Showers return late tonight, into tomorrow

Obituary - Norma Bivin

Norma Nadine Bivin, 93, Nevada, MO passed away on Monday, September 15, 2025, at Moore-Few Care Center, Nevada.  Norma was born January 7, 1932, in Richards, MO to Frances and Edith (Bell) Heathman.   She married Dale L. Bivin on June 20, 1981, and he preceded her in death.

    Norma attended three years of college, including two summers at Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar, MO, and two summers at Pittsburg State Teachers College in Pittsburg, KS.   After graduation, she taught elementary school at Mt. Zion Bible School in Ava, MO for ten years; then worked at the University of Missouri, Columbia, purchasing department for 19 years.   Norma enjoyed photography, crocheting afghan blankets, stamp collecting, reading the Bible and  historical and religious novels, keeping a daily diary, fishing, and making scrap books.

     Survivors include four brothers, Francis G. Heathman, Robert W. Heathman, Richard L. Heathman, and Loren Heathman, all of Nevada, MO; and two sisters, Pauline Page, Nevada, MO and Evelyn Green, San Diego, CA. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Dale.

     Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at Moore-Few Care Center, Nevada, MO with Bill Platt officiating.   Committal will follow at a later date, in the Concordia Baptist Cemetery in Concordia, MO.   In lieu of flowers, those who wish may contribute in Norma’s memory to First Christian Church, Nevada, MO in care of Ferry Funeral Home.

Obituary - Bill Gaddie

Bill H. Gaddie, 84, of Freeman, Missouri, passed away on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at Research Medical Center. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, September 23, 2025 at 10:00 AM at Atkinson Funeral Home in Harrisonville, MO. Family will receive friends on Monday, September 22, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the funeral home. Memorial contributions are suggested to the NRA - National Rifle Association.

Bill was born on August 17, 1941, to Willie and Jessie (Vest) Gaddy in Springfield, MO. Bill was a 1959 graduate of Cass Midway High School. In 1960, he joined the US Air Force and served our country honorably to 1964. In July of 1965, he married Carol Zeiler. To that marriage, three children were born. Bill enjoyed working on and fixing up cars. He was very proud of his 1938 Chevy Coop and 1966 Pontiac GTO. He loved working in his yard, spending time with his family, and fishing.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Lee Gaddy; and a sister, Ruby Green. He is survived by his children: Mike Gaddie and Kathy Lambertz of Harrisonville, MO; Scott and Michelle Gaddie of Archie, MO; and Becky and Rob Deardorff of Archie, MO; sister, Eva Duncan, of Freeman, MO; and ex-wife and friend, Carol Binder, of Archie, MO. Bill was blessed with 8 grandchildren: Brittney Deardorff, Trever and Brandy Deardorff, Brooklyn Gaddie, Mason Gaddie, Jordan and John Knudsen, Josh Gaddie, Ashley Lambertz, and Erin Lambertz; and 5 great-grandchildren: Oliver, Rhett, Emberlynn, Greyson, Lilly, and one more on the way.

Dubray ties another school record

 

Congratulations to Butler High School Junior Kylee Dubray who tied the school record for with 6 blocks last night against Adrian. This ties the record currently held by Alyx Gepford (2011).

Efforts ongoing to lure new business to Butler

Work is advancing quickly at what will be the Hertzog Meat Company retail location on west 52 highway in Butler. The project includes a 10 year, zero percent interest loan according to John Roberts with the MarksNelson company that is helping Butler with economic development

During the regular meeting of the Butler city council on Tuesday, John Roberts with MarksNelson, a business advisory service that provides economic development strategies retained by the city, gave a report on the search to bring new businesses to town.

Roberts said that there is a lot of potential opportunity to lure new businesses but the process is multi faceted, requiring a bit more action on behalf of the city however, the good news is that there are a few that are taking a good hard look at Butler.

Those interested are mostly manufacturing type facilities that will require a partnership with other entities such as Osage Valley Electric Coop also the railroad, and he said that as of this time all are on the same page and things are moving forward. 

Good news included the fact that a zero percent, 10 year loan has been greenlighted that will provide the Hertzog Meat Company a significant savings in terms of finance charges as they continue to revamp the former Walmart building into a retail meat sales location. The loan is in conjunction with Osage Valley, whom has been a big advocate of this and other projects related to the city of Butler.

Roberts went on to say that his firm has also been working with the Bates County Commission to establish an EEZ (Enhanced Enterprise Zone) board which will oversee local programs providing tax incentives, such as property tax abatement, to businesses that create jobs and invest within designated geographic areas in Butler and Bates county in general.

In closing, councilman Scott Mallatt did ask Roberts if his company could help bring some type of convenience store back to downtown Butler. Roberts said that their (MarksNelson) primary goal would be businesses of a larger scale (manufacturing) and that will require further research to fully understand why Casey's closed the stores in the first place.

Roberts also noted that his company will be providing an annual report to the city that will detail progress so far.

In other council news, it was noted that fuel is again for sale at the Butler airport following several technical delays regarding accepting credit cards. 

Mayor Jim Henry said that progress continued regarding promotion of the Jefferson Highway through Butler. As soon as right-of-way arrangements are made, we'll be seeing more signs around the area. Also, the 'green space' on the southeast corner of the square is coming along nicely and sidewalk replacement next to it should be completed soon.

Henry also said that the search continues for a city administrator and update is expected during the October 7 meeting. 

In upcoming sessions discussions will be held about annexation of the Schubert property that the city purchased last year. Following the annexation more discussions will held regarding exact use of the property which will include zoning for industrial development.

It was announced that Scooter's Coffee has broken ground for their new retail location located just west of Burger King and although a completion date has not been announced, it is guessed construction could take 2-3 months.

Remember the Butler city council meets on the first and third Tuesdays, 7pm, upstairs at city hall. An elevator is available for those with special needs. The public is highly encouraged to attend.

56 year old Harrisonville woman dies following I-49 crash

 

Just before noon yesterday a multi vehicle accident claimed the life of a Harrisonville woman following a crash that involved several vehicles, leaving I-49 traffic at a standstill for an extended time.

According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, a Kenworth semi occupied by a 51 year old Independence man and a Toyota Forerunner occupied by the Harrisonville woman were stopped in traffic due to congestion when a both were struck by another vehicle, a Kenworth T600 driven by a 54 year old Deepwater, Mo man.

The resulting impact resulted in forcing the Harrisonville woman's vehicle into the median, where she was pronounced deceased at the scene. No injuries were reported by the drivers of the other vehicles.

This is the 59th fatality reported by the MSHP this year. Multiple agencies responded to the scene including the Cass County Sheriff's Office, Harrisonville police and fire department.

Due to a policy change, the MSHP no longer provides names of victims in publicly available accident reports. Hardcopy detailed reports are available from the MSHP at a cost of $6 with an unknown delivery time due to a severe backlog, according to the MSHP website.

Northbound I-49 shut down at Harrisonville

An accident involving a semi tractor-trailer has the northbound lanes of I-49 shut down between the 2 highway and 291 exits which currently is causing a backup that extends south well past 7 highway. 

It is unknown how long the lanes will be closed, an alternate route might be the best bet.

Update: 2:15 pm it has been reported that a secondary accident has occurred on I-49 near 307th street which is adding to delays. It is recommended to use an alternate route (if going northbound) before Archie.

Local students get up close look at law enforcement technology

On Monday, the Bates County Sheriff's Youth Posse got an up-close look at the tools and tech that help keep our community safe! From patrol vehicles to specialized equipment, they explored how each piece plays a role in law enforcement operations.

One of the most talked-about moments? Corporal Jackson's live overview of the Grappler device—a powerful tool used to safely end high-speed pursuits. Watching how it works sparked a lot of curiosity and great questions from the group!

And a huge thanks to Detective Davis, the drone demonstration was a hit! The youth were fascinated by how aerial technology supports investigations and search efforts.

It was a day full of learning, inspiration, and hands-on discovery. We’re proud of these future leaders and grateful to our Sheriff's Office staff for sharing their time and expertise.

Courtesy Bates County Sheriff's Office and Bates County Sheriff's Posse