Stories from Saturday, June 17, 2017

This is a personal point of view. Whether you agree does not change my conviction. Webster’s New International Dictionary defines “pornography” as something that is “obscene,” and it defines “obscene” as something that is “offensive to taste; disgusting.” Sexual content is inferred in other definitions but not required for application of the term...

It’s not often a small-town state lawmaker gets regional, national and even international attention, but that’s exactly what was handed to State Rep. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, this week after he posted a video of himself processing one of the 50 chickens on his farm’s Monday morning agenda...

The Ozark 7 Conference has named its top softball players in the annual all-conference voting. Purdy, the runner-up in the spring state title game, was tops in securing seven spots, including Hallie Henderson as the Player of the Year. First Team honors went to Rion Boyd, Devyn Callahan, Casey Ellison and Sami House...

Remember when you were younger and people asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The usual response to that question is almost still routine today in firefighter, police officer, doctor or professional athlete. The question’s purpose serves as an ice breaker for many public speakers, but also is designed to trigger the dreams and imaginations of those in the audience...

Ellen Jackson of Miller qualified for the Dean's List at Iowa State University in Ames. Jackson, a four-year student, majored in agricultural engineering. Students qualifying for the Dean's List earned a grade point average of at least 3.5 out of a 4.0 scale...

Steh Thompson, from Cassville, received a master of business administration degree from William Woods University in Fulton at the conclusion of the spring semester. At its 147th commencement ceremonies, the university conferred 840 degrees, including 243 to undergraduates and 597 to graduate students...

Academic honors and graduates from Truman State University have been announced for the Spring 2017 semester. Students named to the President's List had to complete the semester with a grade point average of 4.0 with at least 12 semester hours of credit...

Monett High School underclassmen received honors for academic achievement at the close of the school year. April Smith named her top students in English I: Kaesha George, Jonathan Hughes, Abigail Patton, Amy Tsai and Black Wright. Chelsea Wright named her top English 1 students: Ashlie Gaches, Janeth Quinones, Jacob Balmas, Xavier Carlill, Ashley Kurima, Aveline McEntire, Amberlyn Schmidly, Stacy Hurtado, Monica Reveles, Joey Semerad, Rebecca Clark, Susy Salas, Logan Umfleet, Sara Drewianka, Kassie McAllister, Arijan Miftari, China Saturley, Julissa Cruz and Christopher Simmons.. ...

The 48th annual Bailey-Funk reunion gathered 49 family members and friends on June 11 at the Monett City Park Casino. Gathering began at noon to socialize, followed by a basket dinner at 1 p.m. Those in attendance gathered in a circle, held hands and told of their relationship to Charles and Little Funk Bailey. Pictures were taken of each family...

The Compassus hospice program serving Branson and Monett was ranked among the company’s top three programs at an awards ceremony during a Compassus National Leadership Meeting in Nashville, Tenn. The program, known as Tri-Lakes, outperformed more than 93 other Compassus programs throughout the U.S. in six Pillars of Success evaluation categories that include regulatory compliance, colleagues and culture, quality care, service excellence, expanding access to services and fiscal responsibility...

The Edgewood Creamery and Dairy, north of Purdy, will host Farm Day on Saturday, June 17. Live music and farm tours will be available. The Monett Municipal Swimming Pool is open for the season from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday through Friday and 1 to 8 p.m. on Saturdays...

A hydraulic paper cutter weighing two tons, once a key piece of equipment for the Monett Printing Company, a division of The Monett Times, left Monett on Tuesday for a new home in the printing plant for Rust Communications, the parent company for The Monett Times, in Cape Girardeau...

Young visitors to the Monett Branch of the Barry-Lawrence Regional Library on Friday had the opportunity to express their creativity through painting, under the direction of Cheryl Willis, of Monett.

Kindergarten students from Central Elementary School in Pierce City sang happy birthday to Geneva Brown.

For Summer School in Monett each year, School Resource Officer Jay Jastal presents a program on gun safety at Monett Elementary School.

The Monett City Council will advance the new aquatic center and hear public comment about proposed changes in regulations for parking limitations downtown noise violations during its meeting at 9:30 a.m. on June 20 at Monett City Hall. Council members plan to introduce an ordinance that will execute a sublease for land to be used for the new aquatic center, located on the north side of the Monett Area YMCA. The other party in the sublease will be the Ozarks Regional YMCA...

A 24-year-old Monett man has died in a single vehicle crash on Thursday night at Highway 60 and Eisenhower in Monett. According to Monett Police, around 10:40 p.m., Brandon Werther, of Monett, was driving east on Highway 60 in a 2002 Dodge Caravan SUV when he approached the intersection with Eisenhower around 10:40 p.m. Werther’s vehicle apparently veered onto the south shoulder and struck the concrete base of the traffic signal on the southwest corner of the intersection...

The Monett Historical Society is seeking sponsors to enlarge historic photos of Monett for display in the Events Center.

Monett Police are warning residents to be wary of callers claiming to represent the Social Security Administration in light of an apparent scam attempted on a Monett senior citizen this week. A Monett senior reported that she received a call from a person claiming to be from the Social Security Administration. ...

Modular scheduling at Monett High School will undergo major changes heading into its fourth year this fall, improvements that Principal David Williams sees as key to preserving and expanding the innovative practice. Modular scheduling, unlike traditional block scheduling, is similar to college routines in that students do not have the same number of classes each day. ...

Fans of ragtime music experienced one of the most satisfying incarnations of the Scott Joplin International Ragtime Festival during the first week in June in Sedalia, seeing new features contributing to understanding the music, embracing a revival of past favorite features, and hearing an unprecedented amount of Joplin's music over the course of the four-day event. Even the weather cooperated...