Adrian welcomes new South Ward Alderman

During the Adrian Board of Aldermen meeting this week, Mayor Matt Cunningham recognized outgoing south ward alderman Jeff Vick (above) by presenting a plaque honoring him for 6 years of service. During a rather emotional response, Vick thanked everyone for the honor to serve and expressed sincere thanks for being allowed to contribute to the city as alderman. In short order, Mark Graves was sworn in to fill the position (below) who quickly got down to business as the alderman worked through a very busy session.

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Strong storms to return

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Obituary - Kathryn A. “Kathy” Ballou

Kathryn A. “Kathy” Ballou passed away on April 9, 2026, at Golden Valley Memorial Hospital in Clinton, Missouri, at the age of 72. Memorial services will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, April 18, 2026 at the St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Clinton, Missouri.

Kathy lived a life defined by intellect, conviction, and a quiet but unmistakable sense of purpose. An accomplished academic leader and master educator, she devoted decades to strengthening higher education and advancing healthcare and nursing programs across the country. She was known for her ability to bring clarity to complexity, guiding institutions through change, accreditation, and innovation with both vision and practicality.

Throughout her career, Kathy held numerous leadership roles, including Founding President and Kleist Endowed Professor of Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences, Dean and Professor at Graceland University, and Associate Dean at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. In each role, she left institutions stronger, more focused, and better prepared for the future. In later years, she returned to her roots as a nurse. She became a hospice nurse at Hospice House in Kansas City, Missouri.

Outside of her professional life, Kathy cultivated a rich and thoughtful inner world. She loved classic films,especially those featured on Turner Classic Movies, and had a deep appreciation for English literature, particularly the works of Jane Austen and Beatrix Potter. She also delighted in the world of Downton Abbey, finding comfort and enjoyment in its characters and stories. Kathy loved animals and throughout most of her life you would find at least two cats, and a cute Welsh Corgi.

She carried a dry sense of humor often subtle, sharp, and delivered with perfect timing. Among close friends, that reserve gave way to a playful silliness that revealed a lighter, more carefree side.

Kathy was a lifelong collector of Barbies, a passion that began in the early days of the iconic doll and remained with her throughout her life. She was also drawn to the unusual and meaningful, keeping collections of crucifixes and distinctive rocks, both small reflections of a curious and contemplative mind.

She held firm beliefs about fairness and justice, standing consistently on the side of the oppressed. She lived by the conviction that as long as one person is oppressed, no one is truly free, a principle that guided both her professional work and her personal life.

Kathy was a woman of faith who believed in God and in His son, Jesus Christ, and she was a member of Clinton’s Episcopal Church. In the final six years of her life, she faced Alzheimer’s disease with quiet resilience.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Horace (“Vince”) and Berniece Edmonds, and her younger brother, Alan Edmonds.

She is survived by her husband, Michael Ballou, and her brother, Kent Edmonds and his spouse Sonya.

Kathy’s legacy is one of lasting impact on institutions, on students, and on those who knew her well enough to see both her strength and her quiet humor.

In faith, we trust that she now rests in the presence of God, restored and at peace, her mind made whole and her spirit carried into eternal light through Jesus Christ.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Vansant-Mills Funeral Home, Clinton, Missouri, and are pending at this time.

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Obituary - Helen Lawrence

A celebration of life service for Helen Lawrence of Butler, Missouri will be 1 p.m. Saturday, April 25, 2026 at Happy Hill Church of God in Butler. Arrangements under the direction of the Schowengerdt Funeral Chapel and Crematory (660-679-6555) in Butler, Missouri. Online condolences www.schowengerdtchapel.com.

Helen is survived by two sons, Clifford E. Lawrence of Butler, Missouri and Daryl Lawrence of Kansas City, Missouri; 12 grandchildren, Ray III, Calee, Jeff, Rachel, Sarah, Jackie, Patrick, D.J., Kristi, Kale, Grayson and Taylor; 12 great-grandchildren, Monika, Michelle, Marissa, Joe, Macaja, Anna, Aaron, Hannah Marie, Wilbur Louis, Grace, Hazel Louise and Fritz; and two great-great-grandchildren, Axel Ray and Samuel Wayne. Helen was preceded in death by her parents; husband Ray; and son, Ray Jr.

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Obituary - Eddie McLay

Eddie McLay’s wishes were to be cremated and remembered with fond memories. A celebration of life will be announced at a later date. Arrangements under the direction of the Schowengerdt Funeral Chapel and Crematory (660-679-6555) in Butler, Missouri. Online condolences www.schowengerdtchapel.com.

Eddie is survived by seven children, Travauna Rapp, Kylie Brattin, Kassity Mellenbruch, Domonick Smith, Brady McLay, Jayden McLay and Coby Richards; seven grandchildren, Taiten, Kash, Kane, Haven, Jace, Aubri and Sturrg; mother, Linda Gilkey and husband Douglas of Rich Hill, Missouri; longtime companion, Shirla Cutler of Lewiston, Idaho; and numerous nieces and nephews. 


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City of Butler staying ahead of rising insurance costs

All members present for the April 7, 2026 Butler City Council meeting

Charles Rush, representing Cook Insurance, was pleased to report that the city's property and casualty insurance premiums increased by just less than 5 percent. Considering costs are up all over, this was received as very good news.

Guest Kristin Nieder expressed safety concerns regarding the lack of sidewalks along Nursery street as many students walk to school on what is deemed a very busy street. She acknowledged that installing sidewalks is an expensive proposition and asked if there was any help available. Mayor Henry responded that the city had applied for a TAP grant had been applied for but it had not been granted. He noted that the city will keep trying for these grants for Nursery Street but so far had been rejected for lack of enough money available.

Jalyn Watson submitted a request for the annual Homecoming event as she had previously met with the special events committee who gave a thumbs up. To that, the council approved unanimously.

Carmen Behringer spoke on behalf the the Economic Development Advisory Committee and reported that she had attended the Economic Development Advisory Committee meeting on March 24 at Osage Valley Electric Cooperative. She noted that this is one of the biggest years for project leads received. Other topics discussed were getting the county leaders and nearby cities involved in joining the committee and the opening of Hertzog Meat Company.

Regarding the Butler city wide cleanup, Countywide Disposal will only do a one-day pickup for the Spring cleanup which is set for May 11. The City will do the brush and limb pickup during the week of May 11 through 15, 2026.

Police Chief Wheatley reported that he and City Attorney Newell were working on an ordinance that will address the 'gas station drug' problem. Concerns over the drugs began a few weeks back as a concerned citizen reported that he had taken what was supposedly harmless drug for pain and he had a very bad reaction. Manufacturers of such drugs, which includes Kratom and 7-OH, are not FDA regulated and the same manufactures will go to great lengths to skirt laws prohibiting their sale. At this time, city of Butler is considering all steps that need to be taken to prohibit their sale within city limits.

Regarding the  water and wastewater plants, Alliance Water manager Danny Lewis conducted a chemical coagulant test trial with Hawkins, Inc. He noted that he had seen good results with the products. There had been better removal results and more cost effective than the current process being used. He will meet with the suppliers and go over their pricing, effectiveness, and services for the city and hopefully, by next month he will have good news.

Thirty-two loads of sludge were applied to land from the wastewater plant in March. Likewise, UV banks have been installed and E.coli testing have began. Lewis also requested a new backwash pump and a water check valve for the water plant. The plant has two pumps but is currently only operating with one as the one to be replaced could not be repaired. This is a budgeted item and the council approved $29,806.50 to replace replace the non working pump.

Remember, the Butler city council meets on the first and third Tuesdays, 7 pm at city hall and the public is highly encouraged to attend.








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Obituary - Roxie Schrater

A celebration of life service for Roxie Schrater of Butler, Missouri will be 2 p.m - 4 p.m. Saturday, April 18, 2026 at the Spruce Lodge (11735 NE County Road 5004, Butler, Missouri). Arrangements under the direction of the Schowengerdt Funeral Chapel and Crematory (660-679-6555) Butler. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the family for medical expenses. Online condolences www.schowengerdtchapel.com.

Roxie Ann Schrater, 76 of Butler, Missouri, passed away Friday, March 20, 2026 at St. Luke’s Hospice House in Kansas City, Missouri. Roxie was born in Sheridan, Wyoming on April 18, 1949 to Bill and Betty (Anderson) Smith.

Roxie was one of four children. She was best known for her apple crisp, her love for her family, springtime, Kansas City Chiefs and the color yellow. In 1969 she joined Hugh Arthur Gustin in marriage and one son was born, Hugh Alan Gustin on February 2, 1972. In 1978 she married Dan Schrater and welcomed baby boy number 2, Tyler Kane Schrater on February 9, 1986, only to mourn his loss on March 20, 1986. Roxie and Dan spent 47 years together, making the move from Wyoming to Warrensburg, Missouri and settled in Butler, Missouri in 1999. Roxie had three grandsons, Trey, Caden and Hayes Gustin, two great-granddaughters and a slew of family and friends.

Roxie was preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Betty Smith; one sister, Joyce Smith; husband, Hugh Arthur Gustin; and son, Tyler Schrater. She is survived by her husband, Dan Schrater; sister, Penny (Paul) Marbery; brother, Bill (Tanya) Smith; son, Hugh (Lora) Gustin; stepdaughter, Becky McAllister; three grandsons, Trey (Taylor) Gustin, Caden (Jayme) Gustin and Hayes Gustin; and two great-granddaughters, Rae Lynn and Loryn Gustin.

Roxie was loved “to the moon and back” by her family and “a million yellow M&M’s” by her great-grandgirls.

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From Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson

Storm Disaster response for the Bates County Sheriff’s Office

I want to share with you the response and actions of the Bates County Sheriff’s Office during a severe storm like we experienced last night. There are many tasks the Sheriff’s Office performs during a severe storm, severe storm with damage and/ or a declared disaster response. My intent is to use last night's storm response as an example to share what it looks like from the inside and how much manpower is activated in anticipation of these types of events. I want to remind you that we cover the 6th largest county in the State of Missouri with limited resources.

 
Patrol: Last night we placed every deputy that works for Bates County on standby ready to respond when we were notified that there was a confirmed tornado on the ground just west of Bates County. Our dispatch immediately began to notify other agencies including fire departments along the west side of the county. We began to deploy the on-duty deputies to the outlying areas of the path of the storm so they could immediately provide information about visual confirmation and storm damage as it moves through the area. Once we confirmed the tornado was in Bates County and still a formed tornado we activated every off duty deputy to respond and in preparation for recovery and rescue efforts. Within minutes there were 16 uniformed deputies who responded to the area. Deputies were split. Half the deputies attempted to get in front of the tornado to warn residents and the other half were behind the tornado to relay damage information in preparations for rescue and recovery efforts. Deputies were deployed with equipment, like chainsaws and tools to help shut roads down or clear roads for traffic and other emergency equipment if needed.

 
Dispatch: Our dispatch center officially dispatches for the Sheriff’s Office, Adrian Police and Fire, Rich Hill Police and Fire, Hume Fire and Rockville Fire. We are also the 911 call center for the whole county except the City of Butler but coordinate with the City of Butler Dispatch and the Hospital Dispatch. This means that the Communications Officers had to notify all Sheriff’s Office employees, Police Departments, Fire Departments, Road and Bridge, Townships and Modot of incoming potential damaging weather conditions and then organize and orchestrate a disaster response for the County. In last night’s storm, Communication Officers deployed additional staff to our center expecting a huge increase in call volume and Communications Center needs. They were ready to deploy with the mobile command center if needed.

 
Jail: Most people do not think of the Jail having additional duties during a storm. Last night’s particular storm was reportedly a super cell or had the potential to be a super cell and had its path projected to impact Butler directly. In the heart of Butler sits our jail. While our building is solid block and brick, we still have an obligation to ensure the safety and security of those that are in our custody. We activated our storm procedure and additional jail staff were called to assist in that process.

 
While we are blessed that there was minimal damage in Bates County, I wanted to give you a little bit of insight on the preparedness on your behalf by the men and women of the Bates County Sheriff’s Office. This does not include the coordination and efforts by the men and women of all the fire departments who left their families in preparation to help their neighbors and strangers in a potential time of need in this community.

 
This storm response is what  I see with almost each of these violent storms that move through our area. The men and women of this Sheriff’s Office are proud to serve your community and your family. They leave their families to fulfill the mission of the Sheriff’s Office and our responsibilities to our community. They do it Professionally and Honorably without expectation of recognition each and every day. They do it on every level from Communications, Patrol and Jail. In a community our size they are often tasked with performing jobs that are not the responsibility of law enforcement but do it for the betterment of our community.

As Sheriff, I am extremely proud and honored to work alongside the men and women of the Bates County Sheriff’s Office and all first responders in Bates County.

 
Sheriff Chad Anderson

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