Stories from Friday, March 27, 2015

In just their second year of existence, the Verona baseball team is looking to make a huge splash. Last season, the Wildcats played an abbreviated, eight-game schedule. Although the Wildcats failed to win a game, the experience gained renewed the excitement for baseball in the small district...

The Monett Youth Wrestling Program qualified 12 wrestlers to the the Missouri USA Wrestling State Tournament at the Chaifetz Arena on the campus of St. Louis University on Saturday and Sunday. In order to qualify, participants had to finish in the top four at the district and regional tournaments...

Pierce City Baseball Coach Chris Mettlach huddled his team around for one final meeting before he let them go from practice on Tuesday. He reminded his Eagles squad that they had two games scheduled this week, both against state-ranked teams -- Dadeville and Monett...

The Lawrence County Sheriff's Office has released the results of the 2015 St. Patrick's holiday "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign. Lawrence County Sheriff Brad DeLay reported no drunk driving arrests were made during the enforcement period, which ran from Saturday, March 14 through Tuesday, March 17...

"The Difference," Purdy High School's staff and student band, performed its annual benefit concert at the Purdy High School Gym on Saturday March 21.

JOPLIN -- Employees of 39 school districts in southwest Missouri will receive a 5 percent discount when advancing their higher education through WGU Missouri, as part of a new partnership agreement with the Southwest Center for Educational Excellence...

Tanner Marney, a Monett High School student, has achieved the Eagle Scout Award. Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America. During his five years in scouting, Marney has completed all the ranks, including his Eagle project, which included landscaping around the pavilion at the Monett Area YMCA. ...

The Monett-Lawrence County Office of Emergency Management will host a free Storm Spotter training at 6:30 p.m., Monday, April 6, at the Monett Park Casino, located at the junction of Highways 37 and 60 in Monett. Skywarn weather spotters are volunteers, including members of law enforcement, fire department personnel, amateur radio operators and the general public who serve as the eyes and ears of the National Weather Service. ...

The First United Methodist Church in Monett will host a chili cookoff from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 28 at 1600 N. Central. Proceeds will benefit the Boy Scouts. Cost will be $5 for adults, $4 for children and $15 for a family. To enter the competition, interested persons may call 236-2281...

Just because the snow is gone does not mean vehicles are immune from getting stuck.

Motorists on Highway 60 in Monett have seen electronic signs from the Missouri Department of Transportation about asphalt work on Highway 60. The project extends from Granby to Monett and has started at the west end. According to David Mitchell, intermediate customer relations representative with the Highway Department, contractors will place an asphalt overlay on Highway 60 in three sections. ...

Several contracts for capital improvements and services receive approval by the Monett City Council at its March meeting. Council members approved a contract to replace roofs on the administration building and the chlorine maintenance building at the wastewater treatment plant. According to Utilities Superintendent Skip Schaller, Marsoff Construction Company, which won the bid for improvements at the facility, offered far lower bids on another roof project...

A record number of vendors and a large crowd attended the fifth annual Transition and Resource Expo, held recently at the Scott Regional Technology Center in Monett.

"Deputy Sheriff No. 52 was a man who loved the simple things in life ... biscuits and gravy, the countryside, Elvis and John Wayne. He wore his badge proudly as he protected and served the people. He should never be forgotten by the people whose lives he touched. May his memory always be kept alive. I'll love you forever, your wife."...

The 15-year office manager of the Barry-Lawrence Ambulance District has submitted her resignation in the wake of a contentious decision to pay her $135,000 in back wages, the legality of which has been challenged. At the March 10 board meeting, office manager Jeaniettia Pierce presented the ambulance district's board of directors with a request for compensation for serving as the district's office manager and as its operations manager for the past four years. ...