Stories from Friday, March 14, 2014

Investigators for the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor began a probe into business procedures at the Tyson Foods plant in Monett. According to Rhonda Burke with the Department of Labor's Chicago, Illinois office, the team is under the direction of the regional Wage and Hour Division office in Kansas City. Burke characterized the investigation as "routine, a follow-up to one done previously."...

Monett High School will sponsor a presentation at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 24 at the school gym on school violence and bullying, taken from the journals of Rachel Scott, who was killed on April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School. The presentation is being given at 1 p.m. at special assemblies exclusively for students. The session at 6 p.m. will be for the public at large...

times-news@monett-times.com All Monett R-1 School District administrators have received contracts for the 20014-15 school year. All were recommended by Superintendent Brad Hanson, whose contract was renewed in January for $116,900 per year. Mike Dawson, assistant superintendent, is serving for the second year in his position, which also includes overseeing district curriculum. His salary is $97,300...

times-news@monett-times.com After facing a concentration of snow day make-ups this year that will run school through the Friday before summer school starts the following week, Verona administrators have made adjustments for the coming year. New teacher orientation will begin the 2014-15 year on Aug. ...

times-news@monett-times.com The new president of WinTech has changes in mind for the company. The announcement of Mark Harper's promotion came at the same time that Bob Berger and Karla Rickman, the last two working members of the three couples that founded the firm, made their retirements official...

times-news@monett-times.com The Monett City Council is expected to adopt a new ordinance on Friday, March 20 outlining physical testing for employees who have missed work before returning to duty. City Administrator Dennis Pyle said the city has had a policy since 2008 defining what conditions represent an employee is "fit for duty." Since the city began working with Cox Rehabilitation in 2013, discussion between city officials and the safety director developed specific parameters for each position. ...

Knights of Columbus Council 1075 will hold a fish fry dinner at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 14 at St. Lawrence Catholic Church parish hall in Monett, from 5 to 7 p.m. The meal will include baked and fried fish, corn bread, au gratin potatoes, cole slaw, green beans, corn, pickles, dessert and beverage. Cost is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $4 for children 12 and under...

sports@monett-times.com The Purdy School district didn't waste any time and didn't have to look very hard or far to find a willing candidate to fill the coaching void left after the departure of Stephanie Ray. School officials say the hire of Lori Videmscheck for the Lady Eagles was a no-brainer in terms of convenience, experience and excitement...

Submitted photo Jonah Ragsdale, a senior at Monett High School, won a fourth place bronze medal in the American Legion's 80th annual High School Oratorical Scholarship Program. Finals were held in Jefferson City on Feb. 22. Ragsdale received a $1,400 scholarship. ...

BOLIVAR -- Aaron Morley, a student at Monett High School, was one of four prospective students at Southwest Baptist University were awarded the J.R. Maupin Founders Award, a full tuition scholarship, after the annual Scholars Day event in February. Morley is the son of Steven and Dawn Morley...

One of the major divisions of Monett-based Jack Henry and Associates (JHA) has recorded significant business gains in the first half of the 2013-14 fiscal year. JHA's Symitar division earned 25 new credit union relationships for its core platform between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2013...

reporter@monett-times.com Officers with the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office answered 471 calls for service in February and made a total of 79 stops. A total of 32 motorists were stopped for speeding during the month of February, along with 16 for failure to register a vehicle. ...

Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com A three-vehicle collision in the westbound lane of Highway 60, east of Bridle Lane, blocked traffic for a period on Wednesday. According to Monett Police, a blue Chevrolet Avail, shown at left, driven by Larita Chambers, 38, of Branson, collided at 3:37 p.m. ...

We spent a bit of time this week exploring the history of Monett banks in looking for perspective on the bank robbery on Monday. The declaration that there had been no bank robberies in Monett in at least 50 years was based on the bankers we could speak to -- namely Ann Hall and Dayton Mackey. Their personal experience went back to the early 1960s...

Dear Editor: Here we go again, Mr. Moreland and the Pierce City School Board. Tax tax tax. It's all some of us can do to pay them now. Insurance, food, gas, electric, medicine all have gone up and still going up. Social Security did not go up that much...

Dear Editor: I've read Rep. Billy Long's "defense" of his travels to places like Baku, in Azerbaijan, as having helped him become more informed about a whole range of international and domestic issue; therefore, making him better able to serve his constituents...

William "Bill" Theodore Allen, 85, of Monett, died Tuesday March 11, at his home. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Monday, March 17, at the Spring River Cemetery in Verona under the direction of Bennett-Wormington Funeral Home of Monett.

Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com A collision at Highway 60 and Eisenhower in Monett around this week resulted in no injuries, despite a number of passengers in both vehicles. According to the Monett Police, Jack Farmer, 57, of Cassville, attempted to turn south onto Eisenhower across traffic at about 7:05 p.m. ...

Melonie Roberts/reporter@monett-times.com The newest wave of Christian Rock music comes from St. Mary's Catholic School in Pierce City. These ambitious elementary students of Sally Heidlage finished a science chapter covering sound waves, vibrations and pitch, then went to work making their own instruments from items found around the house. ...