Stories from Saturday, July 29, 2017

Monett police have requested help from the public tracking a rash of graffiti incidents that appear to have taken place Tuesday night. Sgt. Dennis Camp asks residents in the center city, from Broadway to Cleveland and Central to 13th Street, to check their out buildings for possible graffiti, especially on the alley side...

The Monett City Council has proposed to extend the pay period for the Hispanic church purchasing the former National Guard armory and city recreation center at 201 Euclid Ave. City Administrator Dennis Pyle reported the Palabras De Vida Eterna Free Will Baptist Church has faithfully made payments on the building since winning the bid in 2013. ...

Monett Police hired Daniel McCabe in July to fill a vacancy in the department ranks. A recent graduate of the law enforcement academy at Drury University, McCabe, 25, is a native of Pleasant Hope and spent the last six years in Florida. About a year ago he decided to explore a career in law enforcement...

Fifteen new teachers will instruct students in upper grades this coming school year in Monett.

Concerns have been raised over interpretation of a letter sent to families in the Monett school district over changes in the school meal policy for the coming year. A letter dated July 17 went to all parents explaining that the school board had approved a lunch charge policy, which it does annually. The letter went out with application forms for the free and reduced lunch program, sent to every family...

The 18th annual benefit concert to support the Kings Prairie Community Center, an outdoor highlight of the summer featuring gospel, bluegrass and old-time music, will be held on Saturday, Aug. 12 at the historic Kings Prairie school, west of Highway Z on Farm Road 2015, southeast of Monett...

The Monett school district welcomed its 26 new certified teachers for the coming school year at a breakfast Tuesday, hosted by the Monett Chamber of Commerce and held at the Scott Regional Technology Center. School Superintendent Brad Hanson, at right, was among the speakers who described the community slogan of “Pride and Progress” and the value placed in moving forward. ...

A bevy of costumed children descended on Monett businesses on Wednesday as part of the Monett Area YMCA’s Summer Camp.

Pam Waltrip, director of food service for Opaa for the Verona R-7 School District, has been inducted into the President’s Circle at the Opaa annual leadership conference in St. Charles.

The Mt. Vernon Community Theatre will present Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at 7 p.m. on July 29 and 3 p.m. on July 30 at the Monett High School Performing Arts Center. For information, people may call 417-316-9526...

The Monett Cubs Athletic Booster Club has begun its annual “Catch the Spirit“ membership drive. The membership drive kicks off in earnest on Saturday, Aug. 5 at the annual Monett Fall Sports Pride Night with the booster club tailgate party at 5:30 p.m. at Burl Fowler Stadium...

Kenneth Edwin Campbell, 89, of Derby, Kan., died Wednesday, July 26. A funeral service under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora was held Friday, July 28 at the First Presbyterian Church of Aurora. Burial followed at the Maple Park Cemetery...

Royle Lee Carnes, 81, passed away in Rogers, Ark., on July 26, 2017. He was born in his home on Feb. 15, 1936, in Garfield, Ark., to Cloe and Inez (Morgan) Carnes. He was a farmer and owner of Empire Seed Plant. He lived in Tulsa, Okla., and worked at Glen Cliff and Hawks Dairy and drove a Howdy Dowdy ice cream truck. ...