Sad news from the Osawatomie Kansas Fire Department

We lost another great one. 

Clifford Browning served Osawatomie Fire Department for 35 years before his recent retirement. 

Both of Clifford’s sons have served on our department as well. His legacy will live on forever at OZFD. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Bates County Memorial Hospital names new Chief Nursing Officer

Bates County Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce the promotion of Jennifer Klinksick, RN to serve as Chief Nursing Officer. Jennifer assumed her new role on June 1, 2022. The position was previously held by Rebecca Tarver, RN, who retired after a 13-year career at BCMH.

“I am excited to start this new journey and to help others grow in the organization,” Jennifer said. “My career as both a registered nurse and as a nurse manager at Bates County Memorial Hospital has shown me how truly special our community is. I look forward to working closely with the BCMH leadership team to continue seeking every opportunity to improve the health of our community.” ⁣

A graduate of Pittsburg State University, Jennifer says she chose health care for her career because she gained satisfaction from helping others.

“We have always enjoyed a family atmosphere at Bates County Memorial Hospital, and that extends to the care we give to each patient,” Jennifer explained. “My goal as a nurse and as a manager has always been to make sure that we are treating every patient as a friend or family member, never forgetting that a patient is a person.”

Jennifer joined Bates County Memorial Hospital as a staff nurse in 2007 and has been promoted several times. She brings more than seven years of nurse management experience to her new position, and has built strong working relationships as a personable and trusted leader at BCMH.

As a resident of Rich Hill, Mo., Jennifer has appreciated the opportunity to grow in her career while serving her own community close to home.

6-Day Snapshot

Let's focus on the days ahead. Warm and sunny conditions continue for the next couple of days. Showers and thunderstorms return Friday afternoon lingering through the weekend. The sun and heat return for the 4th.

Obituary - Margaret M. Fugate

Margaret M. Fugate, age 92, of Rich Hill, Missouri, passed away Sunday, June 26, 2022 at Nevada Regional Medical Center in Nevada, Missouri. She was born June 24, 1930 in Appleton City, Missouri, the daughter of Ed and Alma (Kennedy) Foster. Margaret was united in marriage to Leon Fugate; to this union, two daughters were born.

Leon preceded her in death and she later married Alvin Fugate, who also preceded her in death. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Judy Hood; her parents; her siblings, Pete, Annie, Leonard, and Lois; son-in-law, Jimmy Webb; and one great-grandson.

Margaret is survived by her daughter, Eileen Webb of Nevada, Missouri; one son-in-law, Junior Hood of Rich Hill, Missouri; one brother, Lester and wife Marilyn Foster of Raymore, Missouri; four grandchildren, Tammy Runions, Angela Webb, Jamie Allison, and Jimmie Webb; 9 great-grandchildren and one due in the fall. Margaret will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Funeral service will be June 29, 2022 at the Heuser Funeral Home, Rich Hill, Missouri. Burial will be in the Green Lawn Cemetery. Online condolences can be left at www.heuserfunerals.com.

BCSO gets new defense shields

Today the Bates County Sheriff’s Office received equipment to assist for officer and civilian safety. After the Uvalde school shooting the Sheriffs Office reviewed equipment necessary for a rapid response by individual deputies within our own agency.

After reviewing options, researching different shields and talking with other local law enforcement officials, it was determined that the sheriffs office purchase the same shields that the police department purchased.

Today we started deploying rapid response shields to every patrol car in the field. The Alpha Shields are designed by Hardcore Defense. The total cost for the shields was $3950.00 and has been paid for using budgeted funds already in the Sheriffs Office budget.

“The Deputies have been trained and know that my expectation in these situations is a rapid deployment to engage any threat in our schools, workplaces or public locations. 

My job as Sheriff is to ensure they get the training and the best equipment to do the job we all expect. "says Sheriff Anderson. “These shields are one more tool for them to be successful and help protect our community.”

Domestic dispute leads to arrest in Bates County

On 6/23/2022 Bates County Sheriff's Deputies responded to the Merwin area in reference to a domestic dispute between a man an woman. Deputies met with a female victim and witnesses to the incident. The victim stated that a male subject had assaulted her and forced her in the vehicle. 

At some point the vehicle stopped at the Merwin Church were she was able to get out of the vehicle. The male subject had struck her with his car and continued to try and hit her with the car.

 
Witnesses observed the altercation and intervened. When the male subject saw the witnesses he took of in his car. The female was transported to the hospital where she received treatment for her injuries. The male subject was identified and a warrant was issued.

 
Robert G Pointer of Amsterdam was arrested and is being held in the Bates County Jail on a $50,000 Cash Only bond set by the Honorable Judge Highley.

Charges are: Assault in the 1st degree, Assault in the 2nd degree and Kidnapping in the 2nd degree.

Disclaimer: Arrest records are public information. Any indication of an arrest does not mean the individual identified has been convicted of a crime. All persons arrested are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Harrisonville High School hires new band director

During last night’s Harrisonville School Board meeting, the Board of Education approved Brandon Hord as the new band director for Harrisonville High School and assistant director at Harrisonville Middle School.

Hord earned his bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Central Missouri and his master’s in music (performance and literature) from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. 

He spent the last five years as Director of Instrumental Music at Rockhurst High School. Prior to that, he was the director of bands at Raytown South High School and Hickman Mills School District. He has a total of ten years experience as a band director.  He is also a Cass County high school alum as he graduated from Ray-Pec High School.

Hord is a member of the Missouri Bandmasters Association, the National Association of Music Educators, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (a music fraternity). He also earned his Eagle Scout during high school.

Hord is married to his wife, Tyler, and they have two children, Henry and Claire.

Swing by and get your Bates County Fair Raffle Tickets

Stop and buy some Bates County Fair raffle tickets from Dara Ramage. She is running for Fair Queen and would appreciate your support.

She is set up at Burch & Liles Insurance Solutions, LLC from Sonic today until 3pm today!