MEMPHIS, Mo.-  On Monday evening, May 18th, two international cyclists pedaled into Memphis, Missouri, as part of their quest to bike around the entire globe.  The trek began in February 2025 and has included every part of the world imaginible (aside from Antarctica).  Mark Graham of Waterford, Ireland, and Ellie O'Byrne of Cork, Ireland, arrived into Memphis on Monday evening.  Due to the impending severe weather, local farmer David Wiggins offered to provide shelter for the couple to weather the storm.  Tuesday morning, the duo was gracious enough to swing by the station to chat.  In my conversation Monday with Mark, I had the assumption they would have someone give them a lift to the station.  But in true cyclist fashion, they pedaled their way to our front door, and boy are we glad they did!  They arrived just in time for our Coffee Break program hosted by Corey Stott, and we invited them to crash the party and regale us with their tales.  Listen to the entire Coffee Break program from Tuesday morning and be as entertained as we were.  Also, a HUGE thank you to Talia Hatfield with the Memphis Area Chamber of Commerce and Cecily Williams with the City of Memphis for being VERY gracious and allowing the visitors to use their air time this morning.

Coffee Break featuring Mark Graham and Ellie O'Byrne

Tuesday, May 19th, 2026

You can follow along with their adventures by clicking here.

You can also follow along with them on Instagram.

(L-R):  Corey Stott, Hometown Radio Group GM; Mark Graham & Ellie O'Byrne, Cyclists; Cecily Williams, City of Memphis; and Talia Hatfield, MACC

SCOTLAND COUNTY, Mo.-  A young child is dead after an afternoon fishing adventure took a tragic turn.  The incident occurred on Scotland County Road 752, approximately seven miles north of Granger, around 3:30 Friday afternoon.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that a five-year old male child from rural Arbela was standing on a dock fishing a pond at a private residence when he fell in.  The child was unable to swim.  A young sibling who was also in the vicinity witnessed the event but was also unable to swim.  The sibling ran to find their mother for help.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol and Missouri Department of Conservation responded to the scene and began to drag the pond.  The victim was recovered and pronounced dead at the scene at 7:19 pm. 

The patrol was assisted at the scene by the Missouri Department of Conservation, Scotland County Sheriff’s Department, Westran Dive Team, Westran Fire Department, Scotland County Fire Department, Scotland County Ambulance and Scotland County Coroner’s Office.

MEMPHIS, Mo.- A Knox County man is in jail after an alleged physical altercation that took place Monday night just north of Memphis.  Scotland County Sheriff Bryan Whitney told KMEM News that Joshua Lay of Knox City was taken into custody Wednesday evening by the Knox County Sheriff’s Department on a Scotland County warrant for a Class B felony of 1^st Degree Assault.  He was transferred to the Scotland County jail, where he remains lodged in lieu of $100,000 cash-only bond.

A probable cause statement filed in the case states that local law enforcement was dispatched around 9 pm Monday evening to a residence 3 miles north of Memphis regarding a reported assault.  Prior to law enforcement arriving at the residence, they were notified that an ambulance had already departed the scene with the victim and were enroute to Scotland County Hospital in Memphis. 

The document goes on to allege that the victim was traveling on Highway 15 just south of his residence when a truck driven by Lay passed him.  Lay then slid the truck to a stop sideways, blocking the victim’s vehicle and forcing him to stop.  Lay then got out of his truck and approached the victim’s driver’s side door.  At this point he allegedly struck the victim in the head, knocking him unconscious.  The victim reported that he was unsure what he was struck with, due to being unconscious.  The victim later woke up lying on the yellow line in the middle of Highway 15.  Lay had departed the scene in his truck by this point.  The victim was able to drive himself home and then contacted family for medical help.  The victim told law enforcement officers that he was an acquaintance of Lay’s wife and that Lay blamed him for their marital issues. 

The victim reportedly suffered serious head injuries that included a sagittal orientation fracture and a subarachnoid hemorrhage.  Due to the nature of the injuries, the victim was soon transferred by helicopter to University Hospital in Columbia.

A bond hearing for Joshua Lay is scheduled for Monday, May 18^th, at 9 am in Scotland County Associate Circuit Court before Judge Kim Nicoli.

Joshua Lay of Knox City, MO

(Photo courtesy of Scotland County Sheriff's Department)