This day in Bates County History

June 17, 1947

The Butler Times-Press June 19, 1947 Issue

11 yr old Johnnie Swezy, son of Mr. & Mrs. Elmer Swezy, saves his 3yr old brother, David, from drowning after falling into a well at the Johnnie Deems farm southeast of Butler.

Courtesy Bates County Historical Society and Museum

#MidAmericaLive

Statement from Butler Mayor, Jim Henry

.


#MidAmericaLive

Butler Community Café: 11 years of friends, food and fellowship

This week officially marked 11 years of the Butler Community Café, who have been providing delicious meals to the public while offering up plenty of fun and fellowship, too

Just over a decade ago, an idea was hatched to provide free meals however, rather than a soup kitchen type environment, it was decided to host the events at local churches with emphasis on everyone dining together to develop relationships and get to know each other better.

And it worked. While the first meal served 11 years ago was enjoyed by just 6 people, today 80 to 100 eager eaters enjoy a well rounded dinner each week served up by a very dedicated group of volunteers.

Seen above, a special cake was made to commemorate the occasion this week with regular volunteers and board members L-R: Cliff Lawrence, Deb Ellis, Bren Sprague, Kelly Freeze, Carolyn Jett, Holly Rabourn and Phyllis McBrayer. Not available for photo are Becky Clift, Eileen Parks and Ashley Melhuish.

The Butler Community Café is driven completely on donations from restaurants, food pantries, personal donations and more; if you would like to provide a meal or otherwise contribute, please contact Holly Rabourn at 660-227-9001.

#MidAmericaLive

Want to learn more about Genealogy?

An introduction to Genealogy will be held at the Cass County Public Library Drexel, Friday the 19th of June 3pm.


#MidAmericaLive

La Cygne receives much needed grant

The La Cygne Police Department and the La Cygne Fire Dept. are proud recipients of a grant awarded through First Option Bank and the Louis & Dolpha Baehr Foundation to assist with the purchase of additional portable radios for BOTH departments!

Through this funding, the Police Department received five (5) new portable radios, while the Fire Department received six portable radios along with a six-bank charging station designed to remain onboard a fire apparatus. This setup is especially beneficial for the unique needs of a volunteer fire department, helping ensure equipment remains charged, accessible, and ready for emergency response at all times.

Reliable communication equipment is one of the most important tools our first responders rely on each day. These additional radios will enhance communication capabilities, improve coordination during emergencies, and help ensure the safety of both responders and the community we serve.

We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to First Option Bank and the Louis & Dolpha Baehr Foundation for their continued support of public safety and rural communities. Grants such as this make a meaningful impact and help provide our departments with the tools needed to better serve the citizens of La Cygne, without impacting our budgets.

Courtesy La Cygne Police Department

#MidAmericaLive

Blackhawk Briana Yoakum welcomed into Mizzou Academic Scholars Program

Adrian Blackhawk Pride shines bright once again for Briana Yoakum! This time, she is participating in an academic honors program before entering her Junior year at AHS! Way to represent, Briana! You'll do great in this program! Congratulations!

Today Briana was officially welcomed into the 2026 Missouri Scholars Academy at the University of Missouri.

MSA is not a typical summer camp — it is one of Missouri’s most prestigious and selective academic honors programs for high school students. Scholars are nominated and chosen from across the state based on exceptional academic achievement, leadership, and intellectual promise.

For the next three weeks, Briana will study alongside some of Missouri’s highest-achieving students while learning from university faculty, researchers, and academic leaders through this nationally respected program.

Sentiments from Briana's parents: "Seeing 'Briana Yoakum — Adrian Senior High School' included among students from Missouri’s most recognized schools was an emotional moment for us. Coming from a small rural community, this opportunity represents years of hard work, discipline, resilience, and determination. We could not be more proud of her. This is a tremendous accomplishment, and she earned every bit of it."

Information provided by Crystal Yoakum via Adrian News Leader

#MidAmericaLive

Storms and hot today, more rain tomorrow

.


#MidAmericaLive

All victim names released regarding plane crash in Butler

From the desk of the Bates County Coroner’s Office…I first want to thank everyone for their continued support and cooperation and we want to give our sincere condolences to the friends and families associated with the tragedy at the Butler Memorial Airport in Butler, MO. The Coroner’s Office has identified the victims of the plane crash that occurred on Sunday, June 14 through the provided manifest and through next of kin notifications. The list of individuals identified is currently just a list and the proper authorities are still attempting to make absolute certain the deceased are positively identified. While the investigation is still ongoing and we work to reunite the deceased with their loved ones, we feel comfortable that we have the identities of those twelve passengers on board the plane.

The list includes:

Kurt John Roy- 69 year old from Windber, PA

Michael R. Shanahan- 54 year old from Kansas City, MO

David Hershberger- 54 year old from Liberty, MO

Sai Karthik Varma Datla- 24 year old from India

Matthew Swope- 39 year old from Independence, MO

Dustin McKinney- 44 year old from Stilwell, KS

Jennifer L. Sharp- 55 year old from Grand Junction, CO

Blake Thacker- 25 year old from Olathe, KS

Marcus Miller- 30 year old from Lawrence, KS

Nicholas Nash- 40 year old from Harrisonville, MO

William Fischer- 23 year old from De Soto, KS

Dane Cordes- 26 year old from Richmond, MO

The Coroner’s Office continues to work with local, state and federal agencies to investigate the incident. We waited to release the names to allow time for the friends and families to reach out to their extended families. We ask that you allow time and pray for everyone involved as this investigation will take months to complete and has touched people nationwide. God bless you all.

Jerret J Reno

Bates County Coroner

#MidAmericaLive