Bates County Memorial Hospital launches 2025 community health needs assessment

Residents Invited to Share Their Input by August 15

Bates County Memorial Hospital, in collaboration with local healthcare partners and community leaders, is updating the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) for Bates County, Missouri. This effort builds on previous assessments conducted in 2016, 2019, and 2022, and aims to identify current health needs and guide future improvements in healthcare delivery across the county.

To support this work, we’re inviting residents and business leaders to share their input through a short, confidential online survey, open now through August 15, 2025. Your feedback will help us evaluate what’s changed, what’s improved, and what still needs attention when it comes to health and wellness in our community.

An independent research firm, VVV Consultants LLC of Olathe, Kansas, is assisting with the survey and analysis.

You can access the survey by visiting the BCMH website, our Facebook page, or by using the QR code below.
https://bcmhospital.com/bcmh-health-survey-2025/

Save the Date:
A Community Town Hall to review the survey findings and help identify next steps will take place on Thursday, September 18, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. More details will be shared soon.

If you have questions about the CHNA process, please call 660-200-7313 and leave a message with your name and phone number.

Thank you for helping us shape a healthier future for Bates County.

Update on house fire in Rich Hill early this morning

 

Shortly after midnight, Rich Hill Fire was dispatched to the 600 block of Plum for a fully engulfed structure fire. Prior to arrival, the Rich Hill Fire Department immediately requested mutual aid, recognizing the significant extent of the blaze. Assistance was promptly provided by Butler Fire, Compton Junction Fire, as well as Bates County EMS.

Our dedicated fire personnel worked tirelessly throughout the night and into the early morning hours to bring the situation under control and extinguish the fire. Their coordinated efforts were crucial in managing this incident.

No injuries were reported with this incident. The cause of the fire appears to be electrical. -Courtesy Rich Hill Fire Department

Two from Adrian hurt in I-49 accident

According to a report filed by the Missouri Highway Patrol, around 6:15 yesterday evening an 11 year old female and 47 year old male from Adrian along with two passengers from Wright City, Mo received minor injuries when the 2025 GMC Sierra in which their were traveling struck the rear of a Jeep Cherokee that was stopped in the roadway near mile marker 148.2.

All, including the driver of the Jeep were transported to area hospitals for treatment. Both vehicles were totaled and towed from the scene.

Due to a policy change, the MSHP no longer provides names of victims in publicly available accident reports. Hardcopy detailed reports are available from the MSHP at a cost of $6 with an unknown delivery time due to a severe backlog, according to the MSHP website.

Firefighters again called to scene of house fire in Rich Hill

Friday evening, Rich Hill and Butler fire departments were dispatched to 620 E. Plum in Rich Hill on a reported structure fire that possibly ignited in an attic. Both were again called this morning on a rekindle and are currently on the scene putting out hot spots.

The exact cause of the fire is unknown and it appears both departments may be on the scene for an undetermined amount of time, use caution if traveling through the area.

Blast furnace like temps coming, mostly dry for the weekend

Obituary - Darrell Ford

Darrell Ford, 53, passed away on Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at his home in rural Sheldon, MO. Darrell was born on July 14, 1972 in Nevada, MO to Walter D. and Mary F. (Scholes) Ford.

     Darrell was raised in Sheldon and graduated from Sheldon High School in 1991.

After high school, Darrell worked at Thorco-Lamar for 8 years, then worked as a farm hand on various area farms, as well as Tim Feldman Kennels.  He served  5 years as a volunteer for the Sheldon Fire Department.  He loved metal scrapping and listening to country music.

     Survivors include his brother, Dwayne Ford, Sheldon, MO; his sister, Paula Bechtle, Nevada, MO; a niece, Camie Ford, Nevada, MO; and a nephew, Dustin Ford, Lockwood, MO.   He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Dennis Ford.

     Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 24, 2025 at Ferry Funeral Home with Shane McCaslin officiating.  Committal will follow at a later date in Sheldon Cemetery, Sheldon, MO.   In lieu of flowers, those who wish may contribute to the family in care of Ferry Funeral Home.

Obituary - George William Lolley

George William Lolley, Jr, age 66, of Nevada, MO passed away on Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at Nevada Regional Medical Center following a brief illness.  George was born September 29, 1958 in Nevada, MO to George William Lolley, Sr and Mary Ann (Sprenkle) Lolley.  He married Annabelle Cabangan on January 6, 1980 and she survives of the home.

     George was raised in Nevada and graduated from Nevada High School Class of 1976.   He served over 20 years in the U. S. Navy as a Seabee.  He worked as an operator for Murphy Brown for 20 years, later working at 3M for six years.

     George is survived by his wife of 46 years, Annabelle; his daughters, Anna Ball (Brad), Lamar, MO and Stephanie Haws (Phillip), Nevada, MO; 8 grandchildren, Ashlynn Ball, Kileigh Ball, Emmsley Ball, Malaki Edwards, Oliver Edwards, Addison Haws, Owen Ball and George Haws; a sister, Becky Dysart; two brothers, David Lolley (Kelly), Sheldon, MO and Robert Lolley (Tish), Joplin, MO; and numerous nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents, George Sr and Mary Ann Lolley; and 3 infant daughters , Crystal, Mary Ann, and Anna Marie Lolley.

     A visitation will be held Monday, July 21, 2025, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Ferry Funeral Home in Nevada, MO  . Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at Ferry Funeral Home with Teresa Vigueras officiating.  Interment will follow at Moore Cemetery in Nevada.

BCSO teams up with Nevada police, takes down child predator

In June 2025, Detectives with the Sheriff's Office took a report of a child sexual assault which spanned several states and multiple jurisdictions, to include Bates County.

Detectives in Bates County began working closely with Nevada, Missouri Police Department Detectives to gather information, locate witnesses and establish a timeline of the alleged assaults.

On 07/11/2025, Bates County Detectives submitted a probable cause statement and on 07/18/2025, the suspect, identified as Taylor Wayne Zander, was charged with the following:

2 counts of Statutory Rape or Attempted Statutory Rape 1st degree victim less than 12,

4 counts of Statutory Sodomy or attempted statutory sodomy- deviate sexual intercourse-person less than 12,

1 count of Child Molestation 2nd degree- child less than 12,

7 counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child Creating Substantial Risk- 1st degree- sexual conduct.

A warrant was issued by the honorable Judge Highley with a $1 Million Cash Only bond.

Zander was also charged in Vernon County and had an active warrant in their jurisdiction in relation to this case as well.

Nevada Detectives and Bates County Detectives requested assistance from the US Marshal Service in locating Zander, and on 07/17/2025, Zander was located and taken into custody by agents with the US Marshal Service.

This case is ongoing and no further information will be released at this time. If you have information about this case, or other crimes against children, please reach out to Detective Fishbaugh at (660) 679-3232.

Little Apple News

 

July 16, 2025

The Community Blood Center (CBC) is the primary provider of blood and blood components to 70 plus hospitals and medical centers in the Greater Kansas City Region.  CBC will conduct a life-saving blood drive on Friday, July 25 from 2:00-6:00 p.m. at Ellett Memorial Hospital, 610 N. Ohio St, Appleton City. Donors are encouraged to make an appointment by visiting savealifenow.org/group and using Group Code: EG2B but walk in donors are welcome.  For additional details, contact Julie Grubb at 660-476-5242 or Kayla Orear at 660-476-5214.

River of Life Fellowship hosts Third Sunday meetings each month called “All the More” meetings at 6:00 p.m.  Everyone is welcome to attend, and they will have a variety of “different kinds” of meetings over the year including singspirations, times of fellowship, formal and more informal times of worship.  Sunday, July 20, they are hosting a Worship Singspiration and encourage you to come and hear great music (and maybe bring a song or two to share as well).  They will enjoy some snacks and fellowship after the meeting.

Trinity Lutheran Church, Appleton City, Mo, will be hosting “Christmas in July” VBS July 21-24 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. They will be following the star to the cradle of our Lord. Join them for cool crafts, great music, and fellowship with friends. Dinner will be provided each evening. Registration begins at the door at 5:45 p.m. July 21. For their mission this year, they will be collecting non-perishable food for West Central Food Bank. 

The 2025 EMH Community Block Party will be Saturday, September 27, 2025, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  If you are interested in vendor space, please contact Kim Raybourn at 660-476-5236.  

Zink Motor Company is featured in the June 15, 2024 issue of Rural Missouri magazine.  A link to the article is https://ruralmissouri.org/drive-into-yesteryear/ Previous articles about local businesses include the Rustic Duck from January 2023, https://ruralmissouri.org/rustic-duck/ The AC Carousel from July, 2024 https://ruralmissouri.org/a-gift-for-the-kids-2/ and the awarding of “Kid Friendly Attraction” in “The Best of Rural Missouri 2024”,  April, 2024, https://ruralmissouri.org/best-of-rural-missouri-2024/

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 we encourage you to do so.  You may make donations at any of our community meetings, or feel free to contact one of the ministers serving in the ACMA for more information.  

The Appleton City Carousel is open Friday, Saturday, Sunday 4:00-7:00 p.m. until Labor Days weekend. The Carousel added the 35th state of Connecticut to their Visitors Map. States left to visit the Carousel are AK, AL, AZ, DE, HI, ID, IN, LA, ND, NJ, MT, PA, RI, SC, WY and Washington DC.  Six Countries have visited Belize, Denmark, Haiti, Italy, S. Korea and Spain. If anyone in the area has visitors from an unvisited state or country, Linda Lampkin is willing to meet them in off hours. Leave a message at 660-492-0131.

Growing In Grace Community Center, 117 W 4th St, ACMO is sponsoring a community dinner featuring food and music August 2.  Fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans, corn, homemade bread, salad bar and dessert will be served 3:00-6:00 p.m. Music will be provided by Freedom Tabernacle Church from Osceola and James Damon from 4:00-6:00 p.m. They will also have a kids’ fun day August  16 with food, games, cotton, candy, slushies and more, including balloon twister at 4:00 p.m. Both events are donation only.

The Appleton City Museum is open Friday afternoons 1:30-4:30 through September 26, with other times by chance or appointment.  Contact Susan at 660-464-0288.  New exhibits have been added including stained glass window from the original First Baptist Church and a beautiful framed mirror from Motts Food Locker in Rockville.  Bring your family to learn about Appleton City’s history

“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.

Ellett Memorial Hospital Appleton City offers outpatient specialist services for July, 2025. Call 660-476-2111 for appointments. July 16 – Upper GI, Colonoscopy-Dr. Namin, July 17– Podiatry- Dr. Pace, July 18 – Ortho- Laura Noble, FNP,  July 23 - Ortho-Dr. Gray,  July 25 – Dermatology – Dylan Timmerman, PA,   July 29– Rheumatology-Dr. John,  July 31-Neurology- Dr.- Shoaib. 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

July 20     River of Life Fellowship hosts Third Sunday “All the More” meeting 6:00 p.m.

July 21-24     Trinity Lutheran Church, ACMO, “Christmas in July” VBS 6:00-8:00 p.m.

July 25     Blood Drive at Ellett Memorial Hospital 2:00-6:00 p.m.

Local lunch program receives boost from Catholic Charities

The Butler Christian Ministerial Alliance has received a generous $2000.00 donation from the Catholic Charities, Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and has 'paid it forward' to Carpenters Cup to help defray the cost of the summer lunch program.  

The free lunch program was the brain child of the late Alvina Harrison-Wells to address the need for feeding school age children during summer vacation.  Carpenter's Cup distributes the sack lunches, Monday through Friday at the Bandstand on the Butler Square. 

Some 110 lunches are distributed daily courtesy of McDonald's, Sonic and Pizza Hut however, hand made lunches with ham sandwiches and other favorites are also part of the program. The $2000 donation will greatly help to offset costs according to Becky Clift of the Carpenter's Cup "We pack each lunch as a complete meal that includes a dessert and condiments, and it all adds up real quick."

She said it's not unusual to spend $700 per shopping trip even being as thrifty as possible. "Even though, we are blessed by this and all donations we receive. No one should miss a good, free meal and that's our goal."

While the boost from Catholic Charities greatly helps, it won't last long, according to Clift and anyone who would like to make any type of tax deductible donation should stop by the Carpenter's Cup in Butler or give them a call at 660-679-3333.

Obituary - Larry Dale Vogt

Larry Dale Vogt

January 17, 1945 - June 29, 2025

Funeral Service
Tuesday July 22, 2025
at 1:00 p.m.
Heuser Funeral Home
Graveside Interment
Balltown Cemetery • Horton, Missouri

Larry Dale Vogt was born January 17, 1945. Larry was a graduate of the class of 1963 at Rich Hill, MO. He was in the Army Reserves after graduation. He was a retired Accountant and Mortgage Broker. He passed away June 29, 2025 at his home in New Albany, IN. Larry was proceeded in death by his mother Nadine Seater, his sister Charlene (Vogt) Smith, and his step-brother, Bob Seater.

Car show in Butler postponed

 FOR ANYONE PLANNING to attend the car show on the Butler square this weekend, please note that plans have changed and the show will likely be held in September instead.

We will post info once it becomes available!

71 down, 94 to go

 

Five more Quilts of Valor were presented to area Veterans this morning during the monthly breakfast sponsored by Good Shepherd Hospice of Butler. Recipients were L-R: Jerry Crump, Wesley Cumpton, Chris Moree, Herman Schubert and David Williams. To date, Rocking Chair Quilts of Butler has presented 71 quilts and another 94 are in the works.

While the monthly breakfast is usually held on the third Friday at Happy Hill Church, note that the August breakfast will be held on the 22nd and if you would like to donate to the program contact Marsha at Rocking Chair Quilts by calling 660-679-2226.

Nationwide, over 416,000 Quilts of Valor have been presented since the program began in 2003; more information can be found HERE.

BCMH Announces Additional Community Meetings

Bates County Memorial Hospital (BCMH) has announced two additional community meetings following its successful series of summer town hall events in Adrian, Rich Hill, Butler, and Hume.

These meetings are part of the hospital’s continued effort to reintroduce residents to their local hospital — offering updates on services, addressing questions about healthcare access and sustainability, and opening the door for more direct communication between hospital leadership and the communities they serve.

The newly scheduled events include:

Amsterdam Area Community Talk
Tuesday, August 5 at 6:00 p.m.
Amsterdam Community Center, 8524 NW State Rt. Y, Amsterdam, Mo.
Residents of Amsterdam, Amoret, Virginia, and nearby areas are encouraged to attend for a conversation about local healthcare and hospital services.

Elected Officials Briefing
Thursday, August 21 at 6:00 p.m.
BCMH Education Center, 615 W. Nursery Street, Butler, Mo.
All city, county, and township elected officials in Bates County are invited to attend a focused briefing and open discussion on hospital operations, challenges, and future planning.

The August events build on the momentum of BCMH’s June community talks, which brought forward valuable questions about mental health care, EMS funding, physician recruitment, and hospital stability in today’s rural healthcare landscape. Leaders from across the organization were on hand to speak directly with attendees and share how the hospital is responding to these challenges and opportunities.

“These meetings have been a meaningful way for us to listen, share information, and connect with our community in a personal and transparent way,” said BCMH CEO Greg Weaver. “We’re grateful for the turnout and the honest questions we’ve received so far — and we’re looking forward to continuing those conversations this August.”

Please note: These corrected dates replace those included in an earlier announcement. BCMH appreciates the community’s attention and understanding.

For more information and ongoing updates, visit www.bcmhospital.com/news.

Obituary - Diane Bradley

 Diane Nadean (née Perry) Bradley of Columbia, Missouri, age 80, passed away on July 12, 2025, in St. Louis after a long illness. The immediate cause of death was heart failure.

Diane was born on November 8, 1944, in Nevada, Missouri to Nadean Adeline (née Smith) and James Ervel Perry and grew up in Rich Hill, Missouri. She graduated from Rich High School and Central Missouri State University with a degree in music education.

Diane had a difficult life. For decades, she suffered from nearly untreatable depression. At times, the disease was so consuming that it pushed out almost everything else. When the disease receded, she sold real estate, worked in a variety of odd jobs, and got to live the place that she loved most, the Florida Gulf Coast. She loved animals, nature, and was incredibly empathetic to the suffering of others.

Diane was very close to her parents and lived with them in Rich Hill at the end of their lives. During that time, she taught special education at Rich Hill Elementary.

She is survived by her two sons and their families: Colonel Matthew P. Bradley and his wife Lisa D. Bradley, Matt and Lisa’s children Bennet, Hayden, and Becket, Dr. D. Nathan Bradley and his wife Dr. Lyndsay B. Ball; her sister Carol and her husband Ron Johnson; and Diane’s ex-husband David D. Bradley.

Funeral Service will be held at 11 am, Saturday, July 19 at the Heuser Funeral Home.  Visitation will be from 10 am until service time.  Burial will follow at the Green Lawn Cemetery.

Butler’s Maddox Fennewald Selected for KCCBL All-Star Game

By Cody Morris, Tailgate TV

Butler native and alumni Maddox Fennewald was recently selected to play in the Kansas City Collegiate Baseball League (KCCBL) All-Star Game, highlighting a successful summer season on the diamond.

Fennewald, who currently plays for Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois, has made an impact both on the mound and in the field. He serves as a pitcher and shortstop for his college team and has spent his summer competing in the KCCBL against some of the top collegiate baseball talent in the Midwest.

During his time on the mound this summer, Fennewald pitched 23 innings and recorded an impressive 0.78 ERA, a statistic that reflects his dominance in limiting opposing teams’ scoring opportunities.

Earning a spot in the KCCBL All-Star Game is a significant achievement and a testament to Fennewald’s hard work, skill, and consistency throughout the season. The local community is proud to see a Butler product excelling at the next level and representing his hometown on the regional stage.

Fate of old Butler high school hangs in the balance

The exterior view doesn't reveal serious structural issues lurking inside the old Butler high school building leaving the city of Butler to make some costly, possibly painful decisions in the not-so-distant future

The roughly century old schoolhouse certainly holds many fond memories; currently serves some important tenants; and preserving this landmark has remained a priority since the city of Butler acquired it some 55 years ago however, due to its aging infrastructure, money will need to come from somewhere to repair it. Or worse yet, tear it down.

Discussions have been ongoing within the Butler city council for quite some time regarding exactly where to go from here and at current, major leaks in the roof are the cause of serious water damage to wooden joists and likely resulting in mold as well- compounding issues almost on a daily basis. Additional damage from leaking windows and other maintenance problems only add to the mix, according to information received as of late.

This week, yet another discussion was held that revealed some high priced solutions leaving the council to decide where to go from here as engineering estimates were quite a bit higher than anticipated- an educated guess upwards of possibly $100,000 to fix just the current issues, not including an unknown amount to other repair concerns found during renovation. Add to that, any long term solution should include replacement of windows, doors and other ancillary items to keep it dry and increase energy efficiency.

"At what point does it become a liability?" questioned Ward 4 councilman Scott Mallatt who likened it to the building on the southeast corner of the square that collapsed in 2015. Loose bricks could be a strong indicator of things to come and the first priority in any case is safety as City Administrator Corey Snead added that the engineering firm said that in their opinion, if action isn't taken, a roof collapse could be eminent within a 5 year or so time frame.

Those most in danger would be current tenants who are the Old High School Thrift Store, a quilting shop and the Adrian theater group who occasionally uses the gym for performances, as well as the annual Safety Village program. The possible displacement of these folks begged even more questions from those present. "The city would do whatever we can to help them find new locations" said Snead, in the event the building is recommended by engineers to be condemned, which is likely to happen if a resolution doesn't come fairly soon. 

He went on to explore options such as keeping the gym and taking down the rest, but costs could be staggering as a temporary wall would have to be built in the meantime. Ward 1 councilman Tim Young, in regard to keeping the gym, questioned that as Butler is slated to get a YMCA sometime in the future, would it be a good idea to sink money into an old building that couldn't compete anyway?

As the discussion ensued, councilwoman Doncella Liggins voiced  that in her opinion, it's not cost effective to keep it. Her sentiments came with sympathy, but added factors such as a cost of almost $25,000 a year just to keep the doors open (insurance, maintenance, etc.) also come into play as tenants currently don't pay rent. 

But as the math works out, whatever rent that could be received would be just a drop in the bucket towards mounting repair costs. 

Selling the old alma mater might be a solution for a buyer who 'thinks big' and could turn it into what works for them- Administrator Snead said that he has talked to a few prospects, but so far nothing has gelled and he'll press ahead in the meantime. He went on to emphasize that the key would be to find a buyer with the best of intentions to insure the "very best outcome possible for everyone".

It is likely this discussion will continue in the upcoming August 5th council meeting.

Attention 4-H'ers: Check out this new podcast

Linda Clinton is one of the hosts for the Missouri 4-H Fields of Knowledge Podcast and a dedicated educator with a deep passion for youth development and agriculture. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from Kansas State University and a Master’s in Agricultural Education from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

With 18 years of experience in education—13 of those as a high school agriculture instructor—Linda now serves as a 4-H Youth Development Specialist with University of Missouri Extension. Her work focuses on empowering young people to explore leadership, STEM, agriculture, and community service through hands-on, experience-based learning.

Linda brings her expertise and enthusiasm to the Fields of Knowledge Podcast to share inspiring stories, amplify youth voices, and highlight the many opportunities available in the ever-evolving Agriculture industry.

Find more information here https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576400452747

Obituary - Marie Ann Neece

Marie Ann Neece, 75, of Garden City, Missouri, passed away on Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Funeral services will be held at 11:00AM on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at the Atkinson Funeral Home in Harrisonville, Missouri, with a visitation beginning at 10:00AM. Burial to follow in the Peculiar, Missouri Cemetery. 

A complete obituary will be posted when it becomes available, courtesy of Atkinson Funeral Home.

Today's schedule for the Cass county fair