St. Clair County Sheriffs Office: Osceola man arrested

On March 26, Zachary Harper, 26, Osceola, was arrested on a St. Clair County felony warrant at a residence on NE 450 Road, Osceola. 

The warrant was issued in May 2014 and charges Harper with class C felony theft/stealing. The charge stems from an incident in April 2014 when Jack Foster reported scrap metal stolen from his property on SE V Highway.

Harper’s bond is set at $10,000 cash/surety.
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Henry County Sheriffs Office: Thefts from around the county

According to Sheriff Kent Oberkrom, several thefts have occurred over the past week that involve the theft of off-road vehicles and ATV's. The thefts have been in the 400 block of SE 100, the 100 block of NE 100 and the 40 block of NE 201. The Sheriff's Office has some leads in these cases, but anyone with information in encouraged to contact Detective Sergeant Mike Nelson at the Sheriff's Office.

Additional thefts of copper wiring from above ground irrigation systems have occurred over the past several months. The first reported theft was in January of this year in the 100 block of NW 901 road. The second theft occurred sometime between December, 2014 and March, 2015 in the 600 block of NW 850 road. Thieves are cutting the wiring that provides power to these large irrigation systems and then selling the copper from the stolen wiring after they burn off the insulation.

Sheriff Oberkrom says that many thefts are preventable by property owners and solvable by law enforcement with some basic care of your property;

Temps below freezing the next two nights...

If you have plants that need protection from frost/freezing, you might want to cover or bring them inside. The forecast shows a pretty good chance of rain, with maybe a snowish mixture- along with freezing temps the next two mornings.

Good news? By Tuesday of next week we'll be back in the 70's!
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Adrian PTO Fun Night

Updated Obituary‏- David “Dave” Gilbert

Lawrence David “Dave” Gilbert, 74 of Drexel passed away March 24, 2015 at Menorah Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Funeral services will be 10:30 AM Saturday, March 28, 2015 at South Fork Baptist Church near Drexel with Pastor Steve Bartholomew officiating. Visitation Friday evening, 5-7 PM at Mullinax Funeral Home – Drexel Chapel (660-679-0009). Interment will be in Sharon Cemetery. Contributions are suggested to Drexel FFA, or South Fork Baptist Church. Messages of condolence for the family may be left at www.mullinaxfuneralhome.com.

Dave was born February 10, 1941 in Harrisonville, Missouri, son of Thomas David and Ella Lorraine Ladd. He attended school in Harrisonville. He married Phyllis Spencer on June 15, 1960.

Dave spent a short time working in the brick yard in Harrisonville. He also worked in the orchards in California. However, most of Dave’s working years were spent in the agriculture fields. Dave spent many years loading and unloading grain. Mixing grain for livestock, loading fertilizer trucks, unloading trucks for harvest and helping farmers with chemicals. After working for years in the grain elevator he went to work delivering fuel to area farmers. He finished his working career pumping gas and drinking coffee with a host of friends. Dave enjoyed yard work, gardening, hunting, fishing and spending time with grandkids.

Dave was preceded in death by his parents and two infant siblings, Darrell and Julia. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Phyllis; son Thomas K. Gilbert and wife Carey; son, David W. Gilbert; daughter, Lisa S. McCubbin and husband Dwight; son, Darrell L. Gilbert and wife Sheryl; grandkids Kevin, Steven, Jordan, Brandon, Faith, Tyler, Rachel, Spencer, Jonathan, Shelbi, Joshua, Andrew and Adam; great-grandchildren Jesse, JoJo, Junior and Ayden; brothers Allen Gilbert and wife Patsy, and Paul Gilbert and wife Kathy; and sisters Alice Cummings and husband Ferrell, and Nora Van Antwerp.
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Obituary - Verna Elleman

Memorial services for Verna Elleman will be 1 p.m. Saturday, April 4, 2015 at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Butler, Missouri. There is no visitation. Services under the direction of the Schowengerdt Funeral Chapel (660-679-6555) in Butler, Missouri. 

Verna Deane Elleman, age 75 of Raymore, Missouri died Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas. She was born March 27, 1939 to Leonard and Alice Claudine Crosslen Park in Carpenter, Wyoming.

Verna is survived by her husband Don Elleman of Raymore, Missouri; two sons, Christopher Elleman and wife Bridget of Raymore, Missouri and Curtis Elleman and wife Tamara of Overland Park, Kansas; one daughter, Erika Clark and husband Patrick of Raymore, Missouri; and five grandchildren, Tony, MacKinley, A.J., Wagner and Charli. She was preceded in death by her parents; and one brother, Garry Park.
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Bates County Job Fair open until 2 pm

The first ever Bates County Job Fair is officially underway at the Butler High School gymnasium. Job seekers are encouraged to stop by and visit with prospective employers until 2 pm today.

Dress appropriately and bring your resume!

Giving Fore Living: March is National Eye Donor month and April is National Donate Life month

Imagine that one day you notice your vision is very blurry. You visit your local eye doctor thinking you probably just need glasses. You learn that you have a condition that affects the cornea, the clear outer layer on the front of the eye. The doctor tells you your cornea is damaged and glasses or contact lenses will not help you see clearly. The news is difficult to hear, but there is hope! Fortunately, you learn that your condition is treatable and that your damaged cornea can be removed and transplanted with a healthy clear cornea from a donor. 

A corneal transplant is surgery to replace the damaged cornea with the cornea from a donor that has recently passed away. The donated cornea is procured and tested by a local eye bank, such as the Heartland Lions Eye Bank to ensure the safety of the tissue. Depending on the patient’s particular problem, either the entire cornea will be transplanted, or in many cases, only certain layers of the cornea will be transplanted. Full recovery of eyesight may take up to a year because of normal expected swelling that takes time to resolve. Some people notice significant vision improvement within days. Many people require glasses or contact lenses to achieve the best vision even after transplantation. Most people with successful transplants will have good vision for many years. Corneas are the most commonly used part of the eye used for transplantation, but the sclera, or white protective part of the eye, can also be used to repair a patient’s sclera, eardrum, nasal septum or gums.

Corneal transplants may be required in the case of eye diseases such as Fuch’s Dystrophy or keratoconus, or due to a corneal injury that has resulted in permanent scarring. Presently, more than 46,000 corneal transplants are performed in the U.S. every year, and is one of the most common transplants performed. Bates County has several recipients annually. Statistics vary, but the average success rate at one year is 80-90 percent, and 70-75 percent at 5 years. One reason for the extraordinary success rate is that matching blood types between donor and recipient is not necessary in most cases. The cornea is avascular, meaning it does not have blood vessels. Recipient rejection to the donor is much less likely than it would be with a vascular organ such as a heart or kidney.

Thankfully, many selfless individuals have committed to eye, organ and tissue donation. Bates County native Darin Wainscott of Butler, MO, donated his corneas to 2 different recipients, as well as several of his organs after suddenly passing away on February 28, 2013. Darin’s selfless act gave two people the gift of sight and saved the lives of at least four people. Their lives have been forever transformed due to his decision to become a donor.

Almost anyone between the ages of 2 and 75 can be an eye donor, regardless of poor vision, diabetes, or cancer. In fact, the only conditions that prevent eye donation are HIV or AIDS, active hepatitis, active syphilis, rabies, viral encephalitis, leukemia, active lymphoma or active meningitis. The simplest way to register to become an eye, organ and tissue donor is to put your name on your state’s donor registry. To register, visit www.missouriorgandonor.com or the Midwest Transplant Network website at www.mwtn.org, or call (573) 256-6646 for the answers to frequently asked questions! Next, let your friends and family know your wishes. Sign up today and let it be known that you wish to Donate Sight and Life! March is National Eye Donor month and April is National Donate Life month.