Osage Valley Electric Cooperative reports power outage south of Rich Hill

Osage Valley Electric Cooperative currently have an outage affecting 120 members in the area south of Rich Hill. 

Crews are working on the issue and will restore power as quickly as possible.

Update: Charges pending in shooting in St. Clair County

On March 30, at approximately 5:48 am James "Jim" Chamberlain, 48, Osceola, heard his son's, John Chamberlain, 18, pickup truck being stolen from their residence. James and John chased the stolen vehicle southbound on Highway 13.

The Chamberlains caught up with the stolen vehicle on Highway 13 near the Highway T and V intersection. James Chamberlain fired shots at the vehicle while traveling southbound on Highway 13.

The driver, later identified as Billy Ray Luff, 39 of Arcola, MO, was struck in the right shoulder. Luff stopped the vehicle in the median and was held at gun point until deputies arrived on scene. Luff was transported by air ambulance to a Springfield area hospital where he is being treated for his injury.

The report has been forwarded to the prosecuting attorney office and charges are pending.

Search Warrant Served In Rural Montrose

On 3/31/2020 the Bates County Sheriffs Officer and members of the St. Clair County Sheriffs Office executed a search warrant at 3904 NE County Road 14963, Montrose, Bates County.

The search warrant was to recover stolen items from multiple cases in St Clair County. During the execution of the search warrant a vehicle was observed leaving the residence. 

A Bates County Deputy attempted to stop the vehicle which failed to yield for a short distance. The subjects were observed dumping bags out the window prior to pulling over. Deputies were able to recover several empty bags that contains methamphetamine residue in them along the roadside.

A search of the property has revealed multiple stolen items to include tools and 4 wheelers. Deputies from Bates County, St Clair County and Henry County are still on scene searching the property.

Obituary - Gerald Russell "Jerry" Miller

Gerald Russell "Jerry" Miller, age 82, Pleasanton, Kansas passed on Sunday, March 29, 2020 at his home. He was born on February 15, 1938 in Keokuk, Iowa the son of Russell and Opal Davis Miller. He married Bonnie Myers on August 9, 1957. Jerry was an ordained minister and was plant supervisor at the College Church of the Nazarene. 

He was a member of the Pleasanton Church of the Nazarene. He was preceded in death by his parents. Jerry is survived by his wife, Bonnie, three sons, Darrell, Kenneth and Brian Miller, four brothers, Leonard, Edward, Paul, and Dennis Miller, and seven grandchildren. 

A service to celebrate Jerry's life will be held at a later date. The family suggests contributions to the therapeutic riding New Horizon Ranch or the Pleasanton Church of the Nazarene, c/o Schneider Funeral Home, P.O. Box 525, Pleasanton, Kansas 66075. Online condolences can be left at www.schneiderfunerals.com.

Four People Arrested in Burglary and Stealing Case in Cass County

Cass Co – On Monday afternoon deputies responded to the area of S. St. Rt. 7 and S. Walker Road when a witness saw a man stealing parts from a vehicle and a second subject driving a truck and trailer stopped in the area.

Deputies arrived on scene and stopped a truck pulling a box trailer occupied by one person. A computer check revealed that the trailer was reported stolen from rural Cass County last month. The driver Joshua C. Smith, 41, Creighton, MO. was taken into custody. During a search deputies located a stolen Stihl concrete saw that had been reported stolen from Greenwood, Indiana.

Joshua Smith was charged with Receiving Stolen Property and issued a Signature Bond.

Deputies returned to the area and searched for the second subject who a witness reported running from the area. Deputies were unable to locate the subject.

Around 5:30 deputies were called back to the same area after receiving information about a suspicious van and people at a residence in the 27500 block of S. Walker Rd.

Multiple deputies arriving on the scene located three suspects inside the residence. All three were taken into custody. An investigation found that the van driven by the suspects was reported stolen from Kansas City, Missouri.

The three subjects arrested at the scene are:

Charles W. Chastain, 36, Kansas City, MO. Chastain has six misdemeanor warrants from North Kansas City, Raymore, and Kansas City.

Matthew S. Peterson, 36, Kansas City, MO. Peterson is being held on a Probation Violation 2nd degree Burglary $10,000 bond and No Bond Probation Violation.

Brent A. Baker, 35, Oak Grove, MO. Baker is held on a No Bond Federal warrant for US Marshals, 9 misdemeanor warrants.

Chastain, Peterson and Baker all remain in custody at the Cass County Jail. Charges related to this incident are still pending at this time.

2nd case of Covid-19 confirmed in Bates County

Second individual tests positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bates County, Missouri

March 31, 2020

The Bates County Health Center has confirmed one new positive case of COVID-19 in Bates County.


The individual, a male in his 60’s, resides in Butler. There is no travel related to this individual.

This new case brings the total number of confirmed positive cases in Bate County to two.

Bates County Health Center is working to identify and contact any individuals who may have come in contact with this individual while they were infectious and will monitor them for any signs and symptoms of illness.

Individuals should continue to stay home, clean/disinfect any high touched surfaces, wash their hands with soap and water routinely, use hand sanitizer if soap and water is not available, don’t touch your face (especially eyes, nose & mouth) and adhere to 6- foot social distancing when you must be out. It is up to each and everyone of us to stop the spread of this disease

Obituary - Nicole Danielle Kilgore

Nicole Danielle Kilgore, of Harrisonville, Missouri was born December 9, 1980 in Hammond, Louisiana the daughter of Donald Lee and Teresa Fay (Diddon) Kilgore. She departed this life on Friday, March 27, 2020 at the St. Luke’s Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri at the age of 39 years, 3 months and 18 days.

In her 39 years Nicole created much beauty, intrinsically woven soul ties with whom all she shared her heart with, and memories her loved ones and friends can and will carry with them forever.

She had many loves, littles, friends and connections throughout all the communities she experienced and grew her life in. Nicole’s smile was magnetic and matched all of the love and light that shined through her beautiful blue eyes.

She was a woman of hope and faith; Secure in the knowledge that her soul would only rise higher. Nicole was a creator of resilience and always told herself and those she loved “When life gets you down do you wanna know what you’ve gotta do? Just keep on swimming.”

Nicole taught, created, fought, shared, accepted, enjoyed and most importantly loved while she lived.

In 2005, Nicole was united in marriage to William Umphrey III in Ft. Collins, Colorado.

Nicole was employed as a dispatcher for OATS Company in Harrisonville, Missouri. She loved music, her nieces, nephews, brothers and sisters and considered everyone family and was always taking people in. Nicole’s greatest enjoyment was being a mother to her “littles”.

She was preceded in death by her father, Don Kilgore; her husband, Willaim Umphrey III and an aunt, Debbie Kilgore.

Nicole is survived by a son, Kadden Kilgore and a daughter, Vivian Kilgore of the home; her mother and step-father, Teresa Kilgore and Gary Smith, Lee’s Summit, Missouri; two brothers, Colby Kilgore, Lee’s Summti, Missouri, Greg Smith, Harrisonville, Missouri; 4 sisters, Candice Holman, Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Tiffany Smith, Pleasant Hill, Missouri, Jassmine Kilgore and Emily Kilgore both of Harrisonville, Missouri; several nieces and nephews; other relatives and many friends.

Cremation. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at a later date.

From the Cass County Health Clinic

We have received numerous calls and messages about a fast-food employee continuing to work after having a known exposure to a positive COVID-19 case. We appreciate the community's concern and thank everyone for alerting us. After an investigation, we determined that the restaurant has followed appropriate protocols and there's no risk to the public.

There had been an employee whose family member had tested positive and the employee has been self-quarantining since finding out the status of the family member. This employee did not have symptoms and communicated the situation to the employer. In accordance with the Health Department and CDC recommendations, the employer immediately took the employee off the schedule for 2 weeks.

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 Cass County Health Clinic