Stories from Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Employees for the City of Monett now have a wellness plan administered by CoxHealth Systems that is projected to save both the city and its employees money. Around 30 employees met with Cox representatives recently to hear about the plan. According to Shane Anderson, safety coordinator for the city, worker's compensation providers recommend having a wellness plan for employees. ...

The 20 members of the Verona High School Class of 2015 received diplomas and advice to remember their sojourn in their hometown during commencement exercises on Friday in the school gym. Graduates heard addresses from valedictorian Ana Vargas and salutatorian Savannah Parker, in addition to guest speaker Kevin Hilton, Baptist Church pastor and school board member...

Brothers Oliver Himes, left, and Landyn Himes, along with Eric Medelortiz, back, view the selection of books available at the spaghetti dinner, art show and book sale held at St. Mary's Catholic School in Pierce City Friday evening.

Two Wheaton men were injured Monday afternoon in a wreck on Highway BB, three miles south of Monett. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Billy Miller, 19, of Wheaton, was driving a 2001 Ford F150 eastbound on Highway BB at about 3:52 p.m. when his vehicle skidded off the left side of the roadway, struck a ditch, overturned and went through a fence, and ejected Miller...

A Monett man was injured Saturday evening in a wreck on Farm Road 1170 at the Aurora city limit. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Colin Wilson, 16, of Aurora, was driving a 1999 Ford F250 southbound at about 6:45 p.m. when his vehicle failed to stop at a stop sign and pulled into the path of a 2005 Dodge Neon, being driven by Tomas Saucedo-Serrano, 34, of Monett...

Verona High School graduates received scholarships during commencement exercises on Friday. Counselor Anna Lamar announced scholarships earned by the students were worth a total of $246,000. The Verona Alumni Association offered three memorial scholarships. ...

Lodge Worshipful Master Wayne Hoover, center, cut the ribs down to individual servings, while Mike Ferguson, left, and Sandy Lakin prepared to pack them.

The Barry-Lawrence Ambulance District Board of Directors will meet at 6 p.m. on May 12 at 307 Dairy St. Jack Henry and Associates has announced a quarterly cash dividend of $.25 per share on common stock, payable June 9 to stockholders of record on May 26. On May 4, the company had 80,973,226 shares of outstanding common stock...

Saturday is D-Day for the Monett boys track team, as the Cubs head to Carl Junction for their Class 4 district meet. The Cubs continue to see positive results and set personal records on the track, earning a third-place finish Thursday at the Big 8 Conference track meet...

If the slogan for the United States Marines is, "The few, the proud, the Marines," then Kelly George, Monett girls track coach, has taken it and changed the phrase to, "The few, the proud coach, the Monett girls track team." While George admits she wishes she had more girls track team members, she is quite happy with the ones she has...

By Jared Lankford sports@monett-times.com The Verona boys track team took fifth at the the Class 1, District 4 meet Saturday at Willard. The top four finishers in each event advanced to the sectional round, and Verona will send athletes to three events at sectionals...

EIGHTY YEARS AGO May 10-16, 1935 The Fourth Street Garage wrecker went to the Joe Kieske farm, a mile north of the Cox Cemetery, on May 13, where a cow fell in a well. She was trembling with chill and "walling her eyes around." The well is about 30 feet deep and had been greatly widened at the top. Farmers got a rope looped onto her by couldn't pull her out. The best they could do was hold her head above water until help arrived. She was in the water about an hour...

Virginia Mae "Ginny" Dubuque, 85, of Shell Knob, died Thursday, May 7, 2015. Memorial services will be held at 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at Fohn Funeral Home, Shell Knob, Missouri.

Michael Rickman, 57, of Monett, died Thursday, May 7, at Cox Hospital South in Springfield. Memorial services are not planned at this time. Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday May 14 at Bennett-Wormington Funeral Home in Monett. Arrangements are under the care of Bennett-Wormington Funeral Home in Monett...

Charlotte "Janis" Prewitt, 84, of Wheaton, died at 12:40 a.m. Sunday, May 10. Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 13, at Chitwood Cemetery, Wheaton, under direction of McQueen Funeral Home, Wheaton. Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, at Ridgley Baptist Church, Ridgley...