal game by a score of 50-25. This win advanced the Lady Hornets to the fourth straight district championship game.  The Class 1 District 5 Championship game was a rematch from last season, Hume vs Appleton City.  Hume trailed by two points at halftime, with Appleton City starting the 3rd quarter on a 5-0 run.  By the start of the 4th, Hume had taken a one-point lead.  Hume outscored Appleton City in the fourth quarter 18-12, leading to a 48-41 victory over Appleton City, winning back-to-back District Championships.  

Hume then faced Green Ridge in the Sectional game on Monday at Butler High School.  At halftime, Hume led by one point, but a late 3rd quarter run by Green Ridge left Hume with an eight-point deficit to start the 4th quarter.  Hume came storming back late in the 4th quarter and edged Green Ridge by a score of 56-54. 

The Hume Lady Hornets will make their first quarterfinal appearance since 1990.

The Lady Hornets play St. Elizabeth on Friday, March 6th, at Lincoln High School at 6 PM.

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Harrisonville schools honor Douglas Meyer

As part of Board Appreciation Month, we are proud to recognize Douglas Meyer, president of the Harrisonville Schools Board of Education.

Douglas has served on the Board of Education for eight years. He is retired and shared that his motivation for serving on the board was the opportunity to give back and serve his community.

Looking ahead, Douglas is most excited about the continued impact of the district’s high-quality staff and their focus on doing what is best for each student’s educational journey.

When asked how board members work together to support the district’s mission, Douglas kept it simple: “We listen.”

One of his favorite Harrisonville traditions is Senior Day of Service, when students give back to the community that supports them.

Thank you, Douglas, for your leadership and dedication to Harrisonville Schools. We appreciate your continued service to our students, staff, and community.


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Two BCMH Employees Complete S.A.F.E. Instructor Training

Bates County Memorial Hospital recently sent two employees to specialized training in The S.A.F.E. Approach (Safety, Attitude, Focus and Empathy), a program designed to help healthcare teams prevent and safely respond to workplace violence.

Emergency Department Manager Troy Trumbore, RN, and Ronnie Smith, RRT, of the hospital’s Respiratory Department completed the course and are now certified S.A.F.E. instructors for BCMH.

“We will instruct staff on conflict management, de-escalation and critical thinking techniques,” Trumbore said. “We will also teach some basic self-defense moves along with ways to stabilize and control people who display violent behavior.”

Healthcare workers face a significantly higher risk of workplace violence than many other professions. Programs like the S.A.F.E. Approach help equip staff with practical tools to protect themselves while maintaining a safe environment for patients, visitors and coworkers.

BCMH plans to offer S.A.F.E. training to employees throughout the year.

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BCCHF Health Care Scholarship Applications Now Open

The Bates County Community Health Foundation (BCCHF) is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the BCCHF Health Care Scholarship. This $1,000 scholarship is awarded annually to Bates County residents who are pursuing a career in health care.

 
The scholarship is entirely funded through the foundation’s fundraising efforts and is designed to support students who have been accepted into an accredited health care program.

 
BCCHF Health Care Scholarship Criteria
To be eligible for the BCCHF Health Care Scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria: Reside in Bates County
Pursuing a career in the health care field
Proof of acceptance into a chosen health care program
Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 (provide a copy of transcript)
Demonstrate strong communication skills
Submit an essay explaining why they are pursuing a career in health care
Provide three letters of recommendation

 
Applications must be submitted no later than May 22, 2026.

 
The complete scholarship criteria and application form can be found at:
https://www.bcmhospital.com/foundation/bcchf-community-health-projects/

Printed applications are also available for pick-up at the Information Desk at:
Bates County Memorial Hospital
615 W. Nursery Street
Butler, MO 64730

 
For more information, please contact Katie Barbee at the Bates County Memorial Hospital Administration Office at 660-200-7072.

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'Gas station meds' under fire by Butler city council

All members present for the March 3 Butler city council meeting

Butler resident Bill Dellipaoli submitted state statutes and suggestions regarding issues at the Main street/Fort Scott intersection, as limited sight issues due to parking close to the intersection have drawn concerns as of late. Mayor Henry said he and the council will take the suggestions under advisement as the city works to better the situation. In the previous council meeting, Police Chief Jarrett Wheatley suggested installing a 'smoother' version of speed bumps on Main street to slow traffic close to the intersection; this may be the solution for now.

Guest Tim Lemm spoke before the council regarding his purchase of an over-the-counter pain medication he purchased at a Butler liquor store that left him with serious concerns. The product, called 7-OH, made him feel quite sick overall and highly recommended that others not take it. This began a discussion regarding 'gas station' drugs that are not regulated by the FDA however, are widely available throughout the state of Missouri. Police Chief Jarrett Wheatley agreed that this product, along with many others including Kratom, can be quite dangerous due to the fact they are not regulated; it is likely the city of Butler will ban the sale of 7-OH and possibly a few others in coming days. This may be an ongoing process as companies producing the products often change the formula which will require the city to ban those as well.

Recently someone dumped old furniture and other trash at the city compost site at the fairgrounds prompting the city to remind everyone this location is NOT a dump. Currently, police are trying to find the latest perpetrator(s) and will act accordingly. If the problem persists, the only option will be to close the compost site much to the dismay of those who use it properly.

Mayor Henry reported that the Zoning Board of Adjustment Commission had met earlier to consider a Home Occupation Variance for Thomas O’Connell. The commission determined that there would be a low impact on the neighbors and approved the application.

City Clerk Gayle Alexander reminded the council that she would be attending the MoCCFOA conference next week. She added that this was for City Clerks and that they always have good training.

Police Chief Wheatley gave an update for the Codes Enforcement department. He was disappointed in the results of the court docket because all of the cases were continued, which drags out the process and the city is hopeful this gets better with time.

Alliance Water manager Danny Lewis reported that he had been conducting a test trial with Heartland Environmental for sludge-eating bacteria at the water treatment plant. He saw that the ponds were lowered and could tell that it made a difference; so far the product seems to be working as advertised. This could certainly help in the future as the only other method to remove the sludge is by physical means.

Lewis also asked council about the Hertzog Meat Plant wastewater sampling. He needed to know who would be paying for sampling and whether Hertzog had a wastewater permit. He thought it would be up to the city to create guidelines and consequences if they couldn’t meet the regulations. Attorney Newell replied that he is currently working on a contract with Hertzog and would add this in. Mayor Henry suggested that engineers should be consulted and all should meet together and bring suggestions back to council.

Lewis then went over his February 2026 operations report and reported that a river pump motor starter has an issue and may need to be replaced. He will bring bids for council’s consideration in coming days.

Mayor Henry and other council members said they really enjoyed the Mock City Council meeting held by the Student Advisory Committee last week. Editor's note: this is a wonderful program that gives local students a portal to understanding the inner workings of city government as well as civics in general. Kudos to all involved!

Mayor Henry also went over a proposal from our engineers for preparing drinking water reports for the city. These particular federal regulations were new and our Water Distribution Foreman was not familiar with them. Henry also noted that this was for the Safe Water Act and the report was due by June 30. He asked Manager Lewis if he would check into this and he indicated that would.

Remember, the Butler city council meets on the first and third Tuesdays, 7 pm, at city hall. The public is highly encouraged to attend.