Stories from Tuesday, May 2, 2017

After a week of intermittent showers, downtown Monett experienced its seventh April flood on record Saturday, an event that ran for approximately four hours that left clean-up of debris and mud continuing into the new week. Heading into Saturday morning, Kelly Creek ran at the 3-foot level and continued there for most of the morning. ...

Tthe Monett High School National Honor Society Chapter, in conjunction with the annual Monett Repurposed Faire in August, will launch “Monett Rocks!” a community awareness and promotional activity promoting involvement by city residents. “We have painted 100 rocks and will be placing them all around the community to encourage people to repurpose the rocks they find and make them part of an ongoing community event,” said Susie Kinlock, NHS chapter sponsor. ...

The first graduation ceremony of area high schools will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday at Verona High School. There are 26 graduates in the Class of 2017. The valedictorian will be Rhiannon Evans and the salutatorian will be Noel French. Commencement exercises will take place at 7 p.m. on May 5 in the high school gym. Brad Stewart, coach and physical education teacher, will be the guest faculty speaker...

A Fairview man was injured Thursday in a hit-and-run wreck at 1:10 p.m. on Route B, two miles west of Purdy. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Larry Brown, 74, of Fairview, was driving a 1994 Toyota pickup westbound when an unknown, white-colored vehicle crossed the center line and struck his pickup in the driver’s side. Brown’s vehicle traveled off the left side of the roadway, and the unknown vehicle left the scene, continuing eastbound on Route B...

May is a month a celebration for high school students as seniors march to graduation.

Dr. Sridevi Pitta, cardiologist with Ferrell-Duncan Clinic, will begin seeing patients monthly at the Cox Monett Visiting Physicians Clinic, 815 N. Lincoln Ave. Her first day at the clinic will be on Tuesday, April 11. Dr. Pitta is board certified in cardiology, endovascular medicine, interventional cardiology and nuclear cardiology. ...

CRIMINAL The following defendants plead guilty or were found guilty of the charge listed. An Alford Plea does not admit guilt but indicates defendant believes there is enough evidence for a conviction, SES is Suspended Execution of Sentence, SIS is Suspended Imposition of Sentence, ITC is Intensive Treatment Center, SATOP is Substance Abuse Traffic Offenders Program, CVCF is Crime Victim’s Compensation Fund, and LERF is Law Enforcement Restitution Fund. ...

It has been said that offense wins games, but defense wins championships. The Monett baseball team is hoping the adage continues to ring true for the remainder of the season. The Cubs entered this week 16-2 with four games on the schedule: Bolivar on Monday, Cassville today and a double-header with Reeds Spring and Webb City on Saturday...

There is no hiding it now. The Pierce City baseball team is drawing state attention with the release of the latest Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association poll. The semi-monthly poll two weeks ago had the Eagles receiving votes, but not cracking the top 10. This week’s poll shows Pierce City jumped to No. 6, the biggest movement of any team listed...

Helen M. (Mahurin) Witt, 88, of Monett, Mo., left this world peacefully on Sunday evening, April 30, 2017, while at Cox Monett Hospital. Helen was born on May 17, 1928, to Benjamin A. and Mabel S. (Lombard) Marhurin. She graduated from Monett High School with the class of 1946, where, during her senior year and following, she worked for Modern Variety. ...

Larry Monroe Kelley, 63, of Springfield, died Friday, April 28 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, May 21, at 2:00 p.m. at the Graceway Baptist Church in Springfield. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Bennett-Wormington Funeral Home in Monett...

Xia Xiong Yang, 90, of Exeter, died Monday, April 24. Services will be held from Saturday, May 20, through Monday, May 22, at McQueen Funeral Home in Wheaton. Burial will be at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Congregation Cemetery at Sheboygan, Wis.