Inductees named for Neosho Athletics Hall of Fame

(From the Neosho R-5 School District)

Following the inaugural Neosho Athletics Hall of Fame class, we are proud to welcome the Class of 2026. This year’s inductees represent generations of Neosho and Goodman athletics and are being recognized for their extraordinary accomplishments, leadership, dedication, and lasting impact.

1964 Goodman Pirates Basketball Team

The 1964 Goodman Pirates captured the Missouri Class S State Basketball Championship, finishing an incredible 24–2 season under head coach Charles Goade. Their championship season stands as one of the most significant accomplishments in Goodman basketball history. The team, coach, manager, and cheerleaders are being honored as members of the Class of 2026.

 Bill Hulsey

A 1959 Neosho graduate, Hulsey earned All-Conference, All-District, and All-State honors and helped lead the 1957 and 1958 Wildcats to seasons of 9-0-1 and 10-0. He later dedicated 54 years to Moark and served his community as a volunteer police officer.

 Tammy Townsend Holder

A 1985 graduate, Holder was an exceptional distance runner, earning seven All-State honors in track and three in cross country. She won back-to-back Class 4 state cross country championships in 1983 and 1984 while helping lead Neosho to team state championships both years. She later built a distinguished career in agricultural education, research, and food security.

Doug Gillispie

A 1995 graduate, Gillispie was one of Neosho’s most accomplished three-sport athletes. He helped lead the Wildcats to an 11-1 football season, conference and district championships, and the school’s first playoff victory. He continued his career at Pittsburg State University as its only three-sport letterwinner and later played professional basketball in Spain.

Ron Quintana

A 1995 graduate, Quintana excelled in football and baseball before becoming a standout collegiate baseball player. He later served as a strength coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a high school coach in Colorado, he has led his program to two state championships and more than 225 career victories.

Nate Rodriguez

A 2013 graduate, Rodriguez established himself as one of Neosho’s most accomplished wrestlers, winning three state championships. He went on to become an NCAA Division II National Champion and three-time All-American at Maryville University before earning his medical degree and beginning his career in medicine.

Event Details

September 4, 2026

5:00 p.m. — Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Freeman Health System Performing Arts Center
511 S. Neosho Blvd., Neosho, MO

Following the ceremony, our inductees and their guests will gather for the Hall of Fame dinner.

Football Halftime

The 2026 Neosho Hall of Fame Class will receive special recognition during halftime of the Wildcats’ home football game.

Be sure to join us as we celebrate the Class of 2026 and honor the champions who continue to shape the tradition, excellence, and legacy of Neosho athletics!

Meth, child endangerment charges filed against Lamar residents

(From Barton County Prosecuting Attorney Mike Smalley)

On August 24, 2026, the Ozark Drug Enforcement Team, Lamar Police Department and the Barton County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant at a Lamar residence. The investigation resulted in the seizure of a quantity of suspected methamphetamine, paraphernalia used in the distribution of methamphetamine, and written records of drug transactions. Donovan Jacob Wood and Ashley Danielle Sherron were arrested at the scene.

On August 25, 2026, the Barton County Prosecutor's Office filed charges against both individuals.
Donovan Jacob Wood was charged with Count 1, class A felony of delivery of a controlled substance in a protected location, government assistance housing; Count 2, class A felony of delivery of a controlled substance in a protected location, within 2000 feet of a public secondary school; Count 3, class D felony of endangering the welfare of a child for committing the offense of delivery of a controlled substance at Juvenile #1’s residence; and Count 4, class D felony of endangering the welfare of a child for committing the offense of delivery of a controlled substance at Juvenile #2’s residence. Wood is being held in the Barton County Jail on a no bond warrant.

Ashley Danielle Sherron was charged with Count 1, class A felony of delivery of a controlled substance in a protected location, government assistance housing; Count 2, class A felony of delivery of a controlled substance in a protected location, within 2000 feet of a public secondary school; Count 3, class D felony of endangering the welfare of a child for committing the offense of delivery of a controlled substance at Juvenile #1’s residence; and Count 4, class D felony of endangering the welfare of a child for committing the offense of delivery of a controlled substance at Juvenile #2’s residence. 

Sherron is being held in the Vernon County jail on a no bond warrant.

Nevada man sentenced to four years for embezzling $1.5 million for gambling, travel

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)

A Nevada, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for a fraud scheme and filing false income tax returns.

Justin Marquardt, 55, was sentenced by United States District Judge Greg Kays, to 48 months in federal prison, followed by a three-year term of supervised release, for a fraud scheme in which he embezzled approximately $1.5 million from his employer and for failing to disclose the embezzled funds as income on his federal income tax returns. Marquardt was also ordered to pay full restitution to the victims of his crimes. This successful prosecution is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

Marquardt previously admitted that he stole approximately $1.5 million from his employer’s bank accounts and used those funds for his personal benefit. Marquardt held the title of executive director at his employer’s company and by virtue of his position, had access to all company finances and financial accounts from 1994 to 2023. 

As part of his scheme, Marquardt, without authorization, transferred funds from his employer’s bank accounts to his personal accounts and wrote himself unauthorized checks from business bank accounts. Marquardt spent most of the money on personal expenses, including travel and gambling both online and at casinos. 

To hide his embezzlement, Marquardt omitted these unauthorized transactions from the business’s QuickBooks ledger he provided to an accountant and tax preparer. Marquardt recorded false and fraudulent payments as business expenses in the QuickBooks records to conceal his embezzlement. Marquardt embezzled at least $1,387,926.39 and has been ordered to pay this amount as restitution to his former employer.

For tax years 2017 – 2020 and 2023, Marquardt filed United States federal income tax returns on Forms 1040 in which he willfully failed to report his embezzled income. As a result of his false tax returns, he has been ordered to pay restitution of $322,596 to the Internal Revenue Service and Missouri Department of Revenue.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Venneman. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.

Watered Gardens to hold groundbreaking for new tiny home community

(From Watered Gardens Ministries)

Watered Gardens Ministries will host a groundbreaking event for Freedom Village, a permanent supportive tiny home community, on September 4, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. The groundbreaking will take place across the road from 889 E. 12th St. The event will include remarks from Watered Gardens Executive Director James Whitford and Watered Gardens Board President Talon Maningas. 

Freedom Village is phase one of the two-phase Take Courage Capital Campaign. Through Take Courage, Watered Gardens is addressing needs that the organization has identified through years of working closely with people experiencing poverty in the Joplin community.

There is a growing demographic of people who are truly disabled and chronically homeless. Many of these individuals are unable to work and can’t afford rent, leaving them with options like bouncing between shelters and the streets or waiting for government housing.

Freedom Village is designed to provide a permanent, supportive and dignified housing option for these individuals. The first phase of the community will include 24 tiny homes and a community center, with an anticipated opening in spring 2027. Once completed, the community will eventually include 55 tiny homes.

“I was just talking with a guy this morning, his name is Jim. He is 68 years old, and he's been on the streets for quite a while, but he was explaining to me where he’s been sleeping; behind this building… what excites me the most is the thought of Jim having a dignified place to live.”

– Marsha Whitford, Watered Gardens Co-founder

Event registration: https://forms.gle/dBpVYuZenC9xnYYQ6

Watered Gardens is a nonprofit organization that works to alleviate poverty, both physical and spiritual. Across Joplin, Watered Gardens has four main locations where it serves people. 

Most people’s first point of contact, the Outreach Center, offers shelter beds, meals, showers, and a food pantry. The Worth Shop provides people the opportunity to partner for their resources, which offers them a deeper sense of purpose. 

The Washington Family Hope Center provides women and their children a place to stay while they find stability. Then, the Forge Program is a long-term residential program for men who have been walking troubled paths and desire a new way forward.

Kehoe signs executive order establishing Child Welfare Task Force

(From Gov. Mike Kehoe)

Today, Governor Mike Kehoe signed Executive Order 26-17, establishing the Missouri Child Welfare Task Force to further strengthen coordination across Missouri's child welfare system by developing recommendations for a set of unified standards for child welfare safety.

"Protecting Missouri's most vulnerable children is one of our highest responsibilities, and the people doing this work deserve clear, consistent standards across every agency, courtroom, and community," said Governor Kehoe. "Director Bax and Director Smith are leading difficult, necessary work to strengthen the Children's Division. This order builds on their progress by bringing the entire child welfare system together around one shared definition of safety and one expectation of accountability." 

Given the importance and complexity of Missouri’s child welfare system, the Task Force brings together representatives from the Department of Social Services (DSS) Children’s Division (CD), courts and juvenile offices, law enforcement, the General Assembly, private providers, attorneys, advocates, and child welfare experts—each with a critical role in protecting children.

Building on the transformative policy work already developed by DSS-CD, the order directs the Task Force to establish a common framework grounded in objective assessments of safety threats, child vulnerability, and parental or caretaker protective capacity. A shared understanding of child safety will strengthen coordination and promote more consistent decision-making across jurisdictions.

"The decisions made throughout the child welfare system are life-altering, and the standard guiding them should not depend on a child's county, circuit, or provider," said Jess Bax, DSS Director. "Director Smith and her team are doing the hard work of strengthening practices and improving consistency despite longstanding workforce challenges. This task force gives Missouri a path to turn that work into a sustainable, systemwide standard so every partner works from the same understanding of safety."








The Child Welfare Safety Task Force is charged with: 

Developing a foundational safety definition and standards with clear criteria for determining when a child is safe or unsafe; 

Reviewing laws, regulations, CD policies, and court rules to identify gaps and recommend alignment; 

Recommending protocols to integrate the policy into daily child welfare practice; 

Developing cross-disciplinary training for caseworkers, supervisors, attorneys, juvenile officers, judges, law enforcement, and other partners; and 

Establishing common quality assurance measures and metrics to monitor statewide consistency.


The Task Force will submit recommendations, including definitions and protocols, to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri by November 15, 2026, in advance of the convening of the 104th Missouri General Assembly. The Task Force will dissolve on December 31, 2026.

A copy of the executive order is available here.

Nightmare on 7th Street update- St. Louis Avenue to be closed at 7th

(From MoDOT)

TRAFFIC ALERT: St. Louis Ave. CLOSED at Route 66 (7th Street) in Joplin Aug. 31 & Sept. 1

When: Monday, August 31 through Tuesday, September 1

Where: Missouri Route 66 (7th Street) at intersection with St. Louis Avenue in Joplin

What: Missouri American Water crews working to relocate water lines

Traffic Impacts

No access to St. Louis Avenue from Route 66 (7th Street)

At least one lane of Route 66 (7th Street) OPEN in both directions

Access to all business along Route 66 (7th Street) will be maintained during hours of operation

No signed detours

Check MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map for road closings/traffic impacts

Weather and/or scheduling conflicts could alter the work schedule.

Additional Information

This work is associated with a MoDOT project to make improvements along the Route 66 (7th Street) corridor in Joplin between Jasper County Route P (Schifferdecker Avenue) and Loop 49 (Range Line Road).

As part of this project, the contractor will rebuild the pavement, bring sidewalks up to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, and upgrade and replace several traffic signals along the corridor.

This contract also includes a project to rehabilitate the Oak Street bridge over I-49 in Carthage. That project is likely to start in 2027.

Pierce City woman charged with meth possession, child endangerment

The Lawrence County Prosecuting Attorney's office charged a Pierce City woman with five felonies following an August 10 traffic stop.

The initial court appearance for Jamie Leigh Earp (DOB 1985) on three counts of endangering the welfare of a child and single counts of possession of a controlled substance and aggravated fleeing is scheduled for 9 a.m. October 1.

Earp is also charged with a misdemeanor, possession of drug paraphernalia.

From the probable cause statement:

On August 10, 2026, at approximately 21:19 hours while on patrol in the area of Commercial St and
Lawrence 2230, a black Chevy Silverado traveled into my west bound lane traveling east almost causing a head on collision with my patrol car. 

I activated my emergency lights and siren to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle. The vehicle fled at a high rate of speed and refused to stop. A pursuit ensued with speeds reaching up wards of 80 - 90 miles an hour, failing to stop at multiple stop signs along the way as well as failing to maintain its lane. The vehicle finally came to a stop at Wallaby and Gum Road in Newton County. The driver later identified as Jamie Earp, began to run east into a field with 3 juveniles.

I ordered Jamie to stop and placed her in custody. Two juveniles came back to the car and later a third
juvenile came back and admitted to being in the car. Earp advised that she was revoked and that there
was a “dirty pipe” in the center console. 

After retrieving the pipe, I discovered a pill bottle with a baggie I discovered a pill bottle with a baggie
located in the vehicle with the pipe where Earp said it would be. 

After checking the pill bottle, I located a baggie containing a crystal substance. Through my training and experience I associate the substance with methamphetamine. The substance was later field tested and gave a positive indication for methamphetamine.

The case was investigated by the Pierce City Police Department.

No prison time for embezzllng Shoal Creek Drive Village treasurer

 

Former Shoal Creek Drive Village treasurer Katrina Gourley (DOB 1982) will not be doing any time after pleading guilty to embezzling today in Newton County Circuit Court.

Judge Charles Spencer Genisio sentenced Gourley to seven years in prison, then suspended the sentence and placed her on supervised probation for five years. 

Gourley will be required to make $41,524.54 in restitution paying $450 a month.

The allegations against Gourley were spelled out in the probable cause statement:

The victim in this case is Shoal Creek Drive Village. Reporting Party 1 (RPl) is a board member of the Village.

RPl advised he was contacted by Involved Other 1 (IOl), who is a former board member. RPl advised he was told the bank accounts for the Village have some irregular activity. RPl advised the Village uses Southwest Missouri Bank. RPl advised that he responded to the bank and retrieved bank records for the past several months.

Rpl turned over the records, which consisted of several pages. The records show several transactions made by Katrina Gourley, who is the Village Treasurer.

Some examples are on 08/08/2022, Ms. Gourley transferred money to CashApp four different times for a total of $4500.00, on 08/15/20202 four times for a total of $3100.00, on 09/01/2022 four times for a total of $500.00, on 09/02/2022 six times for a total of $1200.00, on 09/06/2022 ten times for a total of $3500.00, and many more.

RPl had what he advised were minutes from a board meeting that never occurred. He advised he received the minutes from the Principal at Stapleton Elementary School. He advised the minutes were made up and used by Ms. Gourley when she presented a check to Stapleton School.

RPl also had with him a check that was written to Stapleton Elementary School. The check had been cashed. The number on the check is 1787 for $4,798.00. RPl advised the check was signed by Offender 2 (OF2) and Involved Other 2 (102). 102 advised he signed the check at the request of Katrina Gourley. 102 advised the check was not filled out when he signed it, and that Mrs. Gourley told him it was for office supplies. 

The Principal advised Ms. Gourley is the head of the PTO. The Principal advised he received the check from Ms. Gourley along with a copy of the minutes from the Village Board meeting. The Principal advised Ms. Gourley brought the check to the school. The check was payment for a fundraiser that Ms. Gourley was in charge of. 

After reviewing the records that I was given from Shoal Creek Drive Village, I was able to add the amount of money that was sent from the Village Bank account to "Katrina OW" using CashApp. The dates are from 08/02/2022-09/19/2022 for a total of approximately $27,075.

After talking with IOl, I learned that a check was written to OF2 in the amount of $417.31. Check number 1728, date 06/30/2022. The check has a signature that looked like IOl signed it, however IOl advised she did not sign that check.

Search warrant leads to drug arrests near Lamar High School

 

MoDOT offers update on Nightmare on 7th Street

(From MoDOT)

Progress Update for Route 66 Improvement Project for Week of Aug. 24

A project to make pavement, sidewalk, traffic and safety improvements along Missouri Route 66 (7th Street) in Joplin is underway. Here is an update of the work scheduled for the week of August 24.

Drivers are reminded that access to all businesses along Route 66 (7thStreet) will be maintained during hours of operation.

Work scheduled

Contractor installing new sidewalk, curb and entrances on south side of Route 66 (7th Street) between Florida Avenue and Ozark Avenue

Contractor removing pavement on south side of Route 66 (7thStreet) between McConnell Avenue and Florida Avenue

Access to Florida Avenue from Route 66 (7th Street) CLOSED for pavement replacement and installation of traffic signal poles

Access to Brownwell Avenue south of Route 66 (7th Street) CLOSED for pavement replacement
Excavation and placing new stormwater structures between Florida Avenue and Ozark Avenue

Ozark Avenue CLOSED south of Route 66 (7th Street) while City of Joplin crews work on sanitary sewer

Work by City of Joplin crews to move High Avenue following completion of work on Ozark Avenue
Missouri American Water anticipating closures at Park Avenue, St. Charles Avenue and St. Louis Avenue

Missouri American Water crews working between Michigan Avenue and St. Louis Avenue

AT&T crews working during nighttime hours between Minnesota Avenue and St. Louis Avenue

AT&T crews planning for excavation of alley way between Pearl Avenue and Wall Avenue

Bluebird Fiber crews splicing new line between Murphy Boulevard and St. Louis Avenue

Lumen Fiber crews working on fiber at Florida Avenue north of Route 66 (7th Street)

Sparklight Internet crews confirming ownership of overhead line at Florida Avenue south of Route 66 (7th Street)

Traffic Impacts

At least one lane of Route 66 (7th Street) OPEN in both directions

Access to all business will be maintained during hours of operation

Signs and message boards will alert drivers approaching the work zone

No signed detours

Check MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map for road closings/traffic impacts

Weather and/or scheduling conflicts could alter the work schedule.

Project Details

The project will make improvements along the Route 66 (7th Street) corridor in Joplin between Jasper County Route P (Schifferdecker Avenue) and Loop 49 (Range Line Road).

As part of this project, the contractor will rebuild the pavement, bring sidewalks up to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, and upgrade and replace several traffic signals along the corridor.

This contract also includes a project to rehabilitate the Oak Street bridge over I-49 in Carthage. That project is likely to start in 2027.

Project Information

Prime Contractor: D&E Plumbing & Heating LLC, Nixa
Construction Cost: $61.6 million
Contract Completion Date: December 1, 2028