Harrisonville man arrested after fleeing on foot outside of Adrian

On 2/26/24 at approximately 1900hrs, the Bates County Sheriff's Office received information from a property owner approximately 4 miles east of Adrian on 18 Highway in reference to observing a male subject caught on a security camera wandering around on the property. When Deputies arrived on scene they conducted an area canvas.

Approximately 1/4 mile from the initial location a Deputy located a heat signature on his vehicles thermal imaging camera that is mounted on the spot light. As the Deputy stopped to investigate what the image was, a male subject stood up and began to flee on foot. The Deputy gave chase on foot until the subject jumped into a large pond area.

For obvious safety reasons the Deputy did not chase him through the pond. A short stand off in the pond and the Deputies convinced the subject to exit the pond on his own. The subject was taken into custody and transported to the Sheriff's Office where he was placed in jail on his No bond Probation Parole warrant for failing a drug test and failing to report to his parole officers.

During a search of the subject, Deputies located methamphetamines in the pocket of his pants. Charges are pending for the fleeing from an officer and the possession of drugs.

The subject identified as Rodney C. Bennett of Harrisonville Missouri is being held on his no bond warrant.

Disclaimer: Arrest records are public information. Any indication of an arrest does not mean the individual identified has been convicted of a crime. All persons arrested are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Obituary - John Henry Olson, Jr

John Henry Olson, Jr., 75, Nevada, MO passed away on Sunday, February 25, 2024 at Nathan Richards Health Care Center in Nevada. John was born August 27, 1948 in Nevada to John H. and Edna M. (Shephard) Olson.

John was raised in Nevada and graduated from Nevada High School in 1966. He served in the United States Air Force from May of 1966 thru March of 1970 and reenlisted in 1972 serving until October of 1976. Following his years in the service, John worked in the gas and water pipeline construction field where he X-rayed pipeline around Lawrence, KS. His job also took him to the Illinois/Indiana border and then the Missouri/Oklahoma border. John also worked as a self-employed carpenter, for the City of Nevada at the water treatment facility, Walmart, and then worked as a driver for Wilkinson Pharmacy delivering medications until his retirement in 2010.

John joined the Wind Riders in 1992 at their conception where he served as Treasurer and Sergeant at Arms. He participated in Toys for Kids Drive and other club activities such as the Bushwhacker Days Bike Show. He enjoyed camping, fishing, photography, and attending family functions.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Edna (Shepherd) and John Olson, Sr. and his infant brother, Ronald. He is survived by his sister, Leona Lovell; a niece, Mary Ann (Brian) Mundell; a nephew, Dale Lovell; and numerous great nephews.

Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at Balltown Cemetery in Horton, MO with Randy Call officiating. Services are under the direction of Ferry Funeral Home, Nevada, MO.

Those who wish may contribute in John’s memory to the Wind Rider’s Toy Drive c/o of the funeral home.

BCSO search and rescue training

On 2/20/24, the Bates County Sheriff's Office held two seperate class room sessions on Search and Rescue for the Sheriff's Office and the Sheriff's Posse. The class room portion covered education on search types, patterns, evidence identification, radio etiquette, and policies and procedures.

 
On 2/24/2024, the Sheriff's Office held a mock Search and Rescue operations on the 100 acre Shaffer farm outside Spruce Mo. The Scenerio was that there was a lost female who had been last seen on a UTV and failed to return. The UTV was located and the female was no where to be found.

The Sheriff's Office put the training into a real life deployment. Members of the Bates County Sheriff's Posse and Jackson County Jackson County Sheriff's Mounted Posse teamed up along side of the Sheriff's Office employees to conduct the search. The mobile command center with full dispatch capabilities was deployed along with other search and rescue equipment. The drones were deployed, the mounted posse was deployed, UTVs along with ground searchers began to search the wooded area. The "lost female" was quicly found by the drones then later by the horseback riders and ground searchers. After the "lost female" was located a secondary "call" came in about a younger sibling that had gone to help in the initial search was missing.

 
The scenerio was intended to have many twist and turns with many failures built in to challenge the searchers. The challenges required volunteers and employees to work together to solve a multitude of issues while in the field. After the scenerio was complete a complete debrief was held to garner input from all involved. Weaknesses and equipment needs were identified along with search styles that compliment the terrain and items that is being searched for.

 
"This was a large scale operation that required Patrol Staff, Dispatch, IT Department and Posse Members to be successful." Says Sheriff Anderson. "This was great training and we were able to identify areas that we need to work on and identify the limitations of our volunteers and equipment. I am thankful for my staff and the volunteers who took a beautiful day out of their lives to train for the worst in our community. I look forward to many more trainings and to serve the community in which we live."

We would like to Thank the Gerald Shaffer family for always being willing to help with training and the use of his hunting grounds. We would also like to Thank the Jackson County Posse Members for training with us and the relationship we have grown to have.

What happened to Cheryl Ann Kenney?

It’s been 33 years since Cheryl was last seen by her family and friends in Nevada. Please come forward if you have any information!

Obituary - James Roy Danley

James Roy Danley, age 82, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Saturday, February 24, 2024, at the Guest Home Estates in Ft. Scott. He was born September 21, 1941, in Ft. Scott, the son of Marvin James Danley and Ruth Post Danley. Jim graduated from the Fulton High School. After graduation, he served with the United States Navy from 1960 to 1964. 

He was stationed in Japan for a portion of his service where he was assigned to Helicopter Utility Squadron #1. Following his military service, Jim married Paula Baez. Jim and Paula along with Paula’s two young sons, Pedro and Hector, then moved back to the family farm near Devon, Kansas. Jim continued to farm and raise cattle until 1976 when he purchased the Finney County Feed Yard in Garden City, Kansas. He owned and operated the feedlot for several years. Jim and Paula later divorced and Jim relocated to Springfield, Missouri. At this time, he began working as a cattle buyer for the Joplin Regional Stockyard. He later moved to Ft. Scott to be closer to his family. Jim enjoyed playing golf and traveling. He was able to take several trips including vacations to Canada for fishing as well as touring Australia and Ireland. He was a past member of the Masonic Lodge.

Survivors include his sons, Pedro Morillo of Fulton, Kansas and Hector Morillo of Garden City, Kansas; six grandchildren, Carmen Hickman (Chris) of Garden City, Kansas, Alisa Morillo of Wichita, Tonya Chandler (Donnie) of Wichita, Kansas, James Morillo of Ft. Scott, Joshua Morillo of Perkins, Oklahoma and Jace Morillo (Alexandria) of Mound City, Kansas; twenty-one great- grandchildren and eight great-great-grandchildren. Also surviving are extended family members, Henry and Patty Homan who helped provide for his care and an aunt, Yvonne Short.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, March 2nd at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial with military honors will follow in the Mapleton Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Saturday from 10:00 A.M. until service time at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to Mt. Carmel Hospice and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson seeking 5th term as sheriff

Today I Officially signed up to run for my 5th term for the Office of Sheriff. This year is my 16th year serving the Citizens of Bates County. There has only been two other things I’ve been more proud of. Being a child of God and a family man. 

Over the last 16 years I have done my best to be a good leader in the community and lead the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office with Honor and Integrity.

My pledge to All the Citizens of Bates County; I pledge to Defend and Protect the Constitution of the United States and of Missouri.
I pledge to do my part to equally apply and enforce the laws of the State of Missouri.

I pledge to put Bates County Citizens First over politics when making decisions about the operations of the Sheriff’s Office.

I pledge to be a good steward of your tax dollars and to be transparent in the operations of the Sheriff’s Office. These are only a few of my pledges to the Citizens.

With your support and vote, I look forward to continuing to serve the community and leading the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office.

- Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson 

Butler Youth Baseball & Softball Sign-ups

Butler Youth Baseball & Softball Sign-ups. We will have a post to follow with the ability to complete the forms online. YOU WILL STILL HAVE TO COME IN TO SIGN THE WAIVER AND PAY. If you have any question message us and we will get with you as soon as we can.

**Form has been updated**

Jim Platt announces retirement as Bates County Collector/Treasurer

Good morning, friends and family. Today is the day in Missouri that local candidates file for office. After 31 years of public service, I have decided not to appear on the ballot in 2024.

It has been an extremely hard decision to make. It helps that a good candidate, that I have worked with and trained for 20 years, has decided to step up and take the reins.

I have been proud and honored to serve 6 Governors of both parties and have either written or helped to write legislation for all of them. As much as I love Bates County and the people of Bates County, the hate and discontent is getting worse every year and it gets in the way of good government.

I have also served for many years now as the Legislative Chair of the Missouri County Collector’s Association and trained many new Collectors and served as many on the Missouri County Treasurers Assoc. board of directors. I can honestly say that most of them don't even know what political party that I or other Collectors and Treasurers identify with.

This was not the overwhelming factor in my decision, but I can't say that it hasn't been a factor. I have never been very partisan, as is the case with many office holders I have been associated with. I lean towards the teachings of George Washington who did not believe in political parties or factions, as they were called at the time, and he thought they were dangerous.

Carol and I would like to thank everyone in Bates County and elsewhere for all the love and support they have given us over the years. We are truly blessed and hope to continue to be involved in the community.

In closing, I would like to leave you with excerpts from George Washington's farewell address to congress in 1796, as it has always been a guiding light for me. Feel free to share this post.
" Political parties. They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force—to put in the place of the delegated will of the Nation, the will of a party; often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the Community; However combinations or Associations of the above description may now & then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the Power of the People, & to usurp for themselves the reins of Government; destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion."

"Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight) the common & continual mischiefs of the spirit of Party are sufficient to make it the interest and the duty of a wise People to discourage and restrain it".

-Jim Platt