Stories from Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Purdy's school superintendent is aiming to assure parents and patrons that the district is taking student safety seriously following an alleged rape in the teacher's lounge. A 17-year-old Purdy boy is being charged as an adult for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl in at the Purdy school...

One of the two men arrested in a burning incident in February has died in an apparent suicide. Ryan Fertig, 36, of Monett, was declared dead at Cox Monett Hospital on Saturday. According to Pierce City Police Chief Mike Abramovitz, a call came from a Pierce City residence at 4:16 a.m. on Saturday, where Fertig had been found hanging. Pierce City Fire District first responders went to the scene, where CPR was already underway. Fertig was declared dead at Cox Monett Hospital...

Some moments at the Monett High School prom were all about the dance. Working on their moves, from left, were Janette Marquez, Dallas Jobe and Lindsey Grant, as Caleb Jobe, left, watched.

A Cassville man facing three federal counts involving illicit sexual activity with children was recently found to be fit to stand trial following a mental evaluation. Chase Norman, 24, of Cassville, is charged with two counts of using a means of interstate commerce to entice a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity, and one count of enticement of a minor to produce child pornography...

Building improvements have contributed to major progress made on the five-year strategic plan for the Purdy school district. The district targeted 36 projects in its first year. Superintendent Steven Chancellor documented significant progress on 27, eight completed, and modifications to capture the intent of the action in one case. In the second year, 22 projects saw significant progress, 22 were completed and one was modified to capture the intent...

Fundraising efforts are underway by the Purdy Renewal Project and the Purdy High School Spanish Club to acquire additional playground equipment for the Purdy Park. The two organizations recently collaborated with the Purdy City Council to purchase a new installation for the park. ...

Twenty-five road district commissioners in Barry County took oaths of office on April 20 to begin their duties at the annual road district meeting, hosted by the Barry County Commission at the First Baptist Church of Cassville's Family Life Center. The session offered training on how to run meetings and strategies for managing road maintenance...

Monett school bands from the sixth grade through the Monett High School Concert Band performed their spring concert before a crowd in the Monett High School gym on Monday night.

Pictured are Wheaton elementary fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students performing the musical, "Summer Camp," at a recent concert. Julia Kilmer The Monett Times

An electronics recycling collection will be offered from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 2 at the EFCO parking hold on Highway 60. Some fees may apply. The drive is a joint project by EFCO, the City of Monett, the Southwest Missouri Solid Waste District N and Computer Recycling in Springfield. For additional information, people may call 236-9012...

When offered the defensive coordinator job at Monett, it was an opportunity too good to pass up for Cassville's Kyle Wood. For nine seasons, Wood has served as a the Wildcats' head baseball coach and defensive assistant football coach. "The choice was hard, but the job allows me to move up the coaching ladder and have more say on Friday nights," Wood said. "It has been a goal of mine to move up. I wasn't looking for another job, it kind of just happened."...

Wheaton alumnus Sean Goostree is having a solid season for the Missouri Southern State University baseball team.

A six-week speed and agility training class in Pierce City is now taking enrollment for grades three through eight. The cost is $25 and includes a T-shirt with sessions held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-7:30 p.m at Don Keebaugh Stadium beginning May 19...

The Monett seventh grade girls won the Aurora Middle School track meet, finishing first out of nine schools. The Lady Cubs scored 156 points and Aurora finished second with 111 points. The Lady Cubs' first-place finishers were: Kelsey Dalton, long jump, 100-meter and 200-meter; Abby Patton, shot put; Lizabeth Avila, discus; Ashley Kurima, triple jump; Rebekah Pitts, Kaesha George, Rebecca Allen and Alicia Adams, 4x200 relay; Kurima, George, Adams and Dalton, 4x100 relay...

The Monett boys basketball team will host a youth camp June 3-5 at the Monett Elementary Gym. The camp is open to boys entering the first through eighth grades. The cost is $25 and includes a T-shirt. For more information, people may contact Jeremy Land at jland@monettschools.org or call 620-870-1954...

Timothy Lon Thomas, 53, of Miller, died at 11:57 a.m. Monday, April 27, at his home. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 30, at Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon. Burial will be at a later date at the Gray's Point Cemetery...

Loyd Ray Carey, 66, of Mt. Vernon, died at 6:34 a.m. Friday, April 24. No services are scheduled at this time. Cremation arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home, Cassville.

Dorthy Mae McCallister, 81, of Shell Knob, died at 10:01 p.m. Monday, April 27. No services are scheduled at this time. Cremation arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home, Shell Knob.