Golden City

By James McNary Articles Editor

After a brief closure, the former Blackwell’s Service Station on Main Street in Lockwood has reopened as O’Neal’s Service Station and Garage.

Local mechanic Jimmy O’Neal has leased the filling station and garage formerly operated as Blackwell’s from the new property owner, who are retaining management of the car wash facility themselves.

O’Neal said that he has been a mechanic his entire life, going to back to working with on cars with his family growing up in Seymour. After his marriage to the former Tresa Veatch and moving to Greenfield three years ago, he had been looking to open up his own shop while working for others. He has maintained multiple ASE certifications, so when the opportunity came to lease the Blackwell station and garage, O’Neal jumped on it.

Blackwell’s was known as one of the few full-service stations remaining in the area, and while O’Neal’s no longer has a full-service pump, O’Neal said that he’ll still help out folks that need it, for old time’s sake.

“That’s just part of customer service,” said O’Neal. “I want to make sure my customers are taken care of.”

O’Neal’s remains a cash or check payment only establishment, and prepay on all pumps. Only automotive items are being offered for sale on the retail side, with no convenience store goods being offered at this time. O’Neal said this is all part of an effort to control costs, which he says at $65 per hour is among the lowest shop floor rates in the area. It also allows him to concentrate on what he does best, working on vehicles, not selling soda pop. “The coffee is complementary and so is the soda if I happen to have any,” said O’Neal. “The licensing costs are outrageous to get set up to sell food, liquor or tobacco.”

O’Neal’s garage will focus on light vehicles (and the occasional ton truck), no farm machinery or large over-the-road trucks. Running as oneman shop for the time being, O’Neal said that he does pretty much every thing except body work and rebuilding automatic transmissions, including regular service, code checks, and heat/AC repair.

O’Neal’s Service Station is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, located on Main Street in Lockwood. O’Neal said that he has a number of opening specials and items on sale until old stock runs out.

Local mechanic Jimmy O’Neal recently opened a service station and garage in the former Black-

well’s location on Main Street in Lockwood. (Photo by James McNary)

Hartzler Tour

(Continued from front) Act funding and other COVID-19 related relief funding that makes it difficult to determine what private organizations may or may not qualify.

Following the gathering at Backwoods, Hartzler toured the manufacturing facilities of Pennington Seed in Greenfield and the food production facility of Lockwood Packing Company/Frickenschmidt Foods in Lockwood, visiting with management and employees at both.

Hartzler, a Republican, represents the 4th congressional district of Missouri in the House of Representatives of the United States Congress. A native of rural Archie, she and her family live on a farm near Harrisonville. She was a home economics teacher for 11 years prior to her run for the state legislature in 1994.

The 4th congressional district is largely rural portions of western and central Missouri, but includes Columbia and a sliver of the Kansas City area, in addition to some of the northernmost outskirts of the Springfield area.

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (R-MO4) visited Dade County on Oct. 29. She first met with area officials and community leaders in Greenfield at the Backwoods Restaurant (below), then toured the Pennington Seed plant in Greenfield (top) and later the Lockwood

Packing Company/Frickenschmidt Foods facility in Lockwood (above). (Photos by James McNary)

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Lockwood Elementary wants to give a huge shout out to the Lockwood Community. The school’s Halloween parties had to look a little different this year, but as usual the community and businesses stepped in to make sure that the kids still had an amazing time. The following businesses donated for the goodie bags that the kids received instead of doing the traditional parade down Main Street.

Thanks to PTO for collecting and putting the bags together. We couldn’t ask for a better community. As always, we are beyond thankful at the support the Lockwood community has given the schools. Apolo gies for anyone missed: Evan’s Drug, United Nations Logistics, Shelter Insurance, Kerr’s Millworks, Lockwood Hardware, Tiger Home Furnishings, Mercy Clinic, MFA, Angie’s Floral Shop, Dade County Christian Center, Quantum, Extreme Vinyl, Main Street Boutique, Casey’s, Arvest, Pittsenbarger’s Accounting and The Crossing.