News


Times photo/Bruce Roberts
Ozark County has now earmarked or spent all of the nearly $1.8 million in federal covid-19 relief funding from the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) that was given to the county in 2021 and 2022. The county received $891,764 in ARPA funds in 2021 and is set to receive about $890,000 in 2022.  ...

The proposed route for the Ozark Run Scenic Byway is included on this map.
In other business on Monday, county commissioners announced a public forum on a proposed scenic byway (that includes a portion of Ozark County) from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6, in the upstairs courtroom in the Ozark County Courthouse.  The meeting is open to the public, and the commissioners are...
Ozark County commissioners will be discussing an idea to put a half-cent sales tax increase measure on the Nov. 8 General Election ballot during their next regular weekly meeting at 9 a.m. on Aug. 22. The commissioners meet every Monday at 9 a.m. on the second floor of the Ozark County Courthouse....

Driving to and from Alaska For 17 years, while Duane and Debbie Grigg taught school in Alaska, they drove the Alaska Highway and other roads to come home to the Ozarks for summer vacation every year. They now drive it to visit their son, Cole, who lives in Wasilla, north of Anchorage. Duane says he’s driven the 4,000-mile trek from Gainesville to Alaska 45 times so far. It takes about a week, he said, and his goal is to drive it 52 times, so he can say he’s spent a year of his life driving to and from Alaska. This photo was taken in 2011. You can see what is left of the Matanuska Glacier over Duane’s right shoulder.
Duane Grigg was feeling restless.  It was 1979, and he had been teaching school and coaching at Mountain Home (Arkansas) Junior High School for six years and was yearning for a change.  “The need for adventure was consuming me – it had been all my life,” he said.  Soon Duane and his wife Debbie...
The 61st annual Hootin an Hollarin festival, scheduled for Sept. 15-17 on the Gainesville square, is a month away, and members of the Hootin an Hollarin committee have been working behind the scenes to finalize details for the big event. This year’s festival theme is “From Pioneer Ways to Modern...

Beer Belly’s Bar and Grill opened last week off Highway 5, south of Gainesville, near the Missouri - Arkansas state line in a building that formerly housed The Ranch House. Owners are, from left, Tony and wife Jessi Walrath along with Tony’s parents Rich and Sally Long. Tony and Jessi also own Live Edge Bar and Grill in Mountain Home, Arkansas.
Editor’s note: The Times offers free news articles for new Ozark County businesses or businesses that have new owners. If you have opened a new business and are interested in being featured, contact Editor Jessi Dreckman at jessi@ozarkcountytimes.com or by calling the Times office at 417-679-4641...

Like father, like son Zanoni resident David Clardy, pictured above in front of his large garden this year, says he’s learned almost everything he knows from his father James Jordan, pictured in his own garden, below, several years ago. James and wife Debbie Jordan also live in Ozark County.
Editor’s note: David Clardy sets a sales table up at the farmers market on the north side of the Gainesville square on Tuesday mornings and at the Hometown Hardware first Saturday farmers market in Theodosia with his homegrown produce, salsa, pickles, jams and syrups and other homegrown and...
  The Cubbage family recently gave a donation of $2,450 for Gainesville FBLA and FFA from their annual Cubbage fishing tournament. Shown are, from left, Chelsey Gilmore FBLA sponsor, Julie Cubbage, Jenna Cubbage, Jack Cubbage, Jerry Cubbage and Jon Wilson FFA sponsor.  Gainesville School extended a...

Patricia L. Hobbs
In a surprising turn of events, Patricia L. Hobbs, previously charged with driving while intoxicated with drugs causing the death of 59-year-old Michael “Micky” Clark in a Feb. 17, 2020, crash on Highway 5, pleaded guilty by Alford plea to an amended charge of second-degree assault during the Aug....

A representative from White River Valley Electric Cooperative gave county commissioners an update Monday on the progress of the fiber optic internet project being developed by WRVEC for its customers in Ozark and the other four counties it serves. WRVEC created a web page for updates about the project and customers can go to the page and update their information to help expedite the implementation of the high speed internet into area homes and businesses. The website is https://www.whiteriver.org/fiber/.
Ozark County commissioners heard Monday from Cassie Cunningham, a representative of White River Valley Electric Cooperative, who was in town to update the commissioners on a fiber-optic internet project that the cooperative is undertaking. Cunningham said the WRVEC board voted recently to proceed...

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Ozark County Times

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PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423