Local News
It was 3:18 a.m. last Sunday, Jan. 26, when Julie Booth’s son and daughter-in-law noticed that Julie’s house, which sits a short distance from their own house, was on fire. They quickly called Julie and 911 to report the blaze.
Eastern Douglas VFD was dispatched, along with Brixey-Rockbridge and...

Times photo/Jenny Yarger This screech owl, which the Yarger family of Protem found injured last month, is shown here taking its first flight after its left eye was removed by medical staff at the Dickerson Park Zoo Raptor Rehab Program in Springfield. Zack Yarger, pictured far left, was slowly driving up the family’s driveway when the owl bounced off the windshield and came to lay next to his truck. He, along with wife Jenny and their children Ezra and Zeke (pictured center) brought the owl to MDC Agent Tom Leeker, far right, who transported it to the rehabilitation center.
One evening last month, Ozark County Times Advertising Manager Jenny Yarger was home with her children, 17-year-old Zeke and 10-year-old Ezra, after a busy day of work and school. They were settling in when Jenny’s husband, Zack, walked through the door with a big surprise— a screech owl nestled in...
Johnny Pearson, 36, of Caulfield, died in a Jan. 25, crash on H Highway, about four miles west of Caulfield.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s online crash report, Pearson was driving a 2000 Chevrolet Silverado westbound on H Highway around 12:27 p.m. that Saturday afternoon when he...
The following positions were announced in the Times in December, and candidates were invited to file to run for the positions from Dec. 10-31, 2024. Candidate profiles for local contested races will be published closer to the election date.
NON-CONTESTED
Two file for two positions on...
Patricia Ann Santos Duvalier, 59, of Dora, is now charged with second-degree murder and first-degree assault in connection with a March 14, 2023, incident in which she reportedly beat a 37-year-old non-verbal, disabled woman that she was hired to care for. The woman died as a result of the injuries...
Just as students across Ozark County receive report cards, the school districts are also graded on their performance and continuous improvement through the Missouri state-issued Annual Performance Reports. The APRs are “kind of like a grade card for how the school districts are doing,” Bakersfield...
If you’ve taken a drive around Gainesville recently, you may have noticed the boarded-up front of a building on the west side of the square next to the old Ford Market building where The Hair Shop is housed. Hidden behind the wood, a transformation is unfolding.
The building in question was the...
The Ozark County Commissioners met Monday for their regular meeting with newly elected Eastern District Commissioner Jim Britt serving in his first month in the new position. Britt replaces longtime commissioner Gary Collins, who retired at the end of 2024.
The commissioners said they are...
Residents across Ozark County have recently reported receiving a notice from the company called “Property Site,” asking residents to pay a $123 fee in exchange for a copy of their deed or property assessment profile. Officials say not to send in the money — it’s a scam.
The letter pictured at left...
The first snow of 2025 in Ozark County blew in last weekend, blanketing these rolling hills in 6 to 8 inches of snow. The white landscape provided a picture-perfect backdrop for kids across the county to make wonderful winter memories. Children crafted snow angels, built snowmen and engaged in...