Last year, when controversy began brewing about a proposed 345,000-volt power line that would be built in the Ozarks, little attention was paid to Route 109. It was the route identified as the least preferred by the Arkansas-based Southwestern Electric Power Co. McDonald County landowner Greg Pool said Friday he was shocked when a judge representing the Arkansas Public Service Commission, gave SWEPCO the green light for Route 109.

A representative from the U.S. Department of Agriculture met with city officials last week to further discuss possible funding for the installation of a $5.8 million fiber-optic network.

As Betty Prophete puts the finishing touches on a pineapple upside-down cake, she thinks back to the beginning 40 years ago, when her husband, Etienne, and his friend, Len Clevenger, became partners in a leap of faith.

Southwest Missouri students will have four chances this spring to get help filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Financial Aid, or FAFSA, an important first step in applying for financial aid for college.

Some big plans are afoot for the former Great Wall Chinese Restaurant property at 2705 S. Range Line Road. Maybe not as big as the Great Wall but fairly impressive.

The Riverton School District is in the early stages of a discussion that could lead to expanding its building complex, as well as the creation of storm shelters. District personnel began assessing building needs last fall, said Superintendent Todd Berry.

During a special meeting Friday night, city officials approved the ballot language of a $2 million bond issue for new parks and recreation construction, including baseball and softball fields. The City Council placed the bond issue on the April 8 ballot, with seven voting in favor and one abstention. If voters approve the ballot issue in April, the debt would be paid off through an increase in property taxes.

A group of friends have banded together to raise financial support for a Neosho man who is fighting the deadly H1N1 flu strain. Jonathan Russell, 34, is currently recovering from the flu and subsequent complications at a St. Louis hospital. Russell, who works in sales for a construction company, was elected last year to the Neosho Board of Education and has been involved with Bright Futures Neosho.

An Environmental Protection Agency project to fill the Sucker Flats pit in King Jack Park with mine waste has come to a standstill. The $19 million project, which started in early 2013, came to a stop in the fall, said Carl Francis, interim city administrator.

When there is a death or tragedy in Joplin, police and firefighters are not the only ones on the scene. Members of Joplin’s Chaplain Program are usually among the first to respond, seeking to help soothe the grief and sort out the stress that can affect both victim and emergency services workers. There are four in Joplin’s chaplain corps and the longest serving of those is Tim Sumners, pastor of the Eastvue Baptist Church, 2802 New Hampshire Ave.