Weather Update: Looking at the next 5 days

Colder temperatures will prevail through the end of the week with highs generally in the 30's. There is a good chance for light snow Wednesday night through early Thursday morning. At this time, minor accumulations look likely over eastern Kansas and western Missouri from Wednesday night through early Thursday morning. Another system will move south of the area Friday and may bring a wintry mix to areas south of I-70.

Bates County Sheriffs Office Activity Report

• December 8, 2014

ANIMAL AT LARGE – ADRIAN
ABANDON VEHICLE – BUTLER
AGENCY ASSIST – PASSAIC
THEFT – BUTLER
AGENCY ASSIST – RICH HILL
LEAVE WITHOUT PAY – ADRIAN

• December 9, 2014 

MVA (NO INJURIES) – BUTLER
SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY – ROCKVILLE
ASSAULT – ADRIAN
THEFT – BUTLER
ANIMAL AT LARGE – BUTLER
ALARM – ADRIAN
ALARM – BUTLER
DOMESTIC – ADRIAN
SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY – ADRIAN
AMBULANCE REQUEST – AMORET

Obituary - Elida Venita Slattery

Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10 a.m. Monday, December 22, 2014 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Butler, Missouri with Father Tom Hermes officiating. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Sunday, December 21, 2014 at Schowengerdt Funeral Chapel (660-679-6555) in Butler, Missouri. Rosary will be held 7 p.m. Sunday, December 21 at Schowengerdt Chapel. Burial in Oak Hill Cemetery, Butler, Missouri. Contributions to American Cancer Society or St. Jude Children's Hospital. 

Elida Venita Slattery, age 82 of Butler, Missouri died December 13, 2014 in Butler. She was born August 28, 1932 to Eddie Lee Sr. and Dora Elizabeth Vieth Smith in Blackwater, Missouri. 

Elida is survived by two sons, Terry Slattery of Raymore, MO and Dennis Slattery and wife Cathy of Amsterdam, Missouri; four daughters, Teresa Cook of Adrian, Missouri, Mary Jones and fiance Joe Gaylord of Butler, Missouri, Sara Abraham and husband Steve of Butler, Missouri and Deborah Jean Slattery and fiance Chris Higgins of Butler, Missouri; and 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Jerome; one brother, Eddie Lee Smith Jr.; and one grandson, Jared Dennis Slattery.

Tournament of Roses Parade Float to honor the lifesaving gifts of a local donor

WESTWOOD, Kan. – December 15, 2014 – For the riders and floragraph honorees of the 12th annual Donate Life float in the 2015 Tournament of Roses Parade®, their emotional journeys will mirror the highs, lows and all points in between shared by the national community of organ and tissue recipients, transplant candidates, living donors, and families of deceased donors they represent.


In 28 states from Maine to California, the families of 72 organ, eye and tissue donors will complete memorial "floragraph" portraits of their loved ones that tell “The Never-Ending Story” of hope, giving, and life which is the theme of the 2015 Donate Life Rose Parade® float. Atop the float, the floragraphs will grace 72 books that hold their inspirational stories, with an open book seeming to release 60 butterflies representing the number of lives transformed by a single deceased donor. Only organic materials, such as spices, seeds, and crushed flowers, are used to create floragraphs.


The Midwest Transplant Network will be represented by local floragraph honoree, Darin Wainscott of Butler, Mo. Darin became a donor in February 2013 after suffering a sudden and massive brain stem aneurysm while at work. His gift of donation gave new life to four people as an organ donor and two people as a cornea donor. He was a devoted husband, father and member of his community. Darin’s family and friends gathered to put the finishing touches on his floragraph at a ceremony on Dec. 12 at the Butler Country Club.

Bates County Memorial Hospital 2014 Employee of the Year

Janice Schapeler

An awards banquet was held by Bates County Memorial Hospital on December 11, 2014. Mr. Ed Hannon, Chief Executive Officer, announced that Janice Schapeler was voted by her peers as the 2014 Employee of the Year. Janice received an engraved plaque and a gift from the hospital. Janice became employed in 1985. 

She has worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant and currently works in the Housekeeping Department. Janice treats everyone she meets with kindness, recognizing everyone is important. 

She is extremely conscientious in her job duties and cleans until everything sparkles. Janice is a long-time, valued employee with an extraordinary work ethic. 

Obituary -Deborah K. Minich

Deborah K. Minich

Deborah K. Minich, 60, Harrisonville passed away Dec. 14 at her home. Memorial visitation was on Wednesday, Dec. 17 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Harrisonville Community Center.

Debbie was born Sept. 21, 1954 in Kansas City, MO to James and Barbara (Hacker) McMillin. She was a 1972 graduate of Grandview High School. On Feb. 17, 1990 she married Dennis Minich at the Overland Park Church of Christ. The following year the couple along with a newborn son, Derek, moved to Harrisonville where they have lived since.

For the past five years she had worked at the Harrisonville Price Chopper where she was a team leader. Prior to that she served as a food service worker for the Harrisonville School District. She previously had been employed as a head teller at the Grandview Bank and in the office of Daniels-McCray Lumber Company. In her “younger days” she was an avid and accomplished bowler, but her real commitment was always to her family and she loved animals.

Debbie was preceded in death by her parents and a step-father, William “Boyd” Harris. She is survived by her husband of the home; her son, Derek, a senior at Missouri State University; three sisters, Barbara (Bill) Hayden, Pearl (Jess) Pittman, Janice (Denver) Simmons, and a brother, James (Isabell) McMillin, Jr., all of Blue Springs; 15 nieces and nephews, 32 great nieces and nephews and one great-great niece; her cat Homer and dog Rocky.

It was her request that in lieu of flowers donations be made to her son Derek to help with his education expenses.

St. Clair County Sheriffs Office: Warrant arrest

Kevin Scott

On Dec. 12, Kevin Scott, 41, El Dorado Springs, was arrested at the St. Clair County Jail on a Cedar County felony probation violation warrant on an original charge of assault. Bond is set at $5,000 cash only.

St.Clair County Sheriffs Office: Arrest warrant issued

On Dec. 11, a St. Clair County arrest warrant was issued for Sandra Marconi, 44, Collins, for a probation violation on an original felony charge of driving under the influence of liquor. Bond is set at $2,500 cash or surety. Sheriff Keeler urges those with any information related to the location of Marconi to contact the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line, 417-646-5832, or email to tips@scsomo.org.