Local News
Last month 18-year-old Theodosia resident Reuben Perlee was sporting red, white and blue in the land down under as he competed as part of Team USA in the 2024 World Multisport Championship race in Townsville, Australia.
“It was my first time in Australia and my first time competing in a world...

The Ozark County Times took several awards in the 2024 Missouri Press Better Newspaper contest, a statewide competition held each year. Times staffers, pictured from left, are: Publisher/Advertising Manager Jenny Yarger, Feature Writer Sue Ann Jones, Editor Jessi Dreckman, Graphic Designer/Circulation Manager Regina Mozingo and Owner Norene Prososki.
The Ozark County Times has been honored with multiple awards in the Missouri Press Association’s 2024 Better Newspaper Contest, which involves work that was written, designed and published in 2023.
Participating newspapers were notified of the winners in June; however MPA asked that the awards not...
The 63rd Hootin an Hollarin festival, held Sept. 19-21 on the Gainesville square, will go down in history as another wonderful display of the very best of Ozark County, when friends and neighbors gathered together to celebrate the history and heritage of this wonderful place we live.
Despite...
Christopher S. Failor, 58, of Gainesville, was seriously injured in a Sept. 13 crash on Highway 160, two miles east of Isabella near 213 HLS, when he flipped his car, and it caught fire.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s online crash report, Failor was traveling westbound on Highway...

This sign was installed recently at the City of Gainesville’s RV park, which is located off Main Street adjoining the Gainesville Saddle Club rodeo grounds. The campground is widely used at Hootin an Hollarin, but it is also available throughout the year. The campground offers 30-amp or 50-amp electric at its sites.
The Gainesville City Council met for its regular monthly meeting Sept. 10 at City Hall.
Councilmen Lana Bushong, Renee Schmucker, Teri Edades and Dana Crisp were in attendance. Councilwoman Treva Warrick was absent. Also attending the meeting was Mayor Gail Reich, City Clerk Lisa Goodnight, Water...
This year’s Hootin an Hollarin festival, held this Thursday through Saturday, will feature several craftsmen and artisans demonstrating old fashioned ways of doing things. The following demonstrators are planning on attending the festival:
• Chainsaw Carving: Jason Morton of Eagle Ridge Chainsaw...
Photo by Simeon Petresku of SP Photography
A record number of entries made this year’s Bakersfest car and motorcycle show one of the best ever, according to organizers. The car show, which had 104 entries this year, was one of the main attractions at Bakersfield’s annual fall festival that was held...

Who will be the 2024 Hootin an Hollarin queen? The 2024 Hootin an Hollarin queen pageant will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, on the Gainesville square. This year’s candidates, pictured at the top of this page during a dress rehearsal last week, are: from left, back row: Whitney Jarvis, Ella Sue Barber, Katie Valentin, Isabelle Martin, Aubrey Luna and Cami Strain. Middle row: Cheyenne Wachtel, Lakely Anderson, Tatiana Sepulveda, Bianca Colon. Front row: Catelyn Plummer, Emma Veach, Kaylee Watkins, Whitley Tetrick. Another candidate, Khloe Simmons, is not pictured because she was unable to make the dress rehearsal that night. The pageant is directed by Jerri Sue Crawford, Tiffany Pleasant and Becki Strong. Square dance instructors Kyle and Kelly Pompei have also helped the girls learn the square dance that is part of the show.
Welcome to the 63rd celebration of Hootin an Hollarin, one of the longest-running festivals in Missouri.
For the next three days, the Gainesville square will be transformed from its normal quiet, week-day business tempo into a vibrant mixture of music, talented crafters, old-time demonstrators and...
Dawna, infant daughter of Wasola residents Darci and Jordan Dimirsky, is currently on a ventilator in the pediatric intensive care unit of Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City with serious injuries she sustained in a Sept. 7 crash on Highway 5 at Wasola.
Dawna's grandmother, Lisa Pellham, told...
There are three new food and drink vendors who will attend this year’s Sept. 19-21 Hootin an Hollarin festival on the square in Gainesville.
Tin Lizzie’s Tonic Truck made its Hootin an Hollarin festival debut a few years ago and will return this year with its variety of fun and flavorful...