Stories from Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Tyler Rickard, Monett boys track and field coach, knows his young team will not always dominate the medal stand, and he is fine with that fact. For the Cubs coach, his goal is much simpler -- he wants to see continued improvement. The boys competed in the 12-team Carthage Invitational Thursday night. On Thursday, they head to Aurora with a chance to compete in several events. Monett heads into the event on the heels of a performance at Carthage that lacked medals, but was full of team growth...

The undefeated Monett baseball team (9-0) opens play today in the Carthage Tournament with a 2 p.m. tilt with Nevada. The Cubs are fresh off of playing five games in five days, with the final three victories, one on Friday and two on Saturday, clinching the Monett Tournament title...

Monett Police Chief George Daoud will speak at the noon meeting of the Monett Kiwanis Club on today at the Family Room Steakhouse, at First and East Broadway in Monett. The Cox Monett Auxiliary will host a bedding sale fundraiser, offering high-quality sheet sets, blankets and comforters at discounted prices. ...

Bonnie Heeter, left, of Bonnie's Farm and Garden in Pierce City, visited with Linna Lee, of Lee's Fresh Green in Fairview, at Saturday's opening of this year's Farmer's Market in Monett.

A new entertainment feature, the Ozarks Showcase Music Concert, has been scheduled for 7 p.m. on April 16 and 3 p.m. on April 17. The Monett Kiwanis Club will sponsor bringing much of "The Show," the annual singing and dance revue that serves as the major fundraiser for the year for the Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce. Greg Beck, music director of "The Show," has agreed to bring his band, Hometown Sound, to the Monett High School Performing Arts Center as a fundraiser...

The Monett school board hired several new teachers in March. Chance Chapman was hired as the new diesel technology teacher at the Scott Regional Technology Center. A former graduate of Scott Tech's machine tool program and a 2011 Pierce City High School student, Chapman graduated from Crowder College in 2014 with an associate's degree in diesel technology. He has worked for Cummins Central Power in Joplin...

Spring weather offered children in Kassie DeLaSalle's preschool class at Monett Elementary School an ideal opportunity on Monday morning to paint in water on the sidewalk outside the school.

The Monett City Council concluded its 2015-2016 fiscal year on March 31 after adjusting the annual budget to match the actual spending and income, which differed by a couple million dollars from the original plan adopted a year ago. Council members originally adopted a budget anticipating $41,796,142 in revenues and a plan to spend $40,797,924. Budget amendments reflected revenues that fell $3,373,202 below projections. Spending was also cut by $2,551,045...

The Monett Board of Education recently took several steps forward in the construction of a storm safe room at Central Park Elementary school. Under plans developed by Sapp Design Associates, the addition will extend to the east out of the north-south hallway on the west side of the building that houses the fourth grade classrooms. ...

Dorothy Earlene Holle, 87, of Monett, died Tuesday, April 5, while at Maplewood Alzheimer's Special Care in Springfield. Funeral services are pending at this time. Arrangements have been entrusted to Buchanan Funeral Home in Monett.

Gerald "Dutch" Fulp, 86, of Aurora, died at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, April 3, at Mercy Villa in Springfield. Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 7, at Maple Park Cemetery in Aurora. Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, at Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora...

Melvin Leroy Carter, 72, of Mt. Vernon, died at 2:40 p.m. Thursday, March 31. A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 10, at The Bar in Chesapeake. Arrangements are under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora...

Anna Marie Ruscha, 85, life-long resident of Verona, died Monday, April 4, while at Lacoba Homes in Monett. Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, April 8, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Verona. Burial will follow at Calvary (Sacred Heart) Catholic Cemetery in Verona...

Geraldine Elizabeth Fine, "Skippy" to all who loved her, died peacefully of natural causes March 30, surrounded by her loved ones. Skippy was born June 12, 1925, in Hammond, Ind., to Thomas Wilbur Coles and Irma Net Thorpe Coles. She had one older brother, Tom, Jr., and two younger brothers, Robert and John...

Jimmie Gene "Jim" Roark, 82, of Cassville, died at 10:26 p.m. Monday, April 4. Graveside services will be held at noon Friday, April 8, at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Butterfield. Visitation will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville...

Gregory T. Day, 68, of Mt. Vernon, died at 3:20 a.m. Saturday, April 2, while at St. Luke's Hospital in Houston, Texas. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 9, at Covenant Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon. Burial will be at Summit Cemetery, northeast of Mt. Vernon...

A westbound school bus from Parkview High School in Springfield was part of a three-vehicle pile-up on the Highway 60 bridge over Verona on Tuesday around 3:15 p.m.

EIGHTY YEARS AGO March 27-April 2, 1936 An enthusiastic group of golfers gathered at the Monett City Hall on March 27 and organized a golf club for Monett. A committee of nine was appointed to compile the bylaws, complete organization plans and look after advertising for the club. The club is not being organized for any personal gains, but merely for the pleasure of those who enjoy playing golf...

EIGHTY YEARS AGO April 3-9, 1936 The Monett City Council met in special session to act on the recommendation made by the Commercial Club to reduce the salaries of the mayor and two commissioners. They voted to lower the mayor's salary from $1,800 to $1,200 a year and the two commissioners from $1,200 to $900 a year, effective May 5. The salaries paid at Monett are more than in any of the towns of about the same size in the state...

Barry County raw county results. Does not include results from counties in crossover elections. Final results will be posted later, including elections involving two or more counties.

Lawrence County votes are raw county results. Does not include results from counties in crossover elections. Final results will be posted later, including elections involving two or more counties.

Below is a list of final unofficial Barry and Lawrence county election results. Results from other counties included when elections cross counties. Source: Barry, Lawrence, Newton, McDonald and Stone county clerks...