Stories from Friday, July 25, 2014

Monett school district property owners will face a higher tax levy in October when property tax bills are mailed. A change in property valuation unexpectedly impacted how much local tax revenue Monett school officials expect to receive in the coming tax cycle...

Three Aurora residents and on Mt. Vernon resident are running for the Lawrence County Division 2 associate circuit judge position, and each candidate is putting forth their qualifications for the position. Candidates in the Aug. 5 Republican primary include: Bryan Berry, of Mt. Vernon; Stacy Tomlin, of Aurora; Shara Martin, of rural Aurora; and Robert George, of Aurora...

They've completed 18 quilt tops in two months, a feat that has not gone unnoticed by Pierce City Library patrons. The Patriotic Quilters of Pierce City are women on a mission. They hope to have a completed quilt for every returning soldier now deployed with the 276th Engineering Company, 203rd Battalion upon their return from Afghanistan in December or January 2015...

Final performances of "Shenandoah," the Broadway show based on the film set in Virginia during the Civil War, will be given at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday at the Mt. Vernon Arts and Recreation Center (the MARC), 822 W. Mt. Vernon Blvd...

Hunting of any kind is now banned on city property in Freistatt. Trustees found problems with establishing a partial ban and chose to eliminate hunting altogether. The question of hunting surfaced in May when witnesses saw people with high powered guns firing inside the village's wastewater lagoon property. ...

A Granby woman suffered minor injuries Tuesday after being involved in a single-vehicle wreck on Hwy. 86, three miles east of Wheaton. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol Report, Ginger Perkins, 55, of Granby, was attempting to avoid another vehicle allegedly crowding the center line when her vehicle, a 2006 Chrysler Town and Country Minivan, ran off the right side of the roadway, struck a road sign and overturned. The vehicle is listed as totaled and was towed from the scene...

Sometimes, summer fun takes a bit of practice. Cindy Arnett of Monett, left, got her daughters out to practice riding their rolling vehicles on the sidewalk in front of their Fifth Street home on a recent July evening. Trinity Ruiz, 3, finally got a feel for her wheels on her tricycle. She was under the watchful eyes of sister Brisels Ruiz, right, and cousin, Rayann Ruiz, center. Murray Bishoff times-news@monett-times.com...

Volunteers from the New Site Baptist Church added roof trusses on the new Habitat for Humanity home at 111 E. Nellie on July 19. Work continues on July 26 with volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Anyone interested in helping on the Habitat house may call Bill Van Eaton at 417-461-3065 or Ron Overeem at 417-669-4420. Contributed photo...

Delmar "Cotton" Hayes, 87, of Monett, MO, passed away on Tuesday, July 22, 2014, while at Cox South Medical Center in Springfield, MO. Cotton was born on April 14, 1927, in Butterfield, MO, son of the late Ola and Rosie (Perkins) Hayes. For many years Cotton was a car salesman, first with Pryor Motors in Monett and later for Bunnell Motors in Purdy. ...

The Monett Senior Center, 405 Dairy St., will host a dance from 7 to 10 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 4. Evelyn Lock and the Outriders Band will provide music. Cost is $3. Those attending are encouraged to bring a snack or a dish to share. Crosslines has applications for school supplies for Monett, Purdy and Pierce City public schools. ...

Despite a hot and humid week, the Monett Mighty Mite program experienced record turnout of more than double its usual participants. Usually the camp features 30 participants, in the first two days of this year's event, almost 80 youth attended. This year's camp featured two notable item: athletes were introduced to the new Heads Up training system and the week long event was free...

Recent temperature indexes have hovered around the 100 degree mark, and for some individuals working outside or participating in summer sports camps, caution and care should be taken to ensure an individual doesn't succumb to the extreme elements. Many health professionals say the average human needs 64 ounces of water daily to perform at normal levels, and for the weekend warrior and student athlete, caution must be used to ensure proper hydration...

The Mighty Mite Cheer camp is slated for Aug. 4-7 at the Monett Athletic Center. The event will start at 5:30 p.m. and end at 7 p.m. and is free of charge. All girls entering the third through sixth grade are encouraged to attend. For more information contact Savannah Elrod at savannah@myprmierstudio.com...