Since no one filed on the Democrat ticket, the 2020 election for Ripley County sheriff will be settled in the Aug. 4 Republican primary with incumbent Mike Barton facing one challenger, Richie Phillips. Barton won his first term in office in 2016 by defeating Phillips in the November general election...

Ripley County voters are invited to attend ‘Meet The Candidates’ events to be held Saturday, July 18, at Naylor and Monday, July 20, at Doniphan. The Naylor Senior Center on Broad Street invites local candidates to speak at 2 p.m. Saturday. Those attending are asked to bring a dessert to share and/or be auctioned to benefit the center...

It will be easier than ever before for Ripley County residents to cast a ballot in the Aug. 4 primary election. Senate Bill 631, which was signed into law June 4 by Gov. Mike Parson, authorizes mail-in ballots for both the August primary and November general elections...

Only one county office in this election year will be contested in both the August primary and November general elections. That’s the race for Ripley County eastern district associate commissioner. In 2016, Gary Emmons emerged as the winner among seven Republicans and one Democrat following the retirement of longtime commissioner David Johnson...

The South Central Missouri Community Action Agency is accepting pre-registrations for the 2020 School Readiness Event set for Saturday, Aug. 8 in Ripley County. Due to COVID-19 precautions, this year’s event will be ‘drive-thru only’ with families remaining in their cars while picking up school supplies...

My middle son graduated from high school this year. It was not a traditional graduation; it was a drive thru graduation. We all loaded in a van and Braden hopped out to get sanitized in his cap and gown and then his name was called and he walked across a stage to get his diploma and pictures taken. ...

Ripley County Water District #2 has issued a boil water order for the area east of Collins Realty to the Ripley-Butler county line. This includes the cities of Oxly, Fairdealing and Naylor. Please boil your water until further notice. For more information contact the water district office at 996-7714...

A 64-year-old man was sentenced last week to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to molesting a child left in his care at a residence near Naylor. Glenn Allen Beish appeared July 6 before Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett in Ripley County Circuit Court...

Missouri is offering guidance to schools across the state as they make plans to return to in-person learning. There are no statewide health mandates for K-12 schools to follow as they reopen but the health department has provided some strategies that Missouri schools can implement to help reduce the spread of COVID-19...

A 53-year-old Fairdealing man died Wednesday, July 10, following a single-vehicle crash on Missouri Highway 142 at Oxly. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that Lennie G. Bailey was pronounced dead at 6:56 p.m. after being transported by medical helicopter to the University of Arkansas For Medical Sciences in Little Rock...

The debate over Medicaid expansion in Missouri isn’t anything new. But on Aug. 4, the issue will be on the ballot in the form of a proposed constitutional amendment. ‘Healthcare For Missouri,’ a political action committee, collected more than 341,400 signatures from registered voters and submitted them on May 1...

Ripley County public administrator Diane Knight Moore will be retiring at the end of the year. Her replacement will be one of two Republican candidates on the Aug. 4 primary election ballot. Donna Barnett and Steven Ivy both are longtime county residents. Barnett is seeking a county-level office for the first time...

With no Democrats putting their names on the ballot in 2020, the winner of the Republican primary on Aug. 4 will become Ripley County Western District Associate Commissioner on Jan. 1, 2021. Incumbent commissioner Andy Towell decided not to seek another term after serving for four years...

The Ripley County Health Center said Tuesday morning that a 20th case of COVID-19 was positively confirmed in the county. Health center director Jan Morrow said 15 of the 20 confirmed cases since March 27 have recovered. “We are now monitoring five cases that are in quarantine,” she said...

Tandy Fleetwood enjoys working with small things. Virginia McGee comes from a big family and fits in well being around others. Those are traits that have made each a valued employee every day that they are doing their jobs at the Current River Sheltered Workshop east of Doniphan...

Ripley County’s largest polling place will be moved beginning with the Aug. 4 primary election, county clerk Becky York said Monday. After several years of voting at the Doniphan Methodist Church, voters in seven townships will move to the new church hall at St. Benedict Catholic Church on Pine Street...

Starting a private school is a daunting task. Keeping it relevant, solvent, and flexible becomes the ongoing challenge. Springhill’s School of Hope opened its doors in September 2007. As it prepares to enter its fifteenth year, the current principal, Leonard Gladden, took some time to share stories and history. Leonard has been at the school since 2009; he has been principal since 2015...

All through winter, we dreamed of the day we could go barefoot again. We wedged double-socked feet into rigid snow boots; our toes wriggled like worms on fishhooks. Scrunched together, covered with layers of protection, they grew soft and white. Tender...

Family fun, live music and fireworks are on the agenda for Saturday, July 4, at the Ripley County Courthouse and Rocky River Resort. Kids are invited to have some fun with Ripley County’s volunteer fire departments Saturday evening at Rocky River Resort in Doniphan...

There will be a fish fry at the Naylor Senior Citizen’s Center on Friday, July 10 from 5-8 p.m. The cost will be $7 for two large fillets and all the trimmings including dessert. There will be $1 charge for each additional fillet. Chicken tenders will also be available...

VFW Post #3485 is hosting a meat shoot on Saturday, July 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the post on Ball Park Road. Sign-up will be at 10, shooting at 11. Ten rounds. Call 996-3016 for details.

Ripley County commissioners Jesse Roy, Andy Towell and Gary Emmons, along with county clerk Becky York, met for their weekly meeting on Wednesday, June 24. Visitors included road supervisor Dale Beston, county assessor Jan Spencer, county collector Marcia Tackett, county recorder June Watson, Jerry Manning of Smith & Company engineers and Dennis Meyers, western district commissioner candidate...

The Ripley County commissioners met Friday, June 19, in their Ripley County courthouse chambers. Among the first items of business were reappointing Barney Beal, Mike Fleetwood and Dave McElhaney to the SB40 Board. This locally appointed board is in charge of dispersing tax funds for the Current River Sheltered Workshop...

Derek Matthew Casteel, 32, Naylor, pleaded guilty June 25 to no seat belt. He was fined $10 plus costs. _ Jamie Kay Conger, 35, Doniphan, pleaded guilty June 24 to failure to yield. She was fined $50 plus costs. _ Amber Dushuanack, 29, Doniphan, pleaded guilty June 24 to allowing an animal at large. She was fined $100 plus costs...