Area News

 JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – In April 2023, an EF-2 tornado swept through Bollinger County, Missouri, devastating a community and claiming the lives of five people. In July, two more people were killed in separate incidents after massive trees uprooted by a severe storm in the St. Louis area fell onto a house and a car.…

 HANNIBAL – During its regular meeting on February 14, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission awarded contracts for bridge rehabilitation, bridge replacement, pavement improvement, and roadway elevation/rebuild projects in the Northeast District.  A $5.4M contract was awarded to W. L. Miller Company, for raising the pavement approximately 2.5 feet on 1.3 miles of U.S. Route…

 Scotland County R-1 School District held its 42nd annual Spelling Bee on Friday, February 16, 2024, at the elementary school gymnasium. There were two competitions: a competition between second and third grade students as well as a competition for fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students.  The winner of the second and third grade competition was second…

 By Emily Bontrager  The Scotland County Senior Center is vital to the local community. The center helps with providing nutritious meals to senior citizens in the area and a place where people can gather together.  Barbara Smith has been the Scotland County Senior Center administrator for many years. The main goal of the Senior Center…

 By Echo Menges  Scotland County, MO – A group of citizens living in and around the tiny town of Gorin have been making waves for the Gorin City Council and Mayor over the last several weeks.  The trouble began with an unassuming Facebook post by one of the city’s eldest residents, Dorothy Teel Kussman.  Kussman…

 By Emily Bontrager  The second Valentine Sweetheart couple this year is George and Diana Koontz. Let’s look back at their life together and how they met while chaperoning on a double date.  George Koontz was born on December 4, 1948 in Ottumwa, IA. He is the only child of William Lawrence and Eleanor Koontz, who…

 By Emily Bontrager  Our first Valentine Sweetheart couple we are featuring is Tom and Pat Fender. A lot of laughter and love kept this marriage together for so many years, so let’s look back at how the couple first met.  Tom Fender was born January 26, 1948 in Ottumwa, IA. He is the only child…