Shooting Investigation in Pleasant Hill

On Thursday, September 14th, 2023, at approximately 5:50 pm, the Pleasant Hill Police Department was dispatched to the 1500 Block of Lawndale in reference to a shooting.

Upon arrival officers learned that a domestic violence incident had occurred, and the suspect discharged a pistol, multiple times, into a vehicle that was occupied by a family member. The suspect had fled the scene prior to the officers arrival and is not in custody. The family member was not injured.

The suspect, 34-year-old Corey Russell, is wanted for questioning. The suspect fled the scene in a 2001 Ford, Crown Victoria, which has been spray painted blue/purple, bearing Missouri license plate RK3L3J.

The suspect is considered armed and dangerous.

If anyone has information on his whereabouts, please do not approach. Contact your local law enforcement office or the Pleasant Hill Police Department at 816-540-9109

Tractor fire in rural Drexel

The Drexel Fire Department along with mutual aide of the Adrian Fire Department and the Central Cass Fire Department is on scene of a tractor fire on CR 15002 and CR 12002 off of AA Highway at this time.

Please avoid this area! We will update when we have more information. 

City of Rich Hill awarded money for Tree Resource Improvement and Maintenance

The Missouri Department of Conservation awarded the City of Rich Hill $3,190 for their Tree Resource Improvement and Maintenance (TRIM) cost-share grant in July. The first step of the process is to obtain a tree inventory in the parks.

Molly Gosnell of Midwest GeoInfo, LLC is pictured here recording the inventory and mapping each tree. She is also assessing the health of each tree.

From the Bates County Sheriff's Office

On June 23rd the Bates County Sheriffs Office took a report of neglected and abused dogs in the Rockville area. The Sheriff’s Office arrived and seized the animals in question. 

The dogs were in fairly rough shape. The dogs were sent to the veterinarian and have remained there since then. The dogs have been finally given a clean bill of health.

The Sheriff’s Office is now seeking interested parties that would be willing to adopt the dogs and provide them a quality home.

If you are interested in adopting one of these lovely dogs please contact the Sheriffs Office at 660-679-3232.

Obituary - Freeda G. Gier

Celebration of Life Services for Freeda G. Gier of Butler, Missouri will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at Schowengerdt Funeral Chapel (660-679-6555) in Butler, Missouri. Visitation 5 - 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 19 at the Schowengerdt Chapel. Private Family Burial in Oak Hill Cemetery, Butler. Contributions to Butler Calvary Baptist Church. Online condolences www.schowengerdtchapel.com.

On September 8, 2023 while surrounded by her family, the Angels came to carry Freeda Geraldine Mudd Gier to her Heavenly Home; she had lived an abundant and blessed life for 93 years. She was born on June 30th, 1930, to Ernest O. Mudd and Annie Bertha Brugger Mudd in Harrington, Washington.

Her father was raised on the Mudd Family Farm, near Burdette, in rural Bates County, Missouri. After Ernest finished college, he decided to work and follow the wheat harvest for an adventurous summer. He met the love of his life, Annie Bertha Brugger, near the wheat fields of Southeast Washington and he decided to live there to court her properly. They were married the following year and Freeda was the baby of the seven Mudd children born to them in the State of Washington.

When Freeda was six months old, her father was needed to manage and farm the Mudd Homestead and care for his aging mother, so the family moved back to Bates County, Missouri. Freeda attended the Burdette Country School and Merwin School for her grade school years. One of her responsibilities on the family farm was to ride her horse one mile to Burdette to pick up the mail. Once she had gathered the mail, she had to have a good grip on that saddle horn, because she always enjoyed a spirited ride back home, lucky to even get her foot in the second stirrup by the top of the hill! Freeda graduated from Adrian High School in 1948 and was very proud of being on the ladies basketball team.

Freeda attended Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri. Following that, she went to Beauty School in Kansas City and was employed at the Christmas Beauty Salon, just south of downtown Kansas City. Later in her career, she worked for Jakie’s Beauty Salon in Clinton, Missouri, where she met her future husband, Bill Gier. They were married in September of 1951.

While Bill served in the U. S. Marine Corp during the Korean War, Freeda continued to work as a beautician in Kansas City. When Bill finished his tour of duty in Korea, he was trying to sneak home to surprise her; yet when he arrived at Union Station in Kansas City, there she was standing to surprise him most of all! His new work with American Breeder’s Service brought them to live in Nebraska and Iowa, as well as Maryville, Missouri and finally Carthage, Missouri. Freeda is the loving and devoted mother of Gloria, who was born in 1954, and Angela, born in 1956.

Later in 1956, their lives settled back in rural Bates County, near the Burdette Baptist Church, where her mother (Annie B. Mudd) taught the children in Beginners Sunday School for fifty years! Their lives were intensely focused on God, family, neighbors, farming and their faithful church attendance. Freeda was baptized in the creek at the age of 12.

Freeda’s loving hands worked hard as a homemaker, a licensed beautician, even giving many haircuts and perms in her home. After becoming a single Mom, she attended Draughon’s Business College to further her education in 1965, all to take care of her family.

After her father passed in 1963 and her mother in 1969, Freeda moved her family to Butler, Missouri, with the help of her loving companion, Homer Wix, to a home that he had built on Olive Street. Homer brought great joy to her life and was a cherished member of our family with his steadfast loving hands.

Freeda was a Powerhouse in her day, afraid of nothing. She had the courage to take on any project. Freeda’s meticulous talents were focused on painting and wallpapering and she excelled at finishing woodwork to the highest degree of smooth perfection. It was her trademark of expertise! She took great pride in the many beautiful homes that she was invited to work on in the Butler area.

And even though she had reached her retirement years, that dear Kevin Umstattd charmed her into doing just one more mansion! It was forever a sweet chapter and she was proud to share in their accomplishment!

Freeda was the most faithful Christian lady, from singing in church to painting the church, she met the needs of others in every way she could. She was a longtime member of Calvary Baptist Church. Her church family was very near and dear to her heart throughout the years of her life.

She will live on in our hearts forever! God’s Angels carried her to her heavenly home to join the family circle and loved ones waiting there, her parents, Ernest and Annie Brugger Mudd; her six siblings; and her loving companion, “Daddy Homer.” Left to cherish her memories are her daughters, Gloria (Norm) Appleberry and Angie (Mike) Culler; grandchildren, Travis (Kelli) Appleberry, Tracy (Greg) Fillpot, Jeremy (Annette) Culler, and Jennifer (Robby) Love; great-grandchildren, Jamee (Tommy) Fillpot, Zack (Hannah) Fillpot, Emmah (Brenton) Fillpot Laver, Olivia, Gracie and Ana Fillpot, Jaden and Bayler Mobley, and Jaxon and Adelyn Culler; great-great-grandchildren, Hadley and Harper Whitten and Normie Jo Laver; and niece, nephew, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Missing female from Belton

Paige Frazier, a 27-year-old female, was last seen in the Belton/Raymore area at Ward Rd. and E. Gore Rd. The family reported seeing her last Friday morning. 

No clothing description was provided however, Paige is described as a small white female with short brown hair, a scar on her mid-stomach, a Chinese tattoo behind her right ear, and a Kansas City tattoo behind her left ear. 

Please contact Belton Police at (816) 331-1500 if you have any information about her whereabouts.

BPD Report 2023-04770

Obituary - Martha Marie Humbird

Mardi Marie Humbird, 56, of Raymore Missouri, passed away on September 12th, 2023, at KU medical center. Visitation services will be held on Saturday, September 16th from 10a-12pm at Cullen Funeral Home in Raymore MO.

Mardi was born October 11th, 1966 in Independence MO where she met the love of her life and high-school sweetheart Leroy “Gene” Humbird. They were married on October 26th, 1986 and would have celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary this year. They went on to have 2 children, Crystal Marie Regan, and Kyle Eugene Humbird. Mardi was a devoted wife, loving mother, and amazing grandmother (yaya).

Mardi loved many things, her family most of all. She loved spending her time with family, reading, puzzles, fishing, riding her motorcycle, shooting pool, and building legos with her “sweetheart” Gabe. Mardi was an avid Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Blues fan. She loved classical and rock music, hummingbirds, and cherub angels. She had a heart of gold and will be missed by all that knew her. Please continue to hold her family in your prayers as we navigate through this tragedy.

She was survived by her loving husband Gene Humbird, daughter Crystal (Mike) Regan, son Kyle (Amanda) Humbird, grandson Gabe Regan. Mother-in-law Mary Richardson, brother-in-law Randy (Holy) Humbird, Richie Humbird, Rusty Humbird. Brother Harold (Cathy), Mark (Deanna) Echols, Doug Carson, Mike Carson, sister Margie Arnold, Kim Howard, Aunt Joyce Carson and many nieces and nephews.

Arrangements: Cullen Funeral Home, Raymore, Missouri 816.322.5278

Harrisonville Rotary welcomes new members

At this week's Harrisonville Rotary meeting, we welcomed two new members! Annie Knox, Harrisonville School District, sponsored by Jill Filer and Emily Davis, Cass Career Center, sponsored by Anne Hickman, were inducted into membership by President Brittney Sexton.