MoDOT Striping Project in April will Include Henry and Bates County

MoDOT: Expect Traffic Delays, Slow-Moving Equipment During a Striping Project Beginning Week of April 1st.

Southwest District – Drivers can expect traffic delays and slow-moving equipment when a project to lay permanent striping along I-44, I-49 and other routes in southwest Missouri begins the week of April 1, the Missouri Department of Transportation said.

Contractor crews will be striping driving lanes and exit ramps along these routes:

Missouri Route 13 from 2nd Street in Clinton to I-44 in Springfield
I-44 from the Missouri/Oklahoma state line to near the Dallas/Webster county line west of Conway.
I-49 from near Bates County routes A/B (Exit 147) in Archie to U.S. Route 54 (Exit 102) in Nevada
I-49 from U.S. Route 160 (Exit 77) in Lamar to I-44 (Exit 46/18) in Fidelity.
I-49 from west junction with I-44 (Exits 11 & 39) in Joplin to Missouri/Arkansas state line.
Missouri Route 7 from near Cass County Route B in Creighton to Missouri Route 13 in Clinton.
U.S. Route 65 from I-44 (Exit 82) to U.S. Route 60 in Springfield

Traffic Impacts:
Drivers may experience traffic delays as they approach slow-moving train of vehicles laying pavement striping on the highway

Drivers should maintain a safe distance behind striping vehicles to avoid tracking through freshly painted lines

Check MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map for road closings/traffic impacts. Weather and/or scheduling conflicts could alter the work schedule.

Project Details:
Prime Contractor: Streetwise Inc., Kansas City
Contract Completion Date: November 1, 2024
Contract Cost: $2.7 million

Butler lady bears softball falls short in home opener

The Butler lady bears softball team (2-2) had trouble keeping up with the Warsaw lady wildcats (5-1) in a 12-0 shutout loss in the home opener Monday evening.

A passed ball put the lady wildcats on the board in the top of the 2nd inning and they never looked back. The lady wildcats picked up the pace and scored six runs on four hits in the top of the 4th inning.

Warsaw Junior Haley Cobb singled, scoring 2 runs, junior Brylee Brewster singles, scoring one run and sophomore Adison Sherill drew a walk, scoring one run and an error that scored two more runs.

Freshman Kylee Dubray started on the mound the the lady bears. The young right hander allowed eight hits over six innings, striking out 10 and walking 7.

Warsaw Junior Brylee Brewster was a force on the mound for the lady wildcats she pitched a complete game shutout, striking out 17 and walking none.

The Butler lady bears will now travel to Windsor to face the lady greyhounds on Tuesday March 26th.

Obituary - Raymond Lee Zupon

Raymond Lee Zupon of Belton, Missouri, passed away the evening of March 18, 2024, at Kansas City Hospice House. He was 65 years old. Raymond was born to Lawrence Raymond Zupon and Mabel Louise Zupon in Fort Ord, California on July 22, 1958. 

He was the fifth of eight children. After graduating from Hickman Mills High school in 1976, he began his life with Teresa Lynn Creagan in 1977. They married in 1980 and had forty-three years of married life together. They moved to Belton, Missouri in 1987 and resided there until the present time.

After graduation, Raymond began his employment at Tension Envelope Corporation and worked there for twenty years. His other employers included United States Marine Corp Lodging Facility, Advantage Medical Systems, Diversified Health Care (a subcontractor for Yellow Freight) and CVS/Caremark where he worked for 15 years.

Ray and Teresa enjoyed the simple pleasures of life, mostly spending their time together. Ray was an avid music lover; a poet, gardener, and he enjoyed working in the outdoors. He also loved the dogs, cats, birds and fish he had acquired throughout his life.

One of his fondest childhood memories were of scouting and yearly trips to Boy Scout camp in Osceola, Missouri where he obtained the rank of Eagle Scout. His favorite place visited was Yellowstone National Park.

Raymond was preceded in death by his mother and father and his brother Lieutenant Colonel Roger Steven Zupon (Nancy). He is survived by brothers Ronald Joseph Zupon (Janet), Russell Gerard Zupon, and Roy Dean Zupon (Shelley); his sisters, Janet Lorraine Rhoads (Cliff), Joyce Ann Montoya and Joni Marie Zupon, (Rob); ten nephews and four nieces, his brother-in-law Timothy Creagan; close friends Charles and Cheryl Gaggens and his goddaughter Teresa Marie Gaggens Holden.

No funeral services will be held per Raymond's request. Family plans a remembrance of the life of Ray Zupon at a later date this year.

Structure fire early this morning in rural Rich Hill

On Tuesday March 26th around 2:30 a.m. the Rich Hill Fire Department along with mutual aide from the Butler Fire Department, Hume Fire Department, Foster Fire Department and Compton Junction Fire Department responded to a structure fire on PP Highway in rural Rich Hill.

No one was injured and the home was deemed a total loss.

Benton County Sheriff addresses missing woman Echo Lloyd

Hello Benton County, I want to talk about Echo Lloyd. This is a case that has never left our thoughts here in the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. It is easy for people to get busy in the day-to-day grind of life. 

Memories dim, but not for us, and not for the members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC) who took over the case shortly after it came to us.

For anyone unfamiliar with the case, on May 15th of 2020 at 11:37 am, a report came in of a possible missing person. A deputy was dispatched to Stag Drive in Edwards Missouri where they met up with the daughter of Echo Lloyd who stated she had not seen her mother in two weeks.

After gaining access to Echo’s home, we called in the DDCC to conduct a forensic inspection which resulted in no factual evidence, or any information which would be helpful in locating Echo. The scene, however, raised more questions than we had answers for. We conducted a grid search of the area surrounding Echo’s home which involved Sheriff’s Offices employees, including myself, the Highway Patrol, all the area fire fighters, water patrol, the conservation department and other volunteers. 

Again, this search produced no answers that would help us to locate Echo or help determine what had happened to her. At that time, I knew our little office did not have the resources necessary to give this case what it was going to need, so the case was turned completely over to the DDCC.

The members of the DDCC have put in thousands of manhours on this case. They brought in expert cavers who worked the extensive cave system that exists here in Benton County. They followed leads that came in from citizens and interviewed every person that had contact with Echo as well as every other person of interest that may have been connected to her in any way. They interviewed people whose names came up from those leads and interviews as well, still producing no hard evidence of what had happened to Echo.

The DDCC is still actively investigating tips and leads that come in. Three weeks ago, the Camden County Sheriff’s Office had a lead that was worked by DDCC which involved K9s and a forensic team, but unfortunately resulted in no connecting information in Echo’s case. All leads, no matter how miniscule or vague, are followed up by the DDCC.

Leads that are called into the Benton County Central Dispatch or the Benton County Sheriff’s Office are forwarded immediately to DDCC for action. It is the heartfelt desire by every member of the BCSO that evidence will come in that will help the DDCC solve this case. 

If you have any information, no matter how insignificant you may think it is, please contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol at 573-751-3452, the Missing Persons Clearinghouse at 866-362-6422 or Benton County Central Dispatch at 660-438-9555. 

And as always, my door is always open. Somebody knows something, please come forward and give Echo’s family and loved ones the peace they deserve.

Sheriff Knox

Obituary - Everett Earl Austin

Everett Earl Austin, age 94, of Clinton, Missouri passed away on Monday, March 25, 2024, at Clinton Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Clinton, Missouri. Everett's wishes were to be cremated with a memorial service to be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, March 28th, 2024 at the Vansant-Mills Funeral Chapel in Clinton, Missouri with visitation from 10:00-11:00 Am prior to the service. Memorial contributions can be made to the Tebo Baptist Church Cemetery and may be left in care of the funeral home.

Everett was born in Montserrat, Missouri on September 9, 1929, to Everett W. and Eva Valentine (Drinkwater) Austin. His family moved to the Clinton area when Everett was a young child.

On Wednesday, August 25, 1948, Everett married the love of his life, Wilma Fern Miller. They were married by Rev. Hugh Sperry at the Sperry’s home in Clinton. Everett took $18 on their honeymoon to Branson, Missouri and returned with enough money to take Wilma to the State Fair. The newlyweds returned to Clinton to make their home. As was the Custom of the day, they were surprised when their friends gave them a chivalry. First, Everett pushed Wilma around the Clinton square in a wheelbarrow. Then, they returned home to find their friends had poured salt in their bed. They settled in to married like and the following year Ernie was born and three years later, Rocky.

In 1956 Everett began working at Osage Valley Electric Coop and retired in 1988 after 31 years of service. Everett and Wilma spent their retirement years traveling to Bluegrass festivals with their camper club. They enjoyed spending their winters in Arizona and Texas. He and Wilma particularly enjoyed playing cards.

In 1960, while living in the Coal community, Everett was baptized and was an active member of Tebo Baptist Church where he served as a Deacon. In 1968, the Austin Family moved into Clinton, they attended Northeast Baptist Church where he again served as a Deacon.

Everett always enjoyed his free time. His younger years spent playing on a men’s hardball league in Coal, Missouri. In his later years, he managed a men’s softball team for B&L Electric. He also enjoyed archery, croquet, shooting pool and golf. He enjoyed playing his guitar and singing gospel and bluegrass music.

On August 25, 2023, Everett and Wilma celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. Everett was a good Christian man, who dearly loved his family and friends.

Everett was preceded in death by his parents, and infant sister.

Everett is survived by his wife, Wilma, sons, Ernie (Vicky) Austin, Rocky (Kathi) Austin all of Clinton, his grandchildren, Jamie (Kim) Austin, Jason (Kristi) Austin, Casey (Dustin) Rodgers, and Lance Austin. He is also survived by thirteen great grandchildren, sister-in-law, Hazel (Julian) Shoemyer of Monroe City, MO., brothers-in-law, Bob Yamamoto of Charleston, IL., and Billy Miller of Sullivan, IL.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Vansant-Mills Funeral Home in Clinton, Missouri.

Isolated wintry mix this morning

Your eyes do not deceive you, that is snow. Scattered rain and wintry mix continue through the morning hours. Accumulations should be minimal primarily on metal and grassy surfaces. There may be some slick spots out on the roads this morning so exercise caution when travelling.

Obituary - Billy Joe Cumpton

Billy Joe Cumpton, 67 of Adrian, Missouri passed away Sunday, March 24, 2024 at his home in Adrian. A Celebration of Life service will be held 5:00 pm Friday, April 26, 2024 at the Adrian Optimist Building in Adrian, Missouri. 

Services under the direction of Mullinax Funeral Home, Butler (660-679-0009). 

 Memorial contributions may be made to the Adrian Optimist Club or the Altona Baptist Church. Messages of condolence may be left for the family at www.mullinaxfuneralhome.com.

Full obituary will be posted as soon as its available.  

A complete obituary is pending at this time.