Stories from Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Virginia Yenta Schmidt, 91, of Mt. Vernon, died Friday, May 6, at Craig General Hospital in Vinita, Okla. Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 12, at Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon. Burial will follow at 2 p.m. at the Missouri Veteran's Cemetery in Springfield...

The Monett girls track team heads to Branson on Saturday for district action on the heels of a solid Big 8 Conference performance. With a sixth-place finish, the young squad is looking forward to the district challenge. "I am so proud of the effort and heart these girls give each day," said Kelly George, Monett coach. "We set personal records in the triple jump, discus, 4x800 relay, 100-meter hurdles, 1600-meter run, 800-meter run, and 200-meter dash."...

The Monett boys track team heads to Branson on Saturday for its district track competition, and the Cubs are encouraged with a fourth-place finish in the Big 8 Conference meet. "At the start of the season, I had two goals for our team: improve over the course of the season and finish in the top four at conference," said Tyler Rickard, Monett coach. ...

Community Blood Center of the Ozarks will hold a blood drive from 1 to 5 p.m. on May 16 at the American Legion Home, 715 E. Broadway in Monett, sponsored by the Monett Lions Club. Other blood drives are planned from 3 to 6 p.m. on May 16 at the First Baptist Church, 301 S. College Ave. in Marionville; and from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on May 17 at Cedar Hollow Mennonite School at 4694 Farm Road 1185 near Miller...

A Springfield woman was injured Friday in a wreck at 8:30 as.m. on Highway H north of Freistatt. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Joyce Schmidt, 58, of Springfield was driving a 2007 Toyota Prius southbound. A 2002 Dodge 1500, being driven by Kyler McKnight, 21, of Verona, was traveling westbound and crossing route H on Farm Road 2070. McKnight's vehicle pulled into the path of Schmidt's vehicle and was struck broadside...

A Monett 19-year-old was injured Friday in a wreck at 2:41 p.m. on Highway 60, one mile west of Verona. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Shane Jones, 31, of St. Louis, was driving a 1996 Freightliner westbound when his vehicle struck a 2000 Lincoln Continental, being driven by Hannah Pitts, 19, of Monett, which was stopped in traffic and then attempted to turn...

A Verona woman was injured Friday morning in a wreck at 9:50 a.m. on Highway P north of Verona. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Milton Sparks, 33, of Springfield, was driving a 2002 Yamaha R1 1000 northbound when the driver had to lay the vehicle down on a curve, causing him and a passenger to be ejected...

A La Russell man was injured early Saturday morning after being struck by a vehicle at 12:45 a.m. on Highway 96, eight miles easy of Avila. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Rodney Janes, 53, of Aurora, was driving a 2002 Peterbilt westbound when a pedestrian, Billy Davis, 34, of La Russell, walked into the path of the truck...

Learning how to cast a fishing line may have been one of the most practical skills offered at the family fun event to promote Scouting on Saturday.

The Monett Community Garden, a project of the Healthy Schools/Healthy Communities Initiative, started its second year with a planting party on Saturday.

Recipients of scholarships among the graduating class at Verona High School were announced during commencement exercises on Friday. Counselor Kyle Willis reported that graduates received A+ scholarships worth approximately $480,000 over the next two years. Scholarships offered by colleges and universities worth $600,000 boosted the total earned by Verona students to $1.1 million...

The 37 graduates of the Class of 2016 at Verona High School celebrated graduation in high spirits on Friday at the high school gym. Graduates distributed flowers to special friends and family members, also receiving various accolades during the course of commencement exercises...

Ava Elbert impulsively gave her mom, Sarah Elbert, a hug and kiss at the Mother's Day Tea, held Friday afternoon at Central Elementary School in Pierce City.

Two Monett residents were injured Sunday in a wreck at 8:25 p.m. on Highway Z, just west of Highway VV. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Russell Seay, 36, of Monett was driving a 2000 Suzuki motorcycle eastbound when his vehicle struck an animal in the roadway, causing the vehicle to overturn...

A Reeds man is being held in the Lawrence County jail on three felony charges, including assault of a law enforcement officer after he allegedly threw a knife at a conservation agent. Freddie Garrison, 40, of Reeds, is charged with assault of a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, armed criminal action and second-degree trespassing...

District baseball action returns to Monett on Saturday with the Class 4, District 12 tournament. Monett (21-3) and co-Big 8 Conference champions earned the No. 1 overall seed and a coveted first-round bye. "You can throw out the seeding for this tournament," said Michael Calhoun, Monett coach. "Any team in the field is capable of getting hot and winning the tournament."...