Ribbon-cutting events held for facilities in Ozark, Mount Vernon

Ribbon-cutting events were held Wednesday to celebrate the openings of an employee health clinic in Ozark and a livestock research and education facility in Mount Vernon.

Ozark
A ceremony held at 475 N. Government Plaza Circle in Ozark marked the launch of a dedicated health clinic for Christian County employees and their families, according to information provided by the Ozark Chamber of Commerce.

The clinic, which is operated by Tulsa, Oklahoma-based CareATC, provides primary care and additionally supports workers’ compensation needs and pre-employment drug screenings. Christian County covers 100% of employee health insurance premiums, the Ozark chamber noted.

The employee care clinic is part of the larger Christian County Government Plaza project that's underway on Missouri Highway 14 off U.S. Route 65, just west of the intersection with North 25th Street.

There, the county is developing a 39-acre parcel with planned uses including offices for elected officials, an operations building and structures to house a recycling center, maintenance and storage, according to past reporting. 

Mount Vernon
In Mount Vernon, officials broke ground yesterday on a new livestock research and education facility.

The Eldon Cole MU Livestock Facility is located at the University of Missouri’s Southwest Research, Extension and Education Center, a joint effort between the university's College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources and the MU Extension, according to a separate news release.

The facility, named in honor of a longtime MU Extension livestock specialist who died in 2022, has an indoor space for breeding activity such as pregnancy checking and health care procedures and research data collection like blood draws.

“This building offers an incredible expansion of educational opportunities for our students, researchers and the community,” said Christopher Daubert, CAFNR vice chancellor and dean, in the release. “The livestock industry is vital to southwest Missouri, and our goal is to provide the best research, extension and educational programming to support our producers and move the industry forward.”