By Leore Tai, Missouri News Network In the spring of 2021, Cecilia Williams lost her son, daughter-in-law and grandson to a drunken driver. Williams, who lives in Bonne Terre, is now raising the two orphaned grandchildren who survived, Bentley and Mason. A year later, Melanie Wankum was hit head-on by a drunken driver, killing her instantly and injuring a passenger on their way back from a wedding. In both tragedies, families of the victims became advocates on their behalf, championing tougher laws in Missouri against drunken driving. Soon after the crash that killed her son and his family, Williams found…

JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri’s annual Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, August 7, and runs through midnight on Sunday, August 9. During this time, certain purchases such as school supplies, computers, clothing, and other qualifying items as defined by statute are exempt from all state and local sales tax. During this period, state and local sales tax will not be charged on the following items: Clothing that does not have a taxable value exceeding $100 per item. Eligible clothing items include any article of apparel intended to be worn on or about the body, including footwear.…

Green City Press Release Jackie Morris is the new City Clerk in Green City. Morris brings years of experience working with the public, including customer service, record keeping, budgeting, and human resources. She gained this experience while serving in local county government for more than 20 years as well as positions that offered a strong foundation in human resources. Jackie’s goal for Green City is to continue providing the professional and dependable services our citizens deserve. “Thank you, Green City, for the opportunity to serve as your City Clerk. Throughout my career and personal life, I have valued honesty, responsibility,…

Sullivan County is set to see more than $3.1 million in highway work move toward construction under Missouri’s newly approved 2027- 2031 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, with an additional multi-county bridge rehabilitation project also including Sullivan County. The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission approved the five-year STIP on July 1. The plan lists transportation projects planned by state and regional planning agencies from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031. Statewide, the STIP makes available $13 billion in federal and state revenue for all modes of transportation, including $9.3 billion in contractor awards for road and bridge construction. The STIP…

Submitted by Tennille Banner An excited crowd was on hand for the 2026 Sullivan County Fair Queen & Junior Miss Pageant on Monday, July 6, 2026. There were 6 young ladies vying for the Junior Miss title, and 4 ladies vying for the Fair Queen title. Selected as the queen was Miss Jara Sanchez, daughter of Aleshai and Jairo Sanchez Pacheco of Milan. First Runner-Up was Delanie Wyant, daughter of Bob and Brooke Wyant of Milan. The Junior Miss title winner was Carcyn Whitlow, daughter of Luke and Candice Hall of Harris. The first runner up in the Junior Miss…

Gary Keith Sylvester, 86, of Milan, Missouri, passed away on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at Sullivan County Memorial Hospital in Milan. Gary was born on June 26, 1940, in Kansas City, Missouri. He grew up in Kansas City and graduated from Central High School in 1958. He then joined the United States Army Reserves. On May 25, 1984, he married Maxine Ellis. He worked for a time at Trenton Foods and for the State Highway Department. He retired from North Central Rural Electric Coop after 34 years as a lineman. He loved to play golf and was a member of…