Way to go Josie

Traffic Alert in Butler

The Butler Police Department is on scene of a minor two vehicle accident at Fran Avenue and Ft. Scott Street in Butler at this time.

Please avoid this area if you can! 

Sympathy from the Belton Police Department

The Belton Police Department would like to extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families of Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions.

While we know this verdict will never fill the void left by the loss of their loved ones, we do hope that the justice system has brought the families some sense of peace.

We commend all those who came forward to testify and speak for these young women. We would also like to thank all those from other law enforcement agencies and the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office who worked tirelessly to ensure that justice was served in these cases.

Obituary - Beverly Anne Walker

Beverly Anne Walker, 92, Creighton, Missouri departed this life on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at her home.

She is survived by two daughters, Jerri Carter and husband John and Jennifer Cramer; 5 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; a sister, Betty Jackson; a sister-in-law, Rosellen Wainscott; other relatives and friends.

Cremation. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, April 25, 2021 at the Creighton United Methodist Church, Creighton, Missouri with inurnment at the Grant Cemetery following the serivce.

Family will receive friends from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m., Sunday, April 25, 2021 at the church.

Family suggests memorial contributions may be made to the Gerald and Beverly Walker Scholarship fund.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dickey Funeral Home, Garden City, Missouri.

A complete obituary will be posted when it becomes available.

Obituary - Lawrence “Larry” Eugene Waters

Lawrence “Larry” Eugene Waters, of Peculiar, Missouri was born March 6, 1953 in Kansas City, Missouri the son of Wavil C. and Leona K. (Weidinger) Waters. He departed this life on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 at his home at the age of 68 years, 1 month and 7 days.

Larry enjoyed a career as an Electrical Engineer for Honeywell in Kansas City, Missouri. He retired after 30+ years of service. He enjoyed playing bingo, board games and card games. Larry enjoyed playing the stock market and was a numbers guy. He loved spending time with his grandchildren, going to their sporting events, spending time at the local library and community center and drinking coffee with his buddies at many local diners.

Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Mary Francis Waters (infant), Janet Ann (Waters) Followell, her husband, Sherrill Followell and a brother, Roy Lee Waters.

Larry is survived by a son, Lawrence J. Waters, Harrisonville, Missouri; a daughter, Laura Garber and husband Joel, Hesston, Kansas; two grandchildren, Olivia and Ethan; a niece, Cheryl Followell, Blue Springs, Missouri; other relatives and friends.


Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m., Monday, April 19, 2021 at the Dickey Funeral Home, Harrisonville, Missouri with burial in the Clearfork Cemetery near Garden City, Missouri.

Family will receive friends from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., Monday, April 19, 2021 at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers please donate to your local public library or Clearfork Cemetery Association and may be left at the funeral home.

If you are attending the visitation or service, the family requests that you would wear a mask and practice social distancing.

Obituary - Sherri Lynn Austin

Visitation for Sherri Austin of Schell City, Missouri will be 3 - 5 p.m. Monday, April 19, 2021 at the Schowengerdt Funeral Chapel (660-679-6555) in Butler, Missouri. 

Sherri's wishes were to be cremated. Contributions may be made to the family. Online condolences www.schowengerdtchapel.com.

Sherri Lynn Austin, age 51 of Schell City, Missouri died Tuesday, April 13, 2021 at Mercy Hospital in Joplin, Missouri. She was born May 12, 1969 to Floyd Dale and Jeannene Diane Feeback Austin in Independence, Missouri.

Sherri is survived by three daughters, Tierra Austin of Nevada, Missouri, Tesla Austin of El Dorado Springs, Missouri and Trinity Rosberg of Shawnee Mission, Kansas; her mother, Jeannene Brown of Schell City, Missouri; and one grandson, Dayton Belew. She was preceded in death by her father; and brother, Keith Austin.

Obituary - Alyssa Renee Riggert

Alyssa Renee Riggert, 16, Harrisonville, MO, passed away Tuesday, April 13, 2021. 

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, April 24, 2021 from 12:00-4:00 at the Memorial Park Shelter #2, 998 Commercial Street in Belton, MO.

A complete obituary will be posted when information is available.

Update: Bomb scare at Lamar Casey's General Store

This morning, 04/16/21, at about 07:30hrs, Lamar Police Officers responded to Casey's in Lamar regarding a call for a suspicious person. It was reported that a male came into the store and told the clerks that he had a bomb in his car. The male was not making threats to the store, but believed someone placed a bomb inside his car to harm him.

The male then left and was found across the street in a yard. Officers did see unusual wiring inside the vehicle. The wiring ran to the hood of the vehicle and through the dash outside the car and under the hood. There were also several other unexplainable wires around the steering column and under the dash.

The officers did not open the car but took photographs of the car and the wiring and sent them to the Springfield Fire Department bomb squad. After receiving the photos, the bomb squad recommended the area be evacuated for 300 feet from the vehicle.

This included shutting down the roadway. The Lamar Police Department was assisted by the Barton County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol in evacuating the area and securing the roadways.

After arrival, the bomb squad deployed a robot to the vehicle, then later bomb techs searched the vehicle. They were able to clear the car and no explosive devices were located.

After a review of the totality of the circumstances surrounding this incident, the male that made the initial statements was transported to a Joplin Hospital.

We thank the community for their patience and understanding through this event.