Stories from Saturday, April 8, 2017

At risk of sounding like a broken record, this was no typical April election. Votes mattered. Close races develop each year, and this was no exception, but like the national election, outsiders held sway in unexpected ways. Not since 2003 has the president of the Monett school board been beaten in an annual election. ...

The Monett golf team took first place in the 12-team Cassville Invitational on Thursday.

It took the Monett girls track team just three meets this season to claim its first track title of the year. On Thursday, the Lady Cubs ran away from the competition at the annual Ice Box Relays in Aurora, scoring a season high 235 points in the process...

When attending Monett sporting events, it is easy to tell if the game is being broadcast. Two gold banners with purple lettering announce to those in attendance where they can listen to the stadiumcast, and that Mike McClure is calling the game. McClure is one of the most recognizable voices, not just in Monett, but in southwest Missouri. ...

The Purdy High School FFA Chapter has selected Shelby Heston as its March FFA member of the month.

Top readers for March have been named at Trinity Lutheran School.

Purdy High School celebrated its the second annual Evening of Excellence on March 31. Superintendent Steven Chancellor described the evening as “one of my favorite events of the school year, as it perfectly reflects our district motto - Excellence is the Standard.”...

Four Monett High School special education students and their buddies traveled to Mexico, Missouri, on Friday to participate in the fourth annual Jellybean Speech Festival, the second year Monett students have gone. According to Angela Johnson, special education teacher, the event is similar to Special Olympics in that each of the competitors participates with a "buddy." Rather than focusing on sports, the festival offers communications and performance opportunities...

Purdy Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) won team trophies and individual awards at the annual Crowder Business Contest, held on March 29. Competitors earning individual accolades included Rion Boyd, first place in business math; Liz Moore, first place in computer applications; Emily Webb, second place in business communications and Kyler Propps, third place in marketing...

Gary and Kathy Eck have announced the upcoming wedding of their daughter, Melissa, to Landon McGilvry, son of Michelle and Clifton Swyers and Michael McGilvry. Melissa is the granddaughter of Edana Fenske and the late Louis Fenske of Pierce City, and the granddaughter of the late Raymond and Emma Eck of Sarcoxie...

The Monett Ministerial Association will host its last Lenten services at noon April 12 at the Chapel of Grace, 1153 Farm Road 1060, south of Highway 60. Paul Lanning from First United Methodist Church will be the speaker. A light lunch will follow the services, around 12:30 p.m., at the host church...

Monett street department crews worked steadily Tuesday through Friday at Fifth and Broadway taking out the driveway previously used by Krueger’s package liquor store and what had been the Singleton’s fast food vendor on the southwest corner.

A tunnel send-off was held on Friday morning for members of the Monett High School Science Olympiad team, who headed to Westminster College in Fulton to compete on the state level today. According to advisor Cara Clark, the MHS Science Olympiad team reformed last year and will be sending a squad to state for the second year in a row. The team qualified in February to advance in regional competition at Missouri State University in Springfield...

Municipal elections followed a trend in the bi-county area on Tuesday, where first-time candidates ran strongly and conventional wisdom frequently led to surprises. Aurora: Voters upended both incumbents on the Aurora city council. Larry Marks, who lost his re-election bid last year, stormed to the top of a five-way field with 266 votes...

The Barry-Lawrence Ambulance District board has voted to revise its rates for standby service for races at the Monett Speedway. Following last year’s tax levy hearing, board members changed the district’s approach to providing standby service at athletic events. ...

A community walk, a new undertaking by the Monett Healthy Schools/Healthy Communities Initiative, will be offered on the last two Saturdays of each month, April through August. The walks will begin at the current location of the Monett Farmer’s Market, next to the South Park tennis courts. ...

Kiwanis members Niki Weber and Rod Anderson labored in the kitchen at the Scott Regional Technology Center to keep up with demand during the club’s annual pancake dinner fundraiser

Write-in votes determined the election in two road districts in Lawrence County while voters picked road district commissioners in other races. In the Pierce Special Road District, write-in votes gave 31 ballots to Jerry Stanphill and four to Rex Land. Receiving two votes each were Tom Green, Rick Washam, Richard Palmer, Jerry Westra and James Landoll. Several others received one vote...

In one of the wildest elections of the year, voters in Verona turned back a mayoral bid by a seasoned city council member for a first-time candidate from the fire department, while a write-in campaign for a city council seat proved the most popular effort of the day...

A master sergeant for the Barry County Sheriff's Office died on Friday in a wreck at 10:49 a.m. on Highway 37 at Farm Road 1060, half a mile south of Washburn. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Sgt. Carl Cosper, 56, of Pineville, was driving his 2016 Ford Explorer southbound on Highway 37 when an eastbound Southwest school district bluebird school bus, being driven by William Reeves, 60, of Seligman, attempted a left turn, causing Cosper's vehicle to strike the bus...