Former Bates County Highway Patrolman promoted

John J. Hotz

Colonel Ron Replogle, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, announces the following promotion effective March 1, 2015:

Lieutenant John J. Hotz will be promoted to the rank of captain and designated director of the Public Information and Education Division, General Headquarters, Jefferson City, MO.

Hotz was appointed to the Patrol on July 1, 1989. After graduating from the Law Enforcement Academy, he was assigned to Troop A, Zone 7, Bates County. In 1994, Hotz was promoted to corporal and designated assistant zone supervisor of Zone 5, Ray and Carroll counties. Hotz was promoted to sergeant in 1998, and transferred to Troop A Headquarters as a public information and education officer. On August 1, 2006, he was promoted to lieutenant and designated assistant director of the Public Information and Education Division.

Hotz was born in Camden, New Jersey. He graduated from Lowndes County High School, Valdosta, GA, in 1985. In 1989, he graduated with a bachelor’s of science degree in criminal justice from the University of Southern Mississippi, in Hattiesburg, MS. Capt. Hotz and his wife, Paula, have two children: James and Emily.

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Bundle up Thursday morning will be cold!

Bundle up late tonight and early tomorrow morning. Winds may gust as high as 25 mph late tonight as temperatures fall into the single digits, resulting in very cold wind chill values as low as -10 tonight across northern Missouri. 

The coldest values will likely be around sunrise Thursday morning.

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Obituary - Robert Wallis "Bob" Spangler

Robert Wallis "Bob" Spangler, 87, Harrisonville, Missouri, died February 11, 2015 at Crown Care Center in Harrisonville, Missouri. Visitation will be held from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Friday, February 13 at the Atkinson Funeral Home, Harrisonville, Missouri, with Masonic Service at 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, February 14, 2015 at the Harrisonville United Methodist Church. Interment and Graveside services will be at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Englewood Cemetery in Clinton, Missouri. Donations in Bob's memory can be made to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Ave., 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001.

The son of James Savage Spangler and Rubie Lindsay Spangler, Bob was born on February 26, 1927 on the Lindsay family farm in Henry County, Missouri. He graduated from Clinton High School in 1944, and served briefly in the U.S. Navy. He received his A.B. in Political Science from the University of Illinois in 1947 and his L.L.B. from the University of Missouri at Columbia in 1949.

He first practiced law in Clinton, Missouri with his cousin, the Honorable Charles A. Calvird. In 1955, he became associated with Leslie M. Crouch and L.M. Crouch, Jr. in the firm of Crouch, Crouch & Spangler in Harrisonville (now the firm of Crouch, Spangler & Douglas). He retired after practicing law for fifty-five years. He was licensed to practice in all the State Courts of Missouri, the United States Western District Court for the Western District of Missouri, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Interstate Commerce Commission, and was a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers. From 1955 to 1965, he served as city attorney for Harrisonville. Throughout his life, he continued to work as a rancher and farmer on the family farm in Clinton.

He is survived by his wife of over fifty-six years, Elizabeth Childs Spangler, Harrisonville, and their son, Robert Wallis Spangler II, Aiken, South Carolina, who is married to Susan L. Spangler. He is also survived by two children from a previous marriage: Lt. Col. Charles Gaines Spangler, Army (ret.), Bristow, Virginia, and The Very Rev. N. DeLiza Spangler (ret.), West Yarmouth, Massachusetts. He also leaves behind three grandchildren: Morgan Elizabeth Gaines Spangler, Matthew Ryan Spangler, and Adam Christopher Spangler, along with one great-grandchild, Heidi Elizabeth Spangler.

He was a member of Cass Lodge #147, AF&AM and other Masonic bodies including the Ararat Shrine, Alpha Tau Omega Social Fraternity and the Harrisonville United Methodist Church where he was a choir member for many years. He was a Past-President of the Harrisonville Lions Club, Past-Commander of Hurley Lee Spicer Post of the American Legion, Past-President of the Cass County Bar Association, a member of the Judicial Committee of the 17th Judicial Circuit, a member of the Missouri Integrated Bar, the Cass County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity. He also served as a Director of the Cass County Bank, Peculiar, Missouri and President of the Cass County Title Company, Harrisonville, Missouri.

He was preceded in death by all of his siblings: Sara Francis Schofield, Reuben Taylor (R.T.) Spangler, James Savage (Deedy) Spangler, Jr., and William Royston (Bill) Spangler.

Grass Fire South of Virginia

The Amoret Fire Department with assistance from the Butler Fire Department is in route to a controlled grass fire that has gotten out of control.

The location is South of Virginia 1 1/2 miles on the West side of V Highway. The fire is getting close to a house at this time.


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Scam going around Bates County

Mid America Live has been contacted by several people about a IRS scam/identity scam going around the Adrian Area, The scam is involving fake phone calls from the "IRS" stating that you are being sued and wanting you to call them back and verify your identity. 

Over a half dozen or so people in Adrian alone are reporting this has happened to them. If someone gets a phone call saying your being sued by the IRS, please report it to the local police. Do not give the caller any information.
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Obituary - Earl “Gene” Powers

Earl “Gene” Powers, 81, Kansas City, Missouri, died Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at St. Luke’s Hospice, Kansas City, Missouri. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, February 13, 2015 at the Atkinson Funeral Home in Harrisonville with visitation from 1:00-2:00. Burial will be in Crescent Hill Cemetery, Adrian, Missouri.

Gene was born April 2, 1933 in Norris, Missouri, the son of Alva and Leona (Hopkins) Powers. He married Vickki Terry on December 6, 1985. Gene was a U. S. Army veteran. He was a meter reader for the Missouri Public Service (now KCP&L). Gene loved helping his neighbors and spending time spoiling his grandkids.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Anna Mae Crooks. He is survived by his wife, Vickki, of the home; one son, Jerry Powers, Blue Springs, Missouri; one daughter, Vickki Jo Powers-Beemer (Brad), Kansas City, Missouri; three sisters, Ruth Childers, Betty Bigler (Henry), Doris Fields (Elmer), all of Clinton, Missouri; four grandchildren, Jessie, Bailey, Kane and Logan; several nieces and nephews.

Osceola man arrested on Clinton warrant

Brandon Wood

On Feb. 10, Brandon Wood, 22, Osceola, was arrested in St. Clair County on a Clinton Police Department warrant for failing to appear in court on a misdemeanor charge of stealing. The warrant was issued Jan. 20. Bond is set at $500 cash only.

St. Clair County Sheriffs Office: Felony drug arrest

Johnathon Strutton

On Feb. 9, Johnathon Strutton, 26, Osceola, was taken into custody on a felony drug charge after a search warrant was conducted by St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office deputies and members of the Mid Missouri Multi Jurisdiction Drug Task Force at a residence on East Burbank Street, Appleton City. During the search methamphetamine and paraphernalia were allegedly found in a bedroom Strutton was located in. On Feb. 10, an arrest warrant was obtained charging Strutton with a class C felony of possessing a controlled substance. Bond is set at $15,000 cash or surety.