Missouri

‘Special performances’: How Missouri basketball’s Tamar Bates, Caleb Grill sunk Ole Miss

Published

1 year ago

January 26, 2025

‘Special performances’: How Missouri basketball’s Tamar Bates, Caleb Grill sunk Ole Miss

Missouri basketball guard Tamar Bates crashed the glass for a defensive rebound inside the final minute of the game, bounced a pass underneath an instant Ole Miss press to teammate Mark Mitchell and then didn’t bother turning up court for a breakaway.

A foul was coming, and an MU win was coming. Bates’ focus instead went to the limbs flying around in Mizzou Arena’s student section directly in front of him, and the guard began to flex his arms to fuel the frenzy.

While he tensed, the crowd in Columbia loosened.

Breathe out, Mizzou fans. And when you’re done exhaling, say a quick thank you to Bates and Caleb Grill.

Breathe out, because No. 24/22 Missouri bounced back from a midweek loss to knock off No. 16/16 Ole Miss 83-75 on Saturday at Mizzou Arena, and the Tigers are now 5-2 in Southeastern Conference play and well ahead of schedule for an NCAA Tournament berth.

It’s no secret what Grill is capable of on any given day. He’s one of the leading 3-point shooters in the nation, and has shown as much in crunch time in multiple Mizzou (16-4, 5-2 SEC) games this season. Grill had 25 points and a 6-of-10 mark from 3 on Saturday.

And it’s no secret what Bates is capable of on any given day. He’s the engine that never seems to stop for this Tigers team, and a player that again is knocking on the door of a 40-50-90 shooting mark midway through the year. Bates had a game-high 26 points with an 8-of-13 mark from the field against the Rebels (15-5, 4-3).

Individually, they’ve each won games.

When both players have a hot hand like that?

Well, let Ole Miss coach Chris Beard walk you through what that did to his top-10 ranked defense …

“It puts a lot of pressure on us defensively, because the other three guys on the floor are good players,” Beard said. “So it’s not one of these deals where we can just talk about those two guys. Missouri has real SEC talent. … “So, when two of your best players go 10 points over their scoring average or more, and the 3-point shot is like shooting our Nerf goal when I was a kid on the back of my bedroom door, it’s going to be hard.”

The Mississippi coach called Bates and Grill’s games “special performances” no fewer than seven times in his postgame press conference. Beard repeatedly called them two of the best players in the SEC.

That’s because the Tigers needed every ounce of the weight they pulled Saturday to get across the line and ease any lingering fan anxiety — especially after a slow night Tuesday in Texas — about the potential direction this season could go.

Mizzou never truly separated from the Rebels.

Multiple eight- or nine-point MU leads were pulled back to five and four. The Tigers kept getting to the free throw line early in the second half, but they only made 50% of their opening 12 attempts. There were some careless turnovers, and a few Ole Miss triples that let some nervous air linger.

But for every shaky moment, there was a response from Grill or Bates.

When Ole Miss opened with an 8-0 run, Bates scored 10 points in 2:11 to help flip the lead.

When Mississippi point guard Sean Pedulla cut the once-12-point Mizzou lead to three with an arena-quieting triple? Fifteen seconds later, Grill played catch and shoot in the corner and let the sold-out crowd catch a breath.

When Missouri needed to drive the knife in, Bates scored eight points in 3:30 minutes in crunch time to provide the twist.

Grill converted a four-point play. Bates had a breakaway dunk off of his own tipped pass for a steal. The pair combined for a 11-of-11 mark at the free throw line, where Mizzou attempted an astounding 39 shots but the rest of the Tigers shot a combined 60.7%.

“I think these guys have gone through so many battles that you kind of take it for granted what they bring to the table,” Gates said. “Look at the stress and how they handle it. Look at the situations and how they handle it. They handle themselves, and they lead in a way that I am very proud of.”

Without fail, the Tigers swatted Ole Miss back.

After its worst offensive output of the season in Texas on Tuesday, Missouri put itself back on track.

Gates’ team has not lost back-to-back games this season. The Tigers are 15-0 at home this season, and far importantly — 5-2 in league play. That puts Mizzou in a share for third place in the conference standings through seven games.

The conversation around Missouri and the NCAA Tournament is now more about seeding than qualifying. The Tigers likely need three more wins before the regular season is over to lock a Big Dance invite up.

Let Beard tell you … After what the visiting coach watched Saturday, those are coming.

Bates and Grill underlined that.

“Those two guys have those games on the same night together?” Beard said. “You know, Dennis will have some great evenings after games around here.”

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Missouri

Missouri Farm Bureau to host agritourism conference in Hermann | Fulton Sun

Published

2 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

Missouri Farm Bureau to host agritourism conference in Hermann | Fulton Sun

Missouri Farm Bureau’s 2026 Agritourism Conference will be held Sunday through Tuesday in Hermann, bringing together agritourism stakeholders to explore opportunities in Missouri’s growing agritourism sector.

The conference usually draws 60-70 attendees annually, said Janet Adkison, director of public affairs and advocacy with Missouri Farm Bureau. This includes farmers, agribusiness leaders, tourism professionals and local economic development partners.

At the conference, participants will see firsthand how farms, wineries, orchards and other value-added agriculture business and rural destinations are connecting tourists and consumers with the state’s agriculture scene, while diversifying revenue streams for farm families and rural communities.

“Whenever folks think of agritourism, they think of a pumpkin patch or a flower farm,” Adkison said. “But agritourism is really anything that gets folks to connect with the agriculture industry. So from your Airbnbs that are out in rural Missouri to the wineries that you see across the countryside, to even a tree farm or just a simple orchard, those are all part of Missouri’s agritourism industry.”

The conference kicks off Sunday with welcome remarks by Missouri Farm Bureau president Garrett Hawkins and a dinner at Hermann Farm Store Barn. Participants will spend the nights at The Inn at Hermannhof.

Monday will include an agritourism bus tour, with stops at Thierbach Orchard, Heritage Valley Tree Farm, White Mule Winery & BNB and Cool Cow Cheese, where participants have the opportunity to speak to business owners.

It will be followed by a farm-to-table, wine-pairing dinner at Hermannhof Winery Court with the Missouri Wine & Grape Board.

“If you are somebody who’s interested in agritourism, you get to hear from somebody who’s been there and done that, and some of the hurdles that they may have experienced along the way,” Adkison said. “You’ll have that exposure both on the tour and also during the programs that they’ll provide on Tuesday.”

On the final day of the conference, participants will attend educational workshops and network with other vendors at Hermannhof Festhalle. Topics discussed in the workshops include marketing, risk management, USDA Rural Development resources for agricultural businesses.

“You’ll hear from some folks as far as the missteps or wins that they had while trying to market and get those crowds to come to the farm, and sometimes something might work, (or) something surprises you and it doesn’t work,” Adkison said.

The conference location rotates around the state each year — past stops have included northeast and west central Missouri, which Adkison said gives the conference a chance to showcase how agritourism looks based on the terrain and agricultural strength of each region.

Find out more about the event or register for it at mofb.org/event/2026-agritourism.

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Missouri

Missouri politicians champion unity, diversity on America’s 250th

Published

12 hours ago

July 8, 2026

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Missouri politicians champion unity, diversity on America’s 250th

Former Missouri Gov. Jeremiah “Jay” Nixon followed in his ancestor’s footsteps, 250 years to the day.

On July 8, 1776, Colonel John Nixon was the first person to publicly read the Declaration of Independence from the steps of the Pennsylvania State House, now Independence Hall.

Jay Nixon, along with other Missouri officials from local, state and national offices, participated in a semiquincentennial celebration at the Historical Greene County Courthouse on July 8, 2026.

“As we commemorate 250 years of American independence, may we remember not only the courage of those who signed the declaration, but also our responsibility to preserve the freedoms they declare,” said Connie Yen, director of the Greene County Archives and Records Center.

While the reading of the Declaration of Independence was the main event, patriotic music from the Salvation Army Band, Springfield Sound, the Patriotic Chorale — as well as the national anthem sung by former U.S. Attorney John Ashcroft and former judge and representative Max Bacon — rang throughout the courthouse’s rotunda, which was packed with people. The music itself, Ashcroft said, was a metaphor for the nation.

“There is something charming about America that doesn’t require that we be uniform. There’s a difference between unity and uniformity. As a matter of fact, you can’t have harmony if you only have one note. You have to sing different notes for things to be harmonic and it’s much more beautiful,” he said. “Maybe America is America not because of uniformity or everybody being in unison, but America may be America because we have disparity, but we’re in harmony. We believe in unity, not uniformity.”

Before reading the Declaration of Independence, Nixon shared part of a speech he gave at Fulton’s Westminster College in August 2025, where he encouraged people to “resist apathy with action” through involvement with civic and faith organizations, and by voting. Like others, he emphasized diversity as the strength of America.

“(We’re) a nation of immigrants. Many of our ancestors fled poverty, injustice and tyranny to build something better. We are the great-great-great-grandchildren of slaves, and those who enslaved them; the first families who inhabited these lands, and those who drove them from it,” Nixon said. “A nation of scrappy strivers stitched together by our ideals, marked by original sins, but redeemed by the courage and sacrifice that saved us from fascism and unleashed freedom and prosperity — the envy of the world. That is the true story we all need to tell, the promise we made to each other that we work every day to keep.”

The reading was followed by an ice cream social, co-hosted by the Greene County Democratic and Republican women’s clubs.

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UPDATE: Suspect wanted in Kansas captured near Columbia; Missouri State Highway Patrol aircraft plays key role | 93.9 The Eagle

Published

22 hours ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

UPDATE: Suspect wanted in Kansas captured near Columbia; Missouri State Highway Patrol aircraft plays key role | 93.9 The Eagle

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says one of its planes played a key role in Tuesday morning’s capture on I-70 near Columbia of a Kansas suspect wanted for child endangerment.

Missouri state troopers say they were on patrol near a rest area on eastbound I-70 in Cooper County, when they located a Dodge Durango wanted for an alleged incident in Topeka. Troopers say the suspect drove off after seeing troopers and that the Patrol plane was used to avoid a pursuit.

Troopers say they were able to get in position after the plane’s pilot located the vehicle and that the Patrol deployed stop sticks and safely deflated the suspect’s tires.

hmqqi61wwaa0bs7 — A Missouri State Highway Patrol aircraft played a key role in Tuesday morning’s capture in mid-Missouri (July 2026 graphic courtesy of Highway Patrol Twitter)

The Highway Patrol says the suspect was captured without incident and that the two-year-old child, who was unharmed, has been reunited with their mother.

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