Obituary - Ada Drury

Ada Imogene "Jean" Drury, 94, of Archie, Missouri, passed away on Thursday, August 7, 2025, at her home in Archie. A visitation will be held on Monday, August 11, 2025 from 10:00 to 11:00 AM at Atkinson Funeral Home in Harrisonville, MO. A private family burial will take place at Crescent Hill Cemetery in Adrian, MO.

Jean was born on September 12, 1930, in Harrisonville, MO, south of the square. Jean was the daughter of John and Ada Alice (Oram) Osborn. She grew up in the Everett community and attended Oak Grove grade school. She then attended Harrisonville High School and graduated in 1948. Jean married Robert L. Drury on August 15, 1947, at the First Baptist Church in Harrisonville and celebrated their 60th wedding before Robert's passing on February 13, 2008. They were life long residents of Archie, MO, living in the big white house across from the grain elevator for over 40 years.

Jean worked briefly at Bendix, earned her cosmetology license, and raised five children. She enjoyed arranging flowers, crocheting, and sewing. She and Bob enjoyed going to Branson. They had season tickets to Silver Dollar City to see the craft shows and enjoy the music. Most of all, Jean loved to bowl and became a very good bowler. Jean and Bob enjoyed being in bowling leagues and she continued to bowl in multiple leagues 3 to 4 times a week until Covid forced her to stay home. She won many trophies for her bowling abilities and gained good friends through this sport that kept her active.

Jean was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bob; and a brother, Billy John Osborn. She is survived by her five children: Robert Drury and his wife, Vickie, of Harrisonville, MO; Gary Drury and his wife, Rose, of Archie, MO; Deborah Nichols and her husband, James, of Murfreesboro, TN; Rick Drury and his wife, Cindy, of Archie, MO; and Bill Drury and his wife, Diane, of Adrian, MO; six grandchildren: Shannon (Melissa) Drury, Brandon Drury, Chris (Jen) Nichols, Clay Nichols, Doug Drury, and Molly (Benny) Palmer; and three great-grandchildren: Alexis Drury, Quinn Palmer, and Max Palmer.

Ballard schools welcome new teachers

 

Please welcome to the Bulldog Family, Jessica Bailey (left) and Amanda Davis (right). Mrs. Bailey will be teaching our 4th/5th grade combo class and Mrs. Davis will be teaching SS/History for 7th-12th grade.

Thunderstorms possible through Monday

Ellett Memorial Employee of the Month

 

Congratulations to Ellett Memorial Hospital August Employee of the Month, Tiffany Harris, RN! Tiffany has been working at EMH in Med-Surg for 5 years. She was nominated for employee of the month due to the strong impact she has made while mentoring a co-worker who is new to the nursing field. The nomination reads:

"As a new nurse fresh out of school, I have found their support to be absolutely vital to my growth and success. This person consistently demonstrates patience, professionalism and a genuine commitment to mentoring. They have taken time to teach me, guide me, and help me build confidence in my clinical skills as I transition into my role. Their encouragement and support have created an environment where I feel empowered to learn and thrive. This employee is an excellent colleague and a true asset to our team."

Missouri says 'buh bye' to temporary license tags

Missouri is eliminating temporary license plates, also known as "temp tags," starting this month. A new state law will phase out the use of temp tags as part of a broader change to the vehicle registration process. 

Previously, qualified dealers could issue temporary permits for a period of 60 days upon the sale of a vehicle. However, this practice will be discontinued.

The change is part of a new state law that aims to address issues with expired temp tags, which were costing the state millions of dollars in lost revenue as taxes often go unpaid. Previously, dealers could issue temporary permits for 60 days upon the sale of a vehicle. These permits were not available for purchase and became invalid once an application for title was submitted.

Upon passage of Senate Bill 28, which will take effect on Aug. 28, vehicle buyers in Missouri will be required to pay sales tax at the dealership where the vehicle is purchased before the vehicle can be driven away.

For private sales, buyers will continue to take their bill of sale to any Missouri license office to pay sales tax. At that point, buyers will get a paper copy of their new license plate and a permanent metal plate with the same number configuration will be received by mail a short time later.

Although SB 28 will go into affect later this month, it will take up to 2 years overall to fully implement the program. 

Cass County well represented at Missouri State Fair

Congratulations to 2025 Cass County Fair Queen, Tyne Wilson (far right), for receiving 3rd Runner Up at the Missouri State Fair Queen Contest.

Along with being selected as the 3rd Runner Up, she also won the interview portion of the contest. Fantastic job, Tyne!

Attention parents of Rich Hill elementary students

 Rich Hill Elementary School will be hosting "Meet the Teacher Night" on Thursday, August 14th from 5:30 - 6:30 pm. All students in gradesK-5 and their parents are invited to attend.

All returning students in grades K-5 will need to update student information (phone number, emergency contact updates, etc.) and complete the online registration in TeacherEase. All new students in grade K-5 will need to stop by the elementary office beginning the week of August 4th to initiate registration/enrollment.

The first day of school is Tuesday, August 19th. School hours are 7:56 am to 2:56 pm. Breakfast is serviced from 7:35 am to 8 am. Drop off students that will be eating breakfast at school by 7:40 am to ensure they have enough time to eat before 7:56 am when breakfast is over.

Obituary - Brent Justin Gunnels

Brent Justin Gunnels, 38, of Freeman, MO, passed away unexpectedly on August 3rd in a vehicle accident in Harrisonville, MO. Born in Kansas City, MO, Brent grew up in Harrisonville and Archie.

He graduated from Archie High School in 2005. Brent was adventurous and well-traveled, which played a significant role in shaping his career as a self-made chef. His passion for cooking turned into a successful profession, specializing in wood-fired pizza and various culinary creations that he enjoyed making for family, friends, and customers.

Brent was deeply loved by his family, friends and community for his caring nature. Thoughtful and introspective, he approached life in his own unique way. As a visionary, he was well-read and knowledgeable. He found joy in cooking, engaging in conversations with friends, writing, and creating. Brent enjoyed crafting one-of-a-kind recipes, videos, and written works.

Brent is survived by his mother, Deborah Nowak (Tom); brother, Wayne Gunnels (Kara); sister, Bridget Gunnels DiMercurio (Paul); nieces, Bella DiMercurio, Cecilia DiMercurio, and Amelia DiMercurio; aunts, Renee Burrows (Steve), Thresa Gunnels-Mays (Rob); close friend Jillian Murden as well as many loved cousins, and friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Glenn Gunnels, and both paternal and maternal grandparents.

Brent will be deeply missed by everyone who knew him. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all who have supported his family during this difficult time.

In memory of Brent, and in lieu of flowers, please consider donating to a charity of your choice in his name.

A celebration of life visitation will be at Dickey’s Funeral Home in Harrisonville, MO on August 16, 2025, from 2-3:30 pm. This will be followed by a time for food and conversation, TBD.

Dog owner sought in Appleton City

 If anyone knows whom this dog belongs to please contact City Hall at 660-476-2631 or the Police department at 660-464-4634. She is currently at H&E Veterinary Clinic.

If not claimed in 5 days we will start accepting applications for adoption.

Severe Weather Outlooks for Saturday evening & Sunday

Wind gusts are the primary severe-weather threat, and we could see some strong to severe storms in both rounds.

Storms should be efficient rainfall producers - meaning concerns for some areas who might receive too much over too short a time again.

-Greg@660weather

One of the reasons we can't have nice things...

Editorial comment

Just recently the Butler Fire Department was summoned to Douglas Park in east Butler on a report that a plastic porta potty was on fire; this came on the heels of spray painted graffiti at the North (Sensory) park on Mill street that required a day's worth of work to clean up. 

These reports are only the latest of what seems to be on a regular basis, police and fire are called to one of Butler's city parks on a report of vandalism. In fact, the Sensory park has had more than its share of such vandalism despite being surrounded by plenty of homeowners which begs even more questions.

Is no one watching? Should police patrols be stepped up even more? How about strict penalties for those caught?

If you recall, some very nice playground equipment was destroyed at the Ohio Street Methodist Church by an intentional fire. It came at a huge cost and the person(s) responsible walked away without consequence.

Although costs associated with cleanup and replacement is enough to deal with, the better question is why do we no longer have pride in our community? Why is there a desire to destroy something? Dr. Phil would agree there is something very wrong in your life and furthermore, if someone destroyed something of value to you, it is guaranteed you would be quite upset.

Butler isn't the only spot on the map with these issues. In fact, it has become somewhat fashionable to destroy things and put the video on social media which only aggravates the problem.

Solution? As mentioned above, step up police patrols if at all possible and furthermore, we all need to be vigilant and call police if we see anything suspicious anywhere around town.

Then, push for a maximum penalty for those caught. Without discipline, it will continue to happen. Just ask Dr. Phil.

Doug Mager

BCMH Elected Officials Briefing – You're Invited

Bates County Memorial Hospital invites city, county, and state officials to a special Elected Officials Briefing on Thursday, August 21 at 6:00 p.m. at the BCMH Education Center, 615 W. Nursery St., Butler, MO.

Join CEO Greg Weaver and hospital leadership for a focused conversation on the state of rural healthcare in our county — including service updates, challenges, and opportunities for collaboration. This is a chance to hear directly from hospital leaders and share your perspective as a community leader.
For more information, call 660-200-7313 and leave a message.

Adrian schools welcome new teachers

 

Let's give a warm Blackhawk welcome to this year's new teachers! Front row, left to right: Dallas Gutshall, MS/HS FACS; Maycie Preston, 1st Grade; and Leslie Wetter, Instructional Coach. Back row, left to right: Suzanne Best, Speech; Justein Meredith, 5th Grade; Abbie Johnson, Kindergarten; and Austin Boon, MS Social Studies.

Welcome to the Blackhawk Family!

Courtesy Adrian School District

Multiple rounds of storms possible this weekend

Rich Hill youth earns AAU Junior Olympics medal

 

Ava June Nelson of Rich Hill, MO at the age of 11 traveled to St Louis MO to compete in an AAU Tumbling and Trampoline meet to try and qualify to go to the Junior Olympics.  She competed very well and was able to qualify in her events to go to the AAU Junior Olympics that was to be held in Houston, TX.  

Kameron Byram has been Ava's Nene, since she was a baby and has helped raise Ava. After traveling to ST Louis together they headed to Houston, Texas in July for some tougher competition.

Ava competed in two events, double mini and trampoline. You had to place in the top 10 overall in each event to get to go on to finals. Each of her events had two fights. She made it back to the finals in trampoline with a 5th place ribbon. She had to wait around for a couple more hours here to start her performance all over again in the finals. While the two of them waited they went around and watched some of the other events. They watched youth ballroom dancing, hip hop dancing, baton twirling, and some of the other gymnastic events like floor, beams, vault, and bars.

So now it was Ava's time to compete again and she ended up coming home with a big AAU Olympic medal. Ava works hard all year round on her gymnastics and goes all over MO and some places in OK. We are so proud of her for working hard and achieving this big accomplishment.

Submitted with our thanks

Butler alumni receives Administrator of the Year award

Recently, Cindy Young-Bultemeier (blue jacket) was honored to receive the MOAPT (Missouri Association for Pupil Transport) Administrator of the Year Award. 

"What made the moment even more special was having my family make the drive to St Louis for the presentation. I still have no clue how they managed to surprise me!"

Bultemeier went on to say that she is truly grateful for this recognition and for the support of colleagues, team, and loved ones. "It’s a privilege to serve in this role and be part of work that truly matters."

"I am blessed, humbled and forever thankful" she added. "Thanks to my sister, Robin Cornell, for bringing my Dad, Robert Young. Thanks to my daughter, Kimberlee Splitter, for bringing my Mom, Judy Ayers, and the grand girls. I love you guys more than you know."

Bultemeier attended school in Butler and her father Robert is well known for his long time Butler business Young's Sales and Service.

Adrian man threatens deputy, assault charges filed

Around 11pm on August 6, the Bates County Sheriff’s Office received two 911 calls in regards to a possible physical domestic occurring at a residence in rural Adrian, MO. Screaming could be heard in the back ground of the 911 calls.

Upon the arrival of Deputies, a suspect was detained. When attempting to make contact with the victim, two pit bull dogs charged at deputies attempting to attacked them, forcing a Deputy to deploy his taser. The suspect became angry and started to scream threats, stating multiple times that he was going to shoot the Deputy. Upon speaking with the victim, observing their injuries, and speaking with a witness, Mitchel Edmiston was placed in custody for domestic assault. It was later revealed that the victim of the assault that occurred that night, was also a victim of a prior domestic assault that Edmiston had been charged with and is currently being tried for in court.

Edmiston was charged with the following:

-Felony Domestic Assault-3rd Degree
-Felony Tamper or Attempt to Tamper W/ A Victim in Felony Prosecution
- Assault-4th Degree- Special Victim

A warrant was issued with a $15,000 cash only bond.

Edmiston was charged with Assault-4th Degree- Special Victim, because he threatened to shoot a Deputy. Edmiston has done this to Bates County Deputies on prior occasions, and was charged in 2023 for the same thing.

Obituary - Jeffrey Wade Allen

Jeffrey Wade Allen, 45 of Drexel Missouri passed away in his home on Monday, August 4, 2025.  A Celebration of Life visitation will be held at Mullinax Funeral Home, Drexel Chapel (816-657-4400) on Saturday, August 16th from 10AM- 11AM. Private family graveside services will be held following. Memorial contributions may be made to Kansas Infant Death & SIDS Network (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) in memory of Makayla, whom he held close to his heart. Messages of condolence may be left for the family at www.mullinaxfuneralhome.com.

Jeff was born on November 6, 1979 in Paola Kansas to Rick Allen and Sharon Mowry. Jeff grew up in Drexel and was raised on a farm where he had a love for all animals. He was a hard worker from an early age and enjoyed helping his family do chores on the farm. He loved being outside riding dirt bikes, playing sports, going to the swimming pool, riding horses and being with his friends. He was a volunteer firefighter when he was a teenager and liked being involved in his community and helping people. Jeff was easily described as an ornery boy by many that knew him, but he found joy in humor and loved making people laugh. As an adult Jeff worked as a master tile setter and enjoyed the trade. He took pride in his skills and craftsmanship. He also loved working on old cars and trucks and enjoyed collecting antiques. Jeff was known for being very smart at whatever he set his mind to.

Even though described as a simple and private man, Jeff did not know a stranger. He had a loving heart and was known for giving you the shirt off his back if you needed it. Jeff had deep love and immense pride for his children and grandchildren and considered them his biggest blessings. He enjoyed watching his children grow into wonderful young adults. Although Jeffs earthly body is no longer with us, he was of Christian faith and believed in Jesus. Jeffs spirit will live in all of those who dearly loved him.

Jeff is preceded in death by his infant daughter, Makayla and infant grandson, Cashton. His paternal grandparents, Billie and Doris Allen, and maternal grandparents Pete and Jessie Slawson.

Jeff is survived by his daughter Savanna Allen (Chance), son Austin Allen, two grandsons, Coestyn and Cade, parents, Rick Allen (Connie), Sharon Mowry, sister Amy Allen-Lett (Trent), brother Mike Allen (Honesty), two nieces Lexie Smith and Hailey Allen, and nephew Hunter Allen, along with many aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and extended family.

Missing dog possibly in Sprague/Foster area

Black lab mix, went missing in Sprague area, believed to be near the Foster area, he’s chipped and intact. He’s one year old, very friendly and goes by the name scar but will answer to puppy, sarge, and Romeo. Phone number if found is 816-325-0660.

Attention Drexel commuters

 UPDATE:

Aug. 6, 2025 – For immediate release:

REVISED: TRAFFIC ALERT – Closure scheduled on Route D between E. 319th St. and E. 323rd St. over Coldwater Creek for bridge reconstruction, Ongoing – Sept. 5. Closure scheduled on Route D near Drexel, May 19 – Sept. 5 (revised from May 19-Aug. 24)

CASS COUNTY – Crews will close Route D between E. 319th St. and E. 323rd St. over Coldwater Creek (near Drexel) for bridge reconstruction, Ongoing – Sept. 5 (revised from May 19-Aug. 24). (approximately). Motorists traveling NB/SB on Route D will be able to use Routes A, W, and O as detour routes around the closure.

Motorists are reminded to slow down and pay attention while driving in work zones. Not all work zones look alike. Work zones can be moving operations, such as striping, patching or mowing. They can also be short term, temporary lane closures to make quick repairs or remove debris from the roadway.

For more information about MoDOT news, projects or events, please visit our website at www.modot.org/kansascity. For instant updates, follow MoDOT_KC on X, or share posts and comments on our Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoDOT.KansasCity/. MoDOT Kansas City maintains more than 7,000 miles of state roadway in nine counties. Sign up online for work zone updates or call 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636).