Obituary - Norma Evelyn Bishop

Funeral services for Norma Evelyn Bishop of Mound City, Kansas will be 11 a.m. February 19, 2026 at Schowengerdt Funeral Chapel (660-679-6555) in Butler, Missouri.  Visitation prior to services 10 - 11 a.m. February 19 at the Schowengerdt Chapel.  Burial in Oak Hill Cemetery, Butler.  Contributions can be made to Mound City Christian Church on her behalf.  Online condolences www.schowengerdtchapel.com.

Norma Evelyn (Baker) Bishop, age 85 of Mound City, Kansas passed away on Friday, February 6, 2026 at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas.  She was born June 29, 1940 to Frederick Hubert and Evelyn Ida Brooks Baker in Pleasant Gap, Missouri. She was a cherished wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, church member and community member…and she will be missed by family and friends.  Norma lived a life of service, always finding ways to positively affect the people and community around her.

Norma was the youngest of four children.  She had a big brother, Gordon, an older sister, Ruby, and another older brother, Dale.  Throughout her life they would greet her with “Hey, Little Sister!”  Her childhood was in Pleasant Gap until her family moved into nearby Butler, Missouri. Norma attended Butler High School, graduating in the class of 1957. It was during high school she met Jerry Bishop.  They would build a rich life together.  As their family grew, they moved several times, living in Aurora, Illinois; Winfield, Kansas; and Overland Park, Kansas, and retiring in Mound City, Kansas.  In Overland Park, Norma and Jerry were some of the earliest members of Legacy Christian Church (then known as Johnson County Christian Church), meeting in the basement of a Winchell’s donut shop.  Norma would go on to be a valued member of many community organizations in her life.

Norma and Jerry retired to Sugar Valley Lakes outside of Mound City in 2000, and Norma found many ways to become involved.  She was an active member of Mound City Church, dedicating her time and talents to serving the people of the church and its missions.  Norma and Jerry helped bring medical services to Mound City, Kansas, and she was instrumental in the city library too.  She competed in several women’s bowling leagues on her own and in couples' leagues with Jerry.

Norma enjoyed the companionship of many cats and dogs through her life.  Many of her pets came into her life as strays. All kinds of animals were attracted to her.  She enjoyed working outdoors and was instrumental in beautifying the area around the clubhouse. She tended her own yard with care.  Norma’s yard bustles with plants, flowers, and bird feeders attracting many birds, deer, and other wildlife.

Norma is survived by her husband, Jerry Bishop; daughter, Laurie (Tim) Carey; and two sons, Rick (Angela) Bishop and Ron (Karen) Bishop. Norma was blessed with eight grandchildren, Rachel, Ryan, Marie, Sarah, Drew, JJ, Nora, and Charlie; and two great-grandchildren, Royal and Rainy.  She was preceded in death by her parents, Frederick and Evelyn as well as her siblings, Gordon, Ruby and Dale.

Obituary - Leila Mae Bock

Leila Mae Bock, age 94 of rural Appleton City, Missouri, was born on March 6, 1931. She went home to be with her Lord and Savior on February 11 ,2026 with her family at her side. She was saved at an early age and has been a member of the Harmony Baptist Church until her passing. Leila Mae lived in the Taberville area in her early years until she met the love of her life.

Leila Mae Waters and Tony Bock were united in marriage on March 24th, 1951, in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Soon after Tony was drafted to the Army and while he served his country, Leila Mae helped on the Bock family farm. Leila Mae loved her family, and her time with grandkids, especially Sunday dinners. She also spent a lot of time trucking grain during harvest. Leila Mae also enjoyed her bowling team, sewing and reading. She really loved the mountain trips.

Leila Mae is survived by Dennis Bock and wife Wanda, Bonnie Perryman, Barbara Belew, Dale Bock and wife Gayle, Wanda Barley and husband Brant and 11 grandchildren: Leila Houk, Brittany Perrymann, Sara Perrymann, Jamie Belew, Jennifer Bock, Tanner Belew, Cameron Bock, Taylor Bock, Connor Bock and Braiden Barley; 7 great grandchildren: Tyler Crowder, Ethan Houk, Ryan Daugherty, Kaylee Houk, Reese Mikle, Aiden Juarez and Elodie Bock. 2 great great grandchildren, Austin Crowder and Adlee Crowder; one sister-in-law, Julia Ann Bock and many nieces and nephews.

Preceding Leila Mae in death was her husband, Tony and parents, G.T. and Louise Waters, Betty Hutchins and Joan Ann Waters.

Obituary - Rebecca Ann Page

Rebecca Ann Page age 52 of LeRoy, Kansas departed this life Tuesday, January 27, 2026 in Butler, Missouri.

Rebecca was born in Agana, Guam, on August 9, 1973 the daughter of Terrance Hallbaur and Susan Hinton. She was raised in Neodesha, Kansas, where she spent her early years before later making her home in Le Roy.

She attended Kansas City Kansas Community College, where she completed two years of college.

Rebecca was a woman of faith and attended Heart of Life Church in Harrisonville, Missouri. Her faith guided her life and was evident in the love and kindness she shared with others.

Rebecca worked for SPAR Corporation as a merchandiser, where she was known for her dedication, strong work ethic, and friendly nature.

Rebecca and Calvin Dale Page were united in marriage on July 6, 2024, in Liberal, Missouri, and shared a loving and devoted relationship.

She had a deep appreciation for the outdoors and especially enjoyed fishing. In her quieter moments, Rebecca found joy in making jewelry, creating beautiful pieces that reflected her creativity and care. Above all, she treasured the time spent with her husband, Calvin, and their life together.

She is survived by her loving husband, Calvin Dale Page; her father, stepmother, and mother; two stepbrothers; and one stepsister, along with many other family members and friends who will cherish her memory.

Rebecca will be remembered for her gentle spirit, warm heart and the love she shared with all who knew her.

Cremation with a celebration of life will be held 6:30 p.m. Thursday, February 19, 2026 at Heart of Life Church, Harrisonville, Missouri.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to National Breast Cancer Foundation. Donations can be made through the link or mailed to Dickey Funeral Home, P.O. Box 432, Harrisonville, Missouri 64701.

Kylee get 1k; Bears get W

By Cody Morris, Tailgate TV

The Bears were set for conference action in the Den on Tuesday night as Butler hosted the El Dorado Springs Bulldogs.

The Lady Bears opened the evening with possession and wasted no time getting on the board, scoring on a cutting Kiersten Dubray. After the Bulldogs answered with a single free throw, Carmichael drilled a triple to give Butler early momentum. Kylee followed with back-to-back interior buckets, but El Dorado’s early accuracy allowed the Lady Bulldogs to stay within striking distance. Kylee found pay dirt once again, forcing El Dorado to burn a timeout trailing 11–7. Out of the break, Butler forced a turnover and capitalized on a strong drive by Carmichael. The Lady Bears carried a 17–11 lead after the opening eight minutes.

Carmichael opened the second-quarter scoring by sinking her second three of the contest. Butler began the period on a quick 5–0 run, but El Dorado answered with a shot from beyond the arc. The Bears responded emphatically, ripping off a 6–0 spurt fueled by three consecutive post scores from Kylee. Butler headed into the locker room firmly in control with a 28–14 advantage.

Out of the break, Butler continued to ride its momentum, scoring with ease against an exploited Bulldogs defense. El Dorado found itself trailing 38–16 with 4:30 remaining in the third, prompting another timeout from the visitors. With 1:32 left in the quarter, Dubray etched her name into the record books by scoring the 1,000th point of her career. The Lady Bears never let up, taking a commanding 45–22 lead into the final frame.

Carmichael splashed a deep three to open the fourth-quarter scoring, and Butler never looked back. Despite an attempted push by El Dorado, the Lady Bears closed the night with a dominant 59–29 blowout victory.

Kylee led all scorers with 31 points. Gabby added 16, finishing red-hot from distance.

Photos by the talented Erin Dubray.

What's Up by LeRoy Cook

That Warn’t No Lightning

Now that the weather has turned more cooperative, flying has picked up. However, it’s still winter, and cold fronts came through almost every other day, sometimes two a day, evidenced by changes in wind direction. Maybe one of them will stir up a rain shower or two.

Among the week’s visitors were a Cessna Skyhawk, a 172 and an Army Guard Black Hawk ‘copter, shooting the VOR-A instrument approach. From the local hangars, Layne Anderson had his Darter Commander rolled out, Jim and Dan Ferguson took their Cessna Skylane up and the Koehn Skyhawk made some sorties.

For those of you who still subscribe to FLYING Magazine (there are a few of us) you may have noticed the photo spread of an F-22 Raptor pulling sonic shock waves on page 6. Only problem is, the caption calls it an F-35 Lightning II. Aviation’s old Gray Lady, always the standard of accuracy, is being edited by amateurs those days.

The U.S. Navy has finally retired its Bell TH-57 JetRanger training helicopters, after more than 55 years of service. Taking their place are Italian-designed Leonardo TH-73 aircraft, a fine helicopter with more modern systems. It’s just regrettable that our military continues to rely on foreign suppliers for its aircraft.

Once again, the FAA is being pressured by politicians to take action that penalizes private aviation. Senators Moran and Cruz have steered their Rotorcraft Operations Transparency Reform Act through the Senate and it now awaits House action. It calls for the FAA to require ADS-B In equipment in airspace where ADS-B Out is mandated, just one more expensive gadget for us to buy and maintain. All it is is a knee-jerk response to last year’s DC airliner vs Army helicopter midair, trying to make safer our legislators’ private little airport, Reagan National. Most general aviation airplanes can’t fly in there anyway.

A Washington-state man is facing FBI charges over stealing an airplane and flying it to Southern California. But wait, there’s more. He didn’t have a pilot’s license, and he was flying under the influence of meth, and the airplane’s registration had lapsed as well, making it illegal to fly. All kinds of charges to bring on the perp.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is once again hunting for a president. Darren Pleasance was just hired last year, but he lives in Oregon so commuting to the Maryland office has become a bit much. If you’re available, AOPA would like to hear from you.

Our week’s question wanted to know where tourists land when they fly to the Dry Tortugas National Park. In the ocean, next to Fort Jefferson: the last spots of land in the Florida Keys are only accessible by boat or floatplanes out of Key West. For next time, where did the Flight Engineer sit in the cockpit of Douglas DC-6 airliners? You can send your answers to kochhaus1@gmail.com.

Early morning accident sends 2 to hospital

 Just before 8 a.m. Rich Hill Fire emergency services were dispatched to a 3 vehicle MVA on A Hwy just west of Rich Hill. 2 individuals were transported from the scene by Bates County EMS.

Agencies that responded: Rich Hill Fire, Rich Hill PD, Bates County Sheriff's Office, Missouri Highway Patrol and Bates County EMS.

According the the Missouri Highway Patrol, two females ages 35 and 61, both of Rich Hill, received minor injuries. The other driver, a 50 year old female from Hume was not injured.

Courtesy Rich Hill Fire Department

Archie ladies basketball game tonight cancelled

Due to a shortage of players on Leeton’s girls basketball team, the girls game scheduled for tonight has been canceled. The boys game will begin at 6:00 PM, with Senior Recognition for both the boys and girls basketball teams, as well as the cheerleaders, taking place prior to tip-off.

New report shows that about 20% of Missouri businesses are using AI

New data shows how Missouri businesses are adopting artificial intelligence

In Dec. 2025, nearly one in five Missouri businesses (18.5 percent) reported using AI in at least one business function. Nationally, AI use is highest in the information and educational services sectors, where one in three firms now use the technology.

AI is also reshaping Missouri’s job market. In 2025, AI-related job postings made up 1.7 percent of all job ads in the state, with most openings in computer and mathematics occupations. These postings grew by 53 percent over the year, far outpacing overall job posting growth of 10 percent.

Read the full Missouri Economy Indicators brief for details: https://brnw.ch/21wZRhr