Stories from Saturday, July 11, 2015

Dear Editor: Whether you walk, ride a bike, drive a car or fly; transportation is an important part of everyone's day. In Monett, we are blessed to have a forward-thinking city council and other community leaders who help identify tomorrow's issues today...

The flooding in Cassville this week came as something of a surprise to those at the north end of the county, where floods have been more common over the past decade. Not much of what we've learned in Monett would help the people in Cassville. We still nurse the idea that floods can be prevented, coming from one main source, Kelly Creek. In Cassville, seven sources of water from every direction provide no real hope of escape...

The 2014-2015 Jack Henry and Associates Major League baseball team.

The 2014-2015 Community National Bank T-ball team.

In the past, I've written about Burl Fowler's effect on Monett athletics. During the course of gathering information, I interviewed several sources and even went back to Seneca to mine information for the stories. Seldom does one man have such a positive, lasting impression upon two communities...

Pierce City standout Kole Kelley signed a national letter of intent to play baseball next season at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout. Also known as Hard Work U, due to the fact its students are not charged tuition, instead working in various forms around the college to pay for their schooling, Kelley believes it is a perfect fit...

The ladies of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, in Monett, made a special visit to Mercy Hospital Aurora on Tuesday, June 23, to deliver 122 receiving blankets to the nurses in the obstetrics department.

Farm Bureau is inviting area residents to attend the Missouri State Fair Monday, Aug. 17, for Farm Bureau/Family Day, where attendees will save $1 on gate admission and $5 on a one-day carnival ride wristband and reduced admission to the truck and tractor pull...

Glenda Allen and Georgeanna Wormington, both of Monett, attended the Missouri State Chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood's 122nd annual convention, held at Cape Girardeau. Allen, a member of the Missouri Chapter CN in Monett, served as a delegate, and Wormington attended as a visitor...

Lawrence County Sheriff Brad DeLay has declared Lawrence County's recent participation in the national Fourth of July holiday "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" substance-impaired driving crackdown a success. DeLay reported that one substance--impaired driving arrest and four citations were issued during the enforcement period, which ran from July 3 through July 5. A total of 95 warnings were issued for various other traffic violations...

The results of the 2015 July Fourth holiday counting period, including the results of a sobriety checkpoint conducted in Christian County, and a driving while intoxicated saturation in McDonald County have been released by the Missouri State Highway Patrol...

Programs in the Summer Reading Club at branches of the Barry-Lawrence Regional Library continue next week. Children will get to hear about comic book hero Batman at 3:30 p.m. on July 14 at the Monett Branch. Connection Magazine editor Jacob Brower will speak to adults at 10 a.m. on July 16 at the Monett Branch. The Pierce City Branch will have a program on hometown heroes at 10 a.m. on July 15. The Purdy Branch is offering "superhero crafts" all day on July 13, 15 and 17...

Volunteers from the Monett Community Church worked June 27 to erect the trusses on house No. 9, at 117 E. Nellie in Monett.

Monett-based Jack Henry and Associates has acquired Bayside Business Solutions, a provider of complete portfolio management systems for commercial lenders and industry leader in providing factoring software. Founded in 1998, Bayside Business Solutions is located in Birmingham, Ala. ...

Law enforcement officials in Barry and Lawrence counties are seeking information on the whereabouts of two offenders known to frequent the bi-county area. The first, Koby Brown, 26, is weighs approximately 235 pounds, stands 6-feet, 2-inches and has blue eyes and brown hair. He is wanted on a probation violation for resisting arrest...

Thursday was a nervous night for Monett property owners. With three-and-a-half inches of rain on the ground from Wednesday morning until Thursday evening, including significant rainfalls to the south, conditions were primed for flooding -- then came the downpour...

The two new FEMA storm shelters constructed for the Monett school district will be open for public use as storm shelters beginning Monday. Both shelters have had additional features added to expand their use. The shelter at Monett Middle School, located between the E.E. ...

Ordinances changing the use of Ninth Street between Scott and Cleveland and restricting parking around Monett Middle School have received approval by the Monett City Council, and parking restrictions into 
effect immediately. In its ongoing efforts to improve safety for students crossing Ninth Street for classes and cafeteria use, school officials requested a temporary closing of the street for the one block between Cleveland and Ninth during school hours, from 7:50 a.m. to 4 p.m...