CPR class at BCMH

BCMH will host a AHA Heartsaver® CPR/AED class on Tuesday, May 30 from 5:30pm to 9:30pm. The class will be held in the Bates County Memorial Hospital Education Center at 615 West Nursery Street in Butler and will be led by an AHA-certified instructor. 

To sign up, please call Gayle at 660-200-7007 and leave a message. The fee for this class is $40.

Severe storms likely tonight

A line of severe storms is expected to move west to east through the region tonight. Storms should impact the KC metro in the 9 pm-12 am time frame. Wind gusts up to 70 to even 75 mph remains the primary threat, although a few tornadoes and some large hail will also be possible.

Ellett Memorial Hospital May Employee of the Month

We would like to congratulate Rebecca Schanuth on being chosen as Ellett Memorial Hospital May Employee of the Month! Rebecca has been an LPN with EMH since August of 2015. She has built quite the reputation due the fact she has a sincere love for her profession. 

Through meer observation it shows Rebecca is always ready to lend a hand. She is always asking others how she can help them. She is not afraid to go the extra mile for whatever her patients or family needs. 

Rebecca is known to be very compassionate about her community at home and work. She does so much that goes un-noticed, but when noticed we know who took the time to make a difference. Rebecca makes everyone feel welcome and we are blessed to have her dedication to patients, family and EMH.

Once again, Congratulations Rebecca! Well deserved!!

Three Missourians recognized for dedication to higher education

The electric cooperatives of Missouri have always had strong ties with the University of Missouri. In fact, the first meeting to form what we now know as the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives (AMEC) was held in Mumford Hall on Mizzou’s campus on Feb. 11, 1937. Fast forward nearly 90 years and that tie of support is just as strong.

Earlier this year Caleb Jones, executive vice president and CEO of today’s Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, was honored by the Mizzou Alumni Association with its prestigious Geyer Award. Named after state Rep. Henry S. Geyer, the award recognizes the work of public officials and citizens who have made a positive impact on higher education and Mizzou. Geyer, a state representative from St. Louis, believed education was the key to progress and prosperity in Missouri and introduced a bill to establish the University of Missouri in 1839.

“It’s always a great honor to be recognized by your college,” Caleb said of the award. “My time at Mizzou prepared me well for a career in public service. I am always happy to give back to Mizzou.”

Before joining AMEC in 2017, Caleb spent three terms representing the 50th District as a Missouri state representative. In his time in the legislature, Caleb was instrumental in securing core funding increases for the university. As CEO of the statewide service organization for Missouri’s electric cooperatives, he has continued to elevate the university through partnerships with the Mizzou Youth Experience, MU Extension and creating a special Missouri Electric Cooperatives ticket portal for Mizzou Sporting events. Caleb has also supported the University of Missouri system through features in Rural Missouri.

Also honored with the award were Chris Chinn, director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, and state Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer. Chinn has moved the state’s agriculture industry forward through legislative advocacy, social media outreach and publicly speaking on her own experience as a fifth-generation farmer in Shelby County. She was named director of agriculture in 2017 and is a member of Macon Electric Cooperative.

Luetkemeyer has represented Missouri’s 34th District since 2019. He is chairman of the Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, vice-chairman of the Appropriations Committee and was reelected to a second term in 2022. He has been a vocal advocate for both the University of Missouri system and its Columbia campus.

 

UTV fire in rural El Dorado Springs

On Sunday May 5th around 1:50 a.m. the El Dorado Springs Fire Department responded to SW 1371 road concerning a reported UTV Fire. 1 truck and 5 firefighters responded. 

The Fire Crew was on scene of this fire for 2 hours and 5 minutes and no injuries reported. The UTV was a total loss. 

2024 Butler High School Graduation Ceremony

Join us in celebrating the 2024 graduating senior class on Sunday, May 12, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. Doors will open at 1:00 p.m.

#gobears

Obituary - David Stuart Mills

David Stuart Mills was born on October 30, 1954 in Kansas City, Kansas to Russell Earnest and Mildred Bernice (Saunders) Mills. He was the baby of six children. With David, it has always been family first, last and always. When his father died he was only 10 and he quit school after 9th grade and started working at the age of 17 to help support his mother.

David had a strong work ethic and for many years worked as a heavy equipment operator for Erman Corp, a train scrap yard where he operated heavy equipment to break down box cars and other railroad items for recycling. When he was 20 years old, he married his sweetheart, Laurie Waterman on September 23, 1975 in Kansas City, Kansas. Together they had two beautiful daughters, Candace "Candy" and Shanna.

Though he and Laurie were later divorced, he remained committed to the two girls who were the light of David's life. David passed his love of the outdoors to his girls. He loved to fish for "anything that would bite". In his younger days he enjoyed hunting for geese.

He especially enjoyed camping. But perhaps his most passionate pastime was working on lawn mowers. He would stop along the side of the road and pick up any lawn mower he found and then he and his special friend, Pastor Bill, would repair them together. Soon the cast off would be running like new. David was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Virgil and one sister, Carol Roebuck.

He leaves behind, his two daughters and their husbands, Candace and Jason Sweet, and Shanna and Thomas Gallagher; four grandchildren, Zachary Garrett Sweet, Tonya "Frankie" Gallagher (Ryan), Jeremy David Thomas Gallagher (Americus), and Kaleb David James Sweet; his little partner in crime and great-granddaughter, Kinsley Rose Gallagher; one sister, Ruth Ann Hutchins; two brothers, Jerry (Vicki) Mills, and Bob (Lynn) Mills; and one sister-in-law Linda Mills.

With the help of the wonderful staff of Olathe Hospice, David was able to enjoy his last days surrounded by the family he loved and tormenting and playing with his great-granddaughter, Kinsley. He passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 at the age of 69. The tears shed were many, but David trusted in the Lord and was a faithful member of Vineyard of Hope in Osawatomie, so the family takes comfort in knowing that David now has a new strength and he "will soar high on wings like eagles". (Isaiah 40:30-31 NLT)

David's Celebration of Life will be Saturday, May 25th at 10:30 am at Community Revival Center Church, 2749 Montana Rd, Ottawa, KS 66067. Lunch will follow. David will be inurned at Brooklyn Cemetery, La Cygne, Kansas at a later date.

The family suggests memorial contributions to Olathe Hospice. Donations may be mailed to Olathe Health Charitable Foundation, Doctor's Building 1, 20375 W. 151st Street, Suite 363, Olathe, Kansas 66061 or online at olathehealth.org.

Large fire on Rice Road in Butler

On Saturday May 4th the Butler Fire Department responded to a large fire at Butler Milling & Sales LLC located at 707 Rice Road.

When crews arrived on scene they found pallets of a bad batch of feed mix that was spontaneously combusting and causing a large fire.

Fire crews were called back out early this morning when the fire rekindled. No one was reported injured in this fire.