Features

Ralph Robert (Bob) McCormick and Emma Jean Burton were married Aug. 6, 1950. Their 70 years of marriage started many years before. They met at Pleasant Dale School as fourth graders. That is when they decided they “might” like each other. As the schoolhouse friendship grew, Bob, being a year older, was leaving Pleasant Dale after eighth grade to attend Monett High School. ...

CRIMINAL • Allan H. Albertson, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, misd. D, fined $200. • Jose Miguel Aleman, speeding, misd. B, fined $190. • Kristopher D. Burwell, operating vehicle on the highway without a valid license, misd. D, suspended imposition of sentence (SIS), six months unsupervised probation...

Erin Mudge, of Monett, daughter of Rod and Janice Anderson, and Robbie Davis, of Monett, son of Bob and the late Connie Davis, will exchange vows at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 25. The bride-elect is employed at Family and Occupational Medicine of Monett, and in the Missouri Army National Guard...

Michel (Shell) and Susan Claybrook, of Wentworth, recently returned from the Philippines Quezon City Mission, where they served 14 months as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They were part of the more than 67,000 full-time missionaries who are serving missions. ...

American Red Cross recently awarded John Beckwith of Monett, a plaque for achieving the 10-gallon blood milestone in donations for the Monett blood drive.

The Monett Lions Club met in June for its last meeting of the outgoing year and to install new officers.

Jack Prim, who is credited with helping secure fundraising dollars to build a $42 million replacement hospital in Monett, recently retired from Cox Monett Hospital’s Community Advisory Board. Prim served on the volunteer board from 2008 through 2020. He was vice president from 2015 to 2017, and president from 2017 to 2019...

An open house, in honor of Arnold Ray, who will be observing his 80th birthday, will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 19, at the Monett Historical Museum, 422 E. Broadway.

It wasn’t all fireworks and hot dogs for some Americans on this Fourth of July. Aviation Structural Mechanic 3rd Class Calisia Brookes, from Cassville, bends sheet metal aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68).

The family of Jack George, of Pierce City, is celebrating his 99th birthday today.

Two area residents are among the more than 1,000 individuals who are eligible to participate in the University of Central Missouri’s 2020 summer commencement exercises set for Aug. 1, in the university’s Multipurpose Building inn Warrensburg. Students who completed their degree requirements by the end of the spring 2020 semester are eligible to be honored at the event, which was rescheduled from May due to COVID-19...

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks has awarded the Monett school district a $5,000 grant to help cover the cost of unexpected expenses from the COVID-19 pandemic school closure.  This grant is possible through the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, supported by donations. ...

Even with all the hurdles surrounding the school year, Verona FFA members still managed to succeed.

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Month, SONIC is providing teachers with necessary supplies for students to continue learning at home To recognize the entrepreneurial spirit driving teachers to meet their students' distance learning needs during this difficult time, SONIC Drive-In matched all donations to DonorsChoose on Teacher Appreciation Day, giving Emily Compton in Monett $100...

The Southwest Center has announced Allison Pittman, of Joplin School District, and Amy Redus, Marionville R-IX School District, as winners of the Southwest Missouri Elementary and Secondary Missouri’s Regional Teachers of the Year. Seven District Teacher of the Year nominees opted to apply for the Regional Teacher of the Year competition. ...

In the State FFA Proficiency Award program, which recognizes students’ accomplishments with their respective Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) project, Aurora student members placed first at the area level to qualify for the state competition...

The Crowder Quill literary-art magazine contest of Crowder College has announced the winners of the annual contest. For the 2020 contest and 40th annual anniversary, 1257 entries were received, which is a record number of participants. Winning entrants receive a certificate and are published in the magazine; this year, 106 awards were presented...