Stories from Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Ricky Charles Newkirk, 61, of Mt. Vernon, died Tuesday, Oct. 11 at his home. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22 at the Covenant Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon. Visitation will follow the service. Arrangements are under the direction of the Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon...

Lois Jean Morris passed away May 19, 2013, at Tulare, Calif. She was born to Dillard Tibbets and Susan McCollough in Blue Eye, Mo., on Jan. 24, 1924. Later in life she moved to California making a home in Visalia and in Corcoran. She was a florist for many years and even owned her own flower shop in Corcoran and Green Forest, Ark. ...

Coaches attempt to keep their teams even-keeled in their approach to each game. Often times, they remind the players not to get too low or too high with their emotions as they play. On Friday, Brad Hocker, Pierce City coach, took this approach with his Eagles. The game against Sarcoxie was the final regular-season home game for five seniors. The game against rival Sarcoxie gave the Eagles a chance to move up in the district standings...

Playing in their final regular-season home game on Friday at Burl Fowler Stadium, the Monett seniors made the most of the opportunity in the form of a 56-13 thrashing of East Newton. The Cubs scored on all seven of their first half drives, with six Monett seniors recording points in the contest...

The Southwest Missouri Solid Waste Management District N executive board will meet at 11:50 a.m. today at Angus Branch Steakhouse in Monett. An open house for the new addition at Animal Clinic of Monett will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. on Oct. 21 at 687 N. Highway 37, west of Monett...

The home of James Westbay has been restored into showpiece that made an attractive stop for the Monett Historical Society's historic home tours on Sunday.

Becky Golubski, head of the Pierce City Arts Council, dressed as a box of Crayola crayons to offer cookies and a decorating challenge to visitors on Saturday to Artopia.

The Ozark Festival Orchestra will open its 37th season at 3 p.m. on Oct. 23 at the Monett High School Performing Arts Center with a concert of American music. Music director Todd Borgmann will lead the OFO in five works. Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," one of the best known American works, will be presented in an arrangement focusing on orchestral color. The major work on the concert will be "The Spanish Trail," a four-part tone poem describing the 1,100-mile trail across the American southwest...

The Lawrence County Health Department has announced the dates of the upcoming adult seasonal flu clinics. Current vaccinations available include the quadrivalent and high dose senior strength. Flu shots clinics have been scheduled for the convenience of Lawrence County residents 19 years of age and older or those with long term health problems and weakened immune systems and household members of at-risk people...

Vacationers from far and wide attended the Lethal Luau Saturday evening.

While the pubic contorts in the throes of the presidential election, one area school has decided to share the experience with its students, inviting them to participate in the process. Mt. Vernon Middle School is holding a building-wide mock election on Oct. ...

The City of Monett's campaign to determine the public's preference for a future outdoor swimming pool moves into full gear this week, following the conclusion of public meetings last week. According to City Administrator Dennis Pyle, a newsletter mailed this week with utility bills will include a survey on the three options under consideration. ...