Douglas County
Kansas Driver Escapes Car Before It Burns
The Misouri State Highway Patrol and two area fire departments responded to a wreck on Highway 76 in eastern Douglas County last Friday. Troop G reported that a 2001 Toyota Four Runner ran off the right side of Highway 76, went down a steep embankment and overturned. The driver, Thomas M. Goetz, 57, of Lawrence,…
Read MoreDefendants Get Prison Sentences For Drug Use
On Tuesday, Sept. 3, during Law Day proceedings, 44th Judicial Circuit Judge Craig Carter sentenced three defendants to the Missouri Department of Corrections. All three cases involved methamphetamine. James “Bo” Ellison, 27, of Ava, was sentenced to four years in prison for felony unlawful use of drug paraphernalia-methamphetamine. The offense occurred on May 28, 2013,…
Read MoreGreat River Associates Selected by County For Rome Project
The Douglas County Commissioners selected the engineering firm of Great River Associates last Thursday to oversee the Rome Bridge project. This is the first step toward replacing the condemned steel bridge with a modern concrete bridge. The project will be done through cooperation with MoDOT, utilizing BRO grant money. Great River Associates are located in…
Read MoreCounty Will Open Bids Thursday For New Rome Bridge
The Douglas County Commission will open bids at 9 a.m. this morning for construction for a new bridge at Rome. Presiding Commissioner Larry Pueppke said details have been worked out with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) for a Bridge Replacement grant – commonly referred to as BRO – for $900,000 to replace the old…
Read MoreRoute 14 in Douglas County Reduced For Continued Bridge Maintenance
WILLOW SPRINGS – Route 14 in Douglas County will be reduced to one lane with a 10-foot width restriction as the Missouri Department of Transportation crews continue to perform routine bridge maintenance. The bridge over Bryant Creek is located between County Road 223 and County Road 331. Weather permitting work will take place Monday, Aug.…
Read MoreBenny Volner Dies In Prison
Benny Volner, 35, of Mtn. Grove, died at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau Wednesday, Aug. 14. Prison officials confirmed that Volner died after being transported from the Southeast Correctional Center in Charleston. A cause of death was not given and an autopsy was pending, according to reports. Volner was sentenced to life in…
Read MoreRecent Arrests Boost County Jail Population
Douglas County Sheriff Chris Degase released information this week on numerous arrests that have been made recently. Some of the charges resulted from investigations conducted by officers, others from tips from citizens, and another was the result of a grand jury indictment. On June 6, Douglas County Sheriff’s officers arrested Jordan L. Green, age 23,…
Read MoreHighway 76 Bryant Bridge Will Be Closed June 19-26
Route 76 in Douglas County will be closed as contractor crews perform maintenance and sealing of the bridge on Highway 76 east of Highway 5. The bridge over Bryant Creek is located between County Road 121 and County Road 216 northeast of Ava. Weather permitting, the closure will take place at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, June 19 and will reopen at…
Read MoreFirst of Stout's Alleged Killers Goes to Trial Next Week in Clinton
The first-degree murder trial of Christopher Jorgensen, 30, of Ava, is set to go to a jury trial in Clinton next week. Jorgensen is one of five people charged in the murder of Kenny Stout, 17, of Ava, in December 2011. Based on a change of venue filed by Jorgensen’s attorney, the case was moved…
Read MorePublic Demonstration Of Emergency Communications On Display Here June 22-23
Despite the Internet, cell phones, email and modern communications, every year whole regions find themselves in the dark. Tornadoes, fires, storms, ice and even the occasional cutting of fiber optic cables leave people without the means to communicate. In these cases, the one consistent service that has never failed has been amateur radio. These radio…
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