Stories from Saturday, December 19, 2015

Monett Mayor James Orr, 72, died around 6 a.m. Friday at Cox South Hospital in Springfield. A retired educator, Orr has served as the city's mayor since 2004. His death follows his collapse at home on Wednesday afternoon, when he was found unresponsive...

The Parents as Teachers organization at Pierce City Elementary School recently hosted a Make It/Take It event for children and their parents.

Tuesday was a day Monett High School sophomore Billy Long will never forget. Back in March, Long, who has Down syndrome, saw a flier for Pizzazz Poms tryouts. After seeing the call out, Long approached Angela Johnson, his life skills, transition coordinator and special education teacher, and declared his dream of dancing on the Pizzazz Poms team.

News this week that Empire District Electric Company planned to explore strategic alternatives, a term market insiders determined meant a possible company sale, has left City of Monett leaders taking a wait-and-see position. Monett is Empire's largest wholesale customer of electricity. The city's prosperity largely depends on its contract with Empire...

More than 50 children were recipients of this year's Shop with a Cop program, and each were given a $50 gift card to purchase gifts for themselves or their family members.

City Commissioner Jerry Dierker, right, and Danny Vaughn watched at crews for Vaughn's Dirtworks began taking down the building at 419 E. Broadway on Tuesday morning.

The Ozark Festival Orchestra and community choir will present 21 selections from Handel's "Messiah" at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19 at the Monett High School Performing Arts Center. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for senior citizens, and students high school age and under are free...

Lawrence County deputies will be out in full force as part of the annual nationwide holiday DWI enforcement campaign "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over," which targets substance--impaired drivers. The enforcement throughout Lawrence County, will run from Friday, Dec. 18, through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016...

Raymond Delgado and Whitney Keener of Monett have announced the birth of a daughter, Ivy Raye Delgado, born on Aug. 25 at Cox Hospital South in Springfield.

The family of Dorothy Gibbons will celebrate her 90th birthday Thursday, Dec. 31.

Purdy High School Student Council announced the 2015 candidates and winner for Mister and Miss Merry Christmas.

Purdy Middle School Students of the Month have been named for November.

Carrie Smith was named September's Teacher of the Month. "This will be my 16th year as an elementary school teacher," Smith said. "I love teaching and am passionate about doing what is best for my students." Smith graduated from Missouri Southern State College in the spring of 2000, and taught kindergarten for the Neosho School District for three years...

Trinity Lutheran School-in Freistatt has named the top readers in their class for the month of November.

Kay Wright's seventh hour personal finance class at Purdy High School placed third in the recent Joplin Globe Stock Market Game.

At 5-8, Monett senior basketball player Logan Coones looks far from an intimidating basketball player. However, on Tuesday, the Cubs' leader etched his name into the Monett record book when his transition step-back 3-pointer, the 157th of his career, touched nothing but twine and elevated his career scoring total to 1,000 points...

The state's best team awaits the Purdy girls basketball squad (6-1) Monday, as the Lady Eagles will host three-time defending state champion Crane at 7 p.m. "They lost a lot of talent to graduation last year, but they have reloaded for this year," said Eli Ernst, Purdy coach. "They are well coached and do the little things right."...

There are certain athletes who are not blessed with the physical tools needed to excel in their favorite sport. Usually, people use the hypothetical scenario: if I were blessed with that height, speed or body, I would have dominated. Yet, there are others who don't publicly complain about their lack of whatever skills they view as deficient. They wait for their opportunity, they give 100 percent and they become respected over time for their contributions, instead of excuses...

Belle Golubski recorded 20 points to help lead Pierce City to a 58-32 girls basketball win over McAuley on Thursday. The Lady Eagles outscored the Lady Warriors 39-20 in the second half to secure the victory. Pierce City opens play in the Walnut Grove tourney today at 9 a.m. against Monett...

The Verona boys basketball team improved to 5-1 on the season with a 64-43 victory over Miller on Thursday. Ismael Soto recorded 19 points, including four 3-pointers and five steals. Caleb Hillhouse scored 16 points and added seven rebounds. Kolton Pinkly finished with 5 points and four steals...

The Monett girls basketball team fell, 54-36, to Carthage on Thursday. Monett was led in scoring by Emily Krueger, with 13 points, and Annie Besch, with 10. The Lady Cubs dropped the junior varsity contest 33-31. Alyssa Williams recorded 17 points, and Camryn Wolf added 5...

Earlier this month, Matt Pearce, a national reporter for the Los Angeles Times, wrote a piece about the the specter of intolerance and how it keeps resurfacing. As a touchstone, Pearce reached back to southwest Missouri, to Aurora, to recall that most monstrous of local publications, the weekly newspaper The Menace...