Lady Bears Off to Perfect Start

By Cody Morris

The Butler Lady Bears continue to turn heads in the Class 2 volleyball scene, opening the season with a flawless 4–0 record. Even more impressive, the Bears have yet to drop more than just one set in any of their matches.

Expectations were high coming into the year, and Butler has lived up to the hype against a challenging schedule. Their wins have come over Harrisonville, Midway, Warsaw, and Osceola—each carrying a winning record with the exception of Warsaw.

The Lady Bears will hit the road this week with trips to Hume and Archie before returning home for a marquee matchup. On Thursday night, the Bears Den will host Adrian, as the Lady Bears clash with the Lady Blackhawks. Adrian enters with a strong 6–2 record, riding a six-match winning streak of their own, setting up what promises to be one of the best matchups of the early season.

Adrian, Butler Lead the Field at Butler Quad

By Cody Morris

The Butler Lady Bears hosted a girls golf quad on September 9, and it was a strong showing for two rival programs as Adrian and Butler finished first and second in the team standings.

Adrian’s varsity squad captured the top spot with a consistent team effort, while Butler earned runner-up honors, trimming several strokes from their previous team score. Adrian’s JV team claimed third place, followed by Oak Grove in fourth and Stockton in fifth.

The Lady Bears were led by juniors Jena Tourtillott and Ashlynn Hannah, who shot a 56 and 57 respectively to pace Butler’s scorecard. Adrian, meanwhile, showed the depth of their program, with both their varsity and JV teams finishing in the top three.

Whirlwinds Storm Past Rich Hill on Senior Night

By Cody Morris

In local 8-man football action, the Rich Hill Tigers made the trip to Archie Friday night to face the defending back-to-back state champion Whirlwinds. While Rich Hill has shown steady growth in recent seasons, the powerhouse Whirlwinds were too much to overcome, handing the Tigers an 82–6 defeat.

Archie, a program that hadn’t lost a single game over the past two seasons, stumbled out of the gate in 2025 with a surprising opening loss to Lockwood with Golden City. Since then, however, the Whirlwinds have been quick to remind opponents why they remain a perennial favorite. On senior night, Archie dominated from start to finish, using its trademark speed and depth to overwhelm the visiting Tigers.

For Rich Hill, the setback provides a measuring stick against one of the state’s premier programs, as the Tigers continue to build momentum within their own program.

Rockville boil advisory has been lifted

 The boil advisory for the city of Rockville, Mo. has been lifted. Thanks for you patience.

Athlete of the Week

 

We are so happy to announce the first athlete of the week for the 2025-2026 school year, senior, Kamden Fennewald from Butler. Kamden was nominated by head coach Heather Goldammer. Kamden is strong in the classroom as well as on the court. She currently has a 4.415 gpa and is ranked top of her class. She is the setter for the varsity volleyball team. Coach Goldammer stated “Kamden has one of the highest volleyball IQ of any player she has coached, and while the team has several standout attackers this season, they couldn’t do that without the quality setting of Kamden. She is a leader on and off the court and takes an active role in helping coach the underclassmen setters.” We asked Kamden who is someone you look up to when it comes to sports and she stated “my sister Taitlyn. She played the same sport as me and coached me in club volleyball. She is just someone I look up to.” We asked her what advice she has for younger athletes and she stated “that attitude plays a big role in your success. Staying positive helps you and really helps your team”. When asked what she feels like it takes to be a successful as an athlete she stated, “not letting yourself get down when you make a mistake, just not letting a mistake get to you.” It was a pleasure speaking with Kamden. The Lady Bears are currently 4-0. We wish them the best of luck this season!

Pictured left to right: Kellie Davidson, State Farm; Kamden Fennewald, daughter of Amber Greene and Bobby & Jenny Fennewald

Nicely done, kids!

From the Appleton City R-2 School District

Congratulations to Ms. Fayard's 1st Grade Class for winning the Best Classroom Attendance Award for the month of August!

Slim chance for rain in Bates county today

As for EAST KANSAS AND WEST MISSOURI, the greater chance for severe thunderstorms lies to our west today.
Late afternoon though, look for a few isolated to clustered thunderstorms around the I-35 corridor.
If any of these storms encounter pockets of instability, they could be strong.
By and large though, they will fade as the work their way east.
-Greg@660weather

Despite toasty temps, good turnout for Foster Days

 Great food, plenty of fun and a big shade tree is about all that is needed for a great day in Foster, Mo as the annual "Foster Day" is fully underway at the community building. 

Everyone is encouraged to stop by and enjoy the festivities!