Lifestyle

GAINESVILLE, Mo. — What was just a quick pick ticket turned into $50,000 for one Missouri Lottery player last week. According to the Missouri Lottery, a woman bought a Powerball ticket at the Phillips 66 on 78 1st St. in Gainesville, Missouri for the May 18 drawing. After the drawing, she realized that her ticket […]

In today’s world, modern tools and techniques have propelled the construction industry into the future, but one Ozark County man says he finds his inspiration in older, more traditional ways. Benjamin Miller, a Brixey resident and owner of the building company Ozark Farmstead, has become an artisan and craftsman...

Dora High School student Natasha Slavik was named one of the top 20 artists in the Missouri Congressional Art Competition for her striking black and white works. She was also the best in show winner in the Dora School art show with her piece titled “Eye of the Tiger,” and first place for her drawing of a zebra (below, center). Because she was a winner in the statewide art show, Slavik was invited by Congressman Jason Smith to attend an exclusive art reception at the Missouri State Capitol May 2. Her piece was honored as one of the top three pieces at the state show.

Sean Davidson, a Tecumseh-based photographer, has an Instagram account called @vinyl_nights_. His posts showing him enjoying his record collection have been shared by the likes of Snoop Dogg, Kool & The Gang, Billy Ocean, and The Whispers.

Before the competition began last Thursday night in the Gainesville PTO's annual talent show, Gainesville School faculty and staff performed a zany dance as Gainesville Elementary principal Benjamin Hopper lip-synched Adam Sandler's song "Lunch Lady Land." From left: Ralena Roberts, Misty Souder (in chocolate pudding costume), Whitney Miller (liver and onions costume), Missy Rogers, Abby Britt (green bean costume), Renee Hambelton (pizza), Julie Vaught (chop suey), Nicole Wallace, Catrina Hawkins, Christina Midcap (Italian bread) and Brenda Frye (sloppy joe).

Pontiac resident Bill Adams, recovering from knee replacement, works out on one of the machines in the physical therapy department at Ozark Healthcare's Gainesville Clinic. With him are physical therapist Michael Tobler, right, and PT assistants James Glover, left, and Jonathan Dillinger.

On April 16, the Drury University Wind Symphony will present a concert paying tribute to Drury’s past concert bands, namely the 1972-1973 and the 1948-1949 classes. In the 2023-2024 school year, these ensembles respectively mark their 50th and 75th anniversaries. Drury’s history with music extends to its beginning years....

Today’s guest on Poetry from Daily Life is Scot Young, who grew up in Raytown, Missouri before settling in Ozark County. He has been writing since his junior and high school days. Scot says he typically writes snapshots of his life or what he has observed. He thinks that poets write for themselves and hopes that others might relate or see themselves in a different way. Two of his favorite books to work on are "All Around Cowboy" and "They Said I Wasn't College Material." A unique fact about Scot is that he earned three college degrees after he was...

Gainesville mayor Gail Reich stands with a selection of her many house plants. Reich says all of her plants and most of her pots have been given to her by loved ones over the last 50 years.

On Friday Feb. 2, 2024, Serenity Sosa’s Art Gallery “150 Years Forward, 60 Years Back” opened up for viewing at Drury University’s Pool Art Center building. The art gallery is open from Feb. 2 through Feb. 23 and is a hallway adorned with information about the race issues that are in Drury University’s history.

A combination birthday and Thanksgiving celebration was held at the Bill Phelan home in Ozark County Nov. 19. At the event, Bill celebrated his 80th birthday with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who gathered from Jefferson City, West Plains, Forsyth and Carl Junction, as well some who are local to the Gainesville area. Bill has lived in Ozark County since 1979, when he moved from California to the Romance area. He is the owner of Trucks and Roadsters by Bill in Gainesville, where he has restored many vintage vehicles over the years - including everything from Corvettes to trucks, his family says. He has developed molds to make a couple of 1939-40 Ford Coupes in fiberglass as well as a 1941-46 Chevy truck and parts necessary to make a Cameo truck from a Chevy stepside. He is passing his knowledge onto his son Vesa Phelan, who has become an expert in his own right, and also onto his grandson Gavin Phelan, who is quickly picking up the knowledge. Bill still works in the office ordering parts, talking with customers and managing all the many details that come up. He is still fine-tuning his own 1940 Ford Coupe based on the one he drove to high school in his younger years. Pictured, from left, front row: Ryan Lamberson, Lilia Lamberson, Amelia Lamberson, Bill Phelan, Emma Mathis and Jenna Mathis. Second row: Olivia Lamberson, Kate Lamberson, Ginger Fletcher, Susan Phelan, Marieh Fletcher, Kelli Riem. Third row: Kjerstin DelaFuente, Marcus DelaFuente, Steven Lamberson, Landen Lamberson, Eldon Fletcher, Brandon Fletcher, Vesa Phelan, Gavin Phelan, Grady Mathis, Manfred Riem, Rachel Phelan and Jayden Riem. Not pictured: Tara, Jade and Evelyn Hannaford and Blayd Law.

The Festival Committee of Bakersfield and the Bakersfield Auto Club are organizing this year’s Christmas festival and parade, to begin at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, in the parking lot behind Century Bank in Bakersfield. Parade line-up for the “Sweetest Christmas Parade” will be at the Bakersfield School at...

Gainesville High School senior McKoy Dobbs has been chosen as a Missouri Ambassador of Music and has been invited on a tour of Europe where he will visit five different countries and perform along the way. Many of the places the ambassador student performers will visit have ties to some of the most influential musical icons across the decades. McKoy says some of his favorite music to perform and listen to is foreign music. “I find music in different languages the most fascinating. I used to sing in choir at West Plains, and we’d often do Latin or Italian. Recently I sang in an ensemble in Latin and a solo in German. The difficulty of performing in a different language is so fun.”

“Obviously my parents, you know they’re my inspiration for a lot of what I do and how I go about things. Yeah just how I model myself is after them. A lot of band seniors in the past I’ve modeled myself on how they lead the band and on how they acted as people and I tried to use how they acted as a role model for myself,” Doran said.

“I would [say] my story is very calm then exhilarating then very calm again. It’s kind of like the ocean very wavy. I’m most proud of getting into all my honors classes and passing them throughout my freshman, sophomore and junior year,” Randev said. Hi, my name...

“My dog grooming mentor has really made a difference in my life by teaching me what I should and shouldn’t do with my career moving forward. I used to work at a dog daycare and I found it very calming to wash and do nails on the dogs. And I got presented this opportunity at a new job that would put me through a school course on dog grooming. And how to properly give dogs baths and nail trim. I think it’s a good skill to have for what I want to do moving forward, but it is not necessarily what I want to do. I want to go into business and maybe start my own business within the pet slash dog community, but it’s not really grooming that I want to do that day,” Helms said.