Skip to content

Douglas County

Volunteer Fire Departments Need Your Help

Submitted by George Hetherington, president of the Ava Rural Fire Department Board. Only Douglas County residents who live inside the city limits of Ava and in the extreme northwest corner of the county (Southern Webster County Fire Protection District)have tax supported fire protection service.  All other county residents depend on one of 12 independent Volunteer…

Read More

Highway 5 From Ava to Mansfield Will Be Officially Named Sept. 8 Missouri Fox Trotting Highway

A dedication ceremony for the Missouri Fox Trotting Highway is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 8, at 5 p.m. at the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Breed Association in Ava. This dedication ceremony will take place prior to the start of Saturday night’s championship show of the MFTHBA at the 54th annual Show and Celebration. Representative Tony…

Read More

Driver Airlifted Following Wreck Near Gentryville

An Ava driver was transported by helicopter to a Springfield hospital Sunday Aug. 5th following a crash north of Gentryville. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported Jarred W. Lambert, 19, was seriously injured when the 2000 Chevrolet pickup he was driving ran off the road and struck two trees and a fence. The wreck occurred…

Read More

Synthetic Drugs May Have Been Factor In Store Break-In Monday Night

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office received a report at 7 o’clock Tuesday morning of a break-in at Mom and Pop’s Liquor Store south of Ava. Upon arrival, officers found  the glass had been broken on the front door and there was a significant amount of blood on the glass and concrete. Sheriff Chris Degase said…

Read More

Update on Lawsuits Against Sheriff's Department — One Settled, Two Pending

In response to citizens com­plaining about a lack of information and “possible cover-up,” the office of Roger Wall, Douglas County Prosecutor and Legal Counsel for the county has issued the following statement: There are two pending lawsuits against the county, and one case against the county that has recently settled.  I can assure the public…

Read More

Douglas County Museum

A group of musicians have been coming by the Museum and playing on the front porch on Saturdays.  The banjo and guitars sound good.  You are welcome to stop by and listen or join in.  We appreciate it, guys. We have a framed artifact of a piece of wood from Lincoln’s home in Springfield, Illinois…

Read More

Douglas County Museum

There is a certain citizen living near Ava who for some time has bought his flour from Mansfield and other places, but on last Saturday, when he learned what bargains he had lost by not buying the celebrated Ava Roller Mill Flour, he got awful mad, went home, thrashed every kid on the place, kicked…

Read More

Douglas County Museum

Lyons Mill was among the earliest mills in Douglas County.  Samuel Ford built the original structure in the 1840’s, but his habit of drowning overnight guests for their money cut short his career as an innmaster.  The land was auctioned off at the courthouse steps in 1854 to Ladoc Phillips.  Phillips sold it to Joseph…

Read More

Heart of the Hills Gets New Roof Through Generous Donations

Heart of the Hills Thrift Store and Food Pantry regularly give out food, personal care items, clothing and household items to the residents of Douglas County. Last Wednesday morning, July 18, Heart of the Hills was given something in return – a new roof for the sorting building. Because of the extreme heat, local roofer,…

Read More

Douglas County Museum

Ann was a town in Douglas County in 1904 located three and one-quarter miles northwest of Florilla; Biggs was seven and one-half miles south of Phlegeton; Granada was shown to be two and one-half miles northwest of Beaver.  It was named for the city in Spain in 1895.  Iron ore mines were going strong in…

Read More