Bates County Sheriff's Office conducted a warrant sweep

 

On Thursday April 11th, 2024 the Bates County Sheriff's Office conducted a warrant sweep. The purpose of the operation was to conduct warrant arrest for those individuals that currently are wanted on Felony warrants out of Bates County. A total of 5 arrests were made during the sweep. The following were the individuals located and arrested. During the operation most of the arrestees were cooperative and were arrested without incident.

One subject, Bryan Ferrel, of rural Butler decided that he was not going to return to jail on his warrants. Earlier in the day, Deputies had attempted to locate him at his residence. That attempt was unsuccessful but a Deputy returned to the area a few hours later and observed a vehicle in the driveway that was not there on the first attempt. While that Deputy waited for additional Deputies to arrive, that vehicle left the residence. Deputies conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and made contact with two females. One female who had warrants told the Deputies that Ferrel was in Texas and not at the residence. Deputies had prior knowledge and video footage of Ferrel in the area recently. Deputies responded back to the residence where they observed Ferrel running across a plowed field toward a creek. Deputies gave chase and cornered Ferrel in the creek where K9 Falco took Ferrel into custody. Ferrel was tranported to the Bates County Hospital to recieve treatment for the dog bite on his buttock. Ferrel refused treatment and was then booked into the Bates County Jail.

Harold Lee Hubbard, 4/13/1952, warrant was for 6 counts of child endangerment creating a substantial risk in the 1st degree. $60,000 cash or surety.

Dianna Lynn Hubbard, 7/14/1958, warrant was for 6 counts of child endangerment creating a substantial risk in the 1st degree. $60,000 cash or surety.

Bryan Colby Ferrel, 8/3/1980, Probation Violation with a No Bond, Additional charges are being filed for resisting arrest by fleeing and possession of a control substance.

April Alden, 02/19/1983, Operating a commercial motor vehicle without a license and without maintaining financial responsibility, Displaying plates of another. Additional Charges for hindering and obstructing an officer for lying to deputies.

Kalena Elizabeth Taylor, 6/12/1983, DWI aggravated offender, failed to proceed with caution/yield right of way/reduce speed approaching a stationary emergency vehicle displaying lights, failed to drive on right half of roadway, driving while revoked or suspended. $10,000 cash or surety

Obituary - Lola Jean Driver

Lola Jean Driver, age 71, resident of Fort Scott, KS died Thursday, April 11, 2024, at Via Christi Hospital, Pittsburg, KS. She was born April 29, 1952, in Fort Scott, the daughter of Virgil Jean Wiggans and Lola Camp Wiggans. Jean graduated from Fort Scott High School with the class of 1970. She married Dwight Driver in 1974. He preceded her in death in June 2011. 

Together, Jean and Dwight owned D & D Sales Trucking Company in Fort Scott. She was also the one looking out for the rest of the family. She enjoyed being outside, working in the yard and gardening. She liked to read, travel, visit the casino occasionally, and play with her dogs Buddy and Petey and cats Lucky and Flower.

Survivors include her son, Jimmy Driver, Fort Scott; her siblings, Jimmy Wiggans, and Lavetta Simmons (Jerry) all of Fort Scott; grandchildren Adele Brown and several others; and several nieces and nephews. Besides her husband Dwight, she was preceded in death by a stepson Dwight L. Driver and her parents.

The family will receive friends from 4:00 until 6:00 PM Monday, April 15th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Cremation will follow with burial later in the Clarksburg Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Jean Driver memorial fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted online at cheneywitt.com.

Public Service Announcement:

Get ahead of the game and clean your AC condenser before summer. I can help. Reach out to Randy at 660-200-5384. Call, text or personal message.

Happy Retirement Rick!

 

The Legend Retires: Rick Bridges...

Thank you Rick for dedicating 11 years to our Midwest Lumber team. Congratulations on an impressive 51 year career in the lumber industry. 

Your work ethic is unmatched. Your legacy is the pride you have in your craft and wanting to be the best.

Best wishes from Brandon, Janelle, & Midwest Lumber Team

Obituary - Judy Irene Cross

Judy Irene Cross, daughter of Estel and Nadine Umstattd, was born March 14, 1939, in Butler, Missouri. She departed this life at Appleton City Manor on Thursday, April 11, 2024, at 85 years of age after a short illness. She was baptized at an early age and remained faithful to Johnstown Church of Christ throughout her life. On November 10, 1957, Judy was united in marriage to Gerald Cross and to this union two children were born.

Judy spent her early years as a stay-at-home mom and babysitting. She acquired the name “Aunt Judy“ from three very special Allen girls who call her that to this day. After her kids were older, she went to work at the Appleton City Journal. In the late 70’s, she became a full-time bookkeeper for her and Gerald’s auto repair business. She continued doing that until they sold the business in 2014. She worked part time for Bob Breon Insurance and sold real estate for a short period of time.

Judy enjoyed delivering the Little Apple. She loved going to Clinton to the Sr. Center to play cards. Judy was loved by everyone who knew her. She always saw the best in everyone. She loved her family unconditionally. She spent her life caring for other people and putting their needs ahead of hers.

Judy was preceded in death by her parents, Estel and Nadine; her husband Gerald of 57 years; her brother Charles Umstattd; and her beloved son “Mikey” whom she adored.

Survivors include her daughter Jackie Perry (Dane); brother-in-law Dennis Cross (Gayle); sister-in-law Debra Cross; four bonus grandchildren: Coale Perry (Chelsea), Clay Perry, Cristin Schneider (Erik) and Becky Hill (Nick); special nephew, Jeff Cross (Debbie) and special niece Kim Dains (Darrell) who she loved like her own children; three great-grandchildren, Raeah, Raeleigh, and Renner Hill along with many extended family and good friends.

Visitation for Judy will be held Saturday April 13th from 12:30 -2:00 p.m with the funeral to follow at the Hill & Sons Funeral Home LLC located at 213 W. 6th Street. 

Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Highway Patrol arrest abduction suspects

BOLIVAR, MO — The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested two suspects in a child abduction on Tuesday evening, April 9, after a pursuit through Polk County.

The Springfield Police Department reported two-year-old Arukia Ganis missing from a retail business in Springfield at 2:52 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. She was believed to be in a black Ford F150 pickup truck with her biological parents, Frank Ganis and Arisha Caldwell.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol upgraded Arukia Ganis’ missing person status to an Amber Alert at around 4:45 p.m.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office received information from the Springfield Police Department that the suspects and the child were located south of Humansville in Polk County. Deputies responded to the area at around 5:30 p.m. and found the suspects in their vehicle.
The driver of the Ford pickup failed to stop, and the Polk County deputies initiated a pursuit.

The suspects traveled south through county roads and eventually began traveling northbound on Mo. 13. When they hit the Polk County and St. Clair County line, the suspects turned around and headed southbound on Mo. 13 while law enforcement continued to follow them.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office, with the help of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, were able to stop the truck in Polk County at around 5:40 p.m.

Law enforcement found Frank Ganis and Caldwell in the vehicle, along with the missing two year old. She was unharmed.

Both suspects were arrested and transported to the Greene County Jail. They will remain in custody pending charges from the Springfield Police Department and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
“We are so thankful we were able to find Arukia and return her to safety,

” Polk County Sheriff Danny Morrison said. “It was a positive outcome to a scary situation. We’re thankful for the exceptional help we received from both the Springfield Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. This was truly a team effort.”

El Dorado Springs names new high school wrestling coach

On behalf of the El Dorado Springs R-2 School District, it is a pleasure to introduce our new High School Wrestling Coach, Bill Gray. Bill is entering his second year as an educator in the El Dorado Springs School District and served last year as a Middle School Football Coach and as the assistant Wrestling Coach at the high school level.

Coach Gray brings in over 30 years of coaching experience that has covered college softball, high school and middle school football, and high school and middle school wrestling. He most recently served in a Head Wrestling Coaching position at Diamond High School from 2017-2022. During his time there, he coached 29 state qualifiers and six state placers.

Coach Gray is married to Jennifer Gray, who teaches high school math and they have two sons, Owen and Nathan. Owen will serve as a High School Assistant in football and wrestling, while continuing to teach Civics at El Dorado Springs High School. Nathan is currently in college and is an official for wrestling in Missouri and Kansas.

Coach Gray is excited to continue in building the program that has been established at Eldo and looks to help push further along in its path to greater excellence.

Congratulations and welcome to our new High School Wrestling Coach, Bill Gray!

MoDOT: Work Zone Awareness Week 2024

Work Zone Awareness Week 2024 Urges Drivers to “Work With Us”

As the busy road work season gets underway across Missouri, the Missouri Department of Transportation kicks off 2024 National Work Zone Awareness Week (April 15-19) with a media event in Springfield on Tuesday, April 16.

MoDOT will host a Work Zone Awareness Week Media Event at 10 am at MoDOT’s Southwest District Office, 3025 East Kearney, Springfield, 65803. Speakers will include MoDOT Southwest District Engineer Stacy Reese, MSHP Troop D Corporal Sam Carpenter and MoDOT Maintenance Supervisor Danny Bowling discussing their experiences on Missouri’s roadways.

Since 2000, 35 MoDOT employees have been killed in the line of duty, 16 of them taking place in work zones. With over $1.4 billion in road and bridge work this year, Missouri motorists can expect to encounter a significant amount of work zones and ongoing maintenance operations during their travels this year. MoDOT is urging motorists to “Work with Us” by making smart, safe driving choices behind the wheel to protect themselves and those they share the road with, including highway workers.

Using a cell phone while driving is now against the law in Missouri. The Siddens Bening hands free law, which took effect last August, prohibits drivers from physically holding or supporting a cell phone while driving; this includes sending or receiving texts and recording or watching videos. Drivers can face criminal charges for crashes that result in property damage, injury or death.