Stories from Saturday, May 12, 2018

Michelle Hurley, 47, of Cassville, died Sunday, May 6. A celebration of life will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 12, at the Roaring River Arm, under the bridge in Eagle Rock. Cremation arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville...

LaVone Sue George, 76, of Monett, Mo., passed away from this life peacefully on her birthday Thursday, evening, May 10, 2018, in the comfort of her home. LaVone was born on May 10, 1942, in Kenwood, Mo., daughter of the late Virgil and Zelma (Richards) Shepard...

George Harmon Williams Jr., passed away Tuesday, May 8. Beloved husband of Marilyn Williams (nee Carey); dearest father of Peggy Ann (the late Gary) Taets and Susan (Bryan) Pape; dear grandfather of Carrie (Bill) Northcott, Kimberly (David) Hexter, Carly Cochran and Tony (Elisha) Pape; great-grandfather of Ethan and Justin Northcott, Jackson DeLuca Hexter, Bennett and Callen Hexter and Miles Cochran; brother of Sarah Halsey and Helen Harbolt and the late Lavern Williams; brother-in-law of Claude Carey, Margaret Calton and the late Gary Carey and Marjorie Hinkle; our dear brother-in-law, uncle, great-uncle and friend.. ...

What a great gift First State Bank of Purdy gave to Monett last week with the inaugural First on Front concert. Those who gathered on Front Street on May 4 found a comfortable space to enjoy outstanding entertainment. The opening of the park and pavilion comes as spring blossoms around us, with manifestations of renewal everywhere, from the lawns below to the hummingbirds above. ...

The Monett Kiwanis Club is inviting the public to a special program on Tuesday, May 29, at the Monett Area YMCA with Missouri State University basketball coach Dana Ford speaking. The event is slated to begin at 7 p.m.

The Monett eighth-grade girls track team.

For five innings, the Purdy softball game plan had worked to perfection in the Class 1 quarterfinal at Liberal. The Lady Eagles (20-5) owned a 2-0 lead thanks to two solo home runs by senior Casey Ellison, and pitcher Hallie Henderson, who had been stellar on the mound. Henderson allowed just four base runners and three walks, two of those being intentional and a runner reached on a fielder’s choice. Coupled with 10 strikeouts, the Lady Eagles were cruising...

With the regular season officially concluded for the Monett track team, all attention and efforts are now focused on the district meet, which began at 11 a.m. today in Carl Junction. This season has been one where records have had to be written in pencil for this team because they are being set and reset before ink has a chance to dry...

The Monett boys track team headed into today’s district track meet at Carl Junction on the heels of a second-place finish at their conference meet on Monday. That boost is just what the Cubs needed as they look to take the program to the next level...

The Verona Title 1 preschool held its graduation ceremony on Monday with 20 students being recognized for their achievement and completing the course.

Monett High School band and choir members received a tunnel send-off on April 25 to head to solo competition at the state level in Columbia.

Skylar Caldwell, a junior at the University of Arkansas and son of former Monettan Melinda Caldwell, grandson of Kenneth C. Caldwell of Monett, was a finalist for the 2018 Harry S Truman Scholarship. Caldwell is an honors international studies and political science major in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences...

Leading up to graduation ceremonies on Wednesday, the three eighth graders in the class at Trinity Lutheran School in Freistatt put the finishing touches on their banner, which hung in the school gym for the big event.

Nine Purdy High School vocalists recently lent their talents to the annual State Vocal Solo and Small Ensemble competition in Columbia, bringing home one silver and two bronze awards for solos and a bronze award for the Freshman/Sophomore Ensemble.

The Wheaton FFA Chapter won the dairy foods career development event at the 90th Missouri FFA Convention. There were 45 teams in the competition. Team members include: Lina Hang, Calista Burns, Ariana Williams and McAla McManus. Individually, Hang placed first; Burns, seventh; Williams, ninth; and McManus, 11th out of 175 students...

Monett High School graduates capped their practice for Friday’s night’s graduation by wearing their caps and gowns to the elementary schools for a rousing reception.

Monett Main Street and the Monett Chamber of Commerce cut the ribbon May 4 dedicating the Jerry D. Hall Memorial Pavilion in the Glen and Sharon Garrett Park on Front Street in Monett.

The construction technology class at the Scott Regional Technology Center will not see its two-year house project moved until sometime this summer.

Monett-based Jack Henry and Associates (JHA) announced its financial performance for the third quarter of its 2017-2018 fiscal year, with a 9 percent increase in operating income. Revenue for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, increased to $384.7 million, a 9 percent improvement over the third quarter of fiscal 2017. Operating income increased to $96.3 million or 6 percent and net income increased 61 percent...

A total of 46 scholarships from the Monett community were awarded to seniors in the Class of 2018 at Monett High School during the annual Senior Honors Program, held Monday in the school’s performing arts center. The scholarships represent support from civic groups and memorials recognizing outstanding achievement or personal need by worthy recipients. Students had to complete an application process for consideration...

Students in the preschool run by the child care technology students at the Scott Regional Technology Center donned caps and sunglasses to sing “Let’s Shout,” one of four musical numbers for their graduation ceremony at the school on Wednesday

The Lawrence County Board for the Developmentally Disabled met in April to review grant applications and award $53,400 in funding. Lynda Painter, representing the Barry Lawrence County Development Center, requested and received $15,000 for a 20 percent local match to purchase a new bus and extra seats for transporting clients...

Commencement exercises for the 45 members of the Class of 2018 at Purdy High School will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday in the high school gym. Valedictorian will be Layne Skiles, daughter of Bill and Sarah Skiles. Salutatorian will be Emily Webb, daughter of Jason and Cheryl Webb. Both will speak during the ceremony...

For municipal public works operators, good news came from the representatives of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) at the annual water and wastewater conference for Missouri’s Southwest Section this week that no new regulations have come down through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that will seriously impact water and wastewater operations in general...

Berean Christian Academy graduated seven seniors in its Class of 2018 on Thursday, the second class to have members who spent 12 years at the school. In her address, Valedictorian Abi Hoenshell thanked her family members for supporting her. She recalled that she had not known what she wanted to do with her life until she walked into teacher Susan Hall's classroom. Then, she said, she knew she wanted to be an elementary teacher...

Monett High School’s biggest class to date, the first class to have experienced modular scheduling for all four years, graduates on Friday with a distinctive personality. According to Kara Tinklepaugh, counselor, the graduating class could be described as “driven, well rounded, down to earth, a relaxed group, a diverse group very accepting of each other.”...

A total of 58 Pierce City High School seniors will end their high school careers with commencement ceremonies taking place at 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 20, in the high school gymnasium. The valedictorian for the Class of 2018 is Ragan Blinzler. She is the daughter of Mike and Marty Blinzler. She plans to attend University of Missouri, majoring in elementary and secondary education...

A Cassville woman died Friday in a wreck at 9:43 a.m. on Highway 60, two miles west of Monett. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Jimmie Davidson, 79, of Cassville, was driving a 2006 Chevrolet HHR southbound when her vehicle failed to stop at a stop sign and was struck in the side by a westbound 1989 Chevrolet pickup, being driven by Perry Cantrell, 80, of Springfield...

An Aurora teenager has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Samantha Hill, 21, of Aurora, by an Aurora police officer on May 5. Mason Farris, wanted for a probation violation, was taken into custody by officers following an attempt to arrest him. ...

The Monett Middle School choir will offer its spring concert at 6 p.m. on May 15 in the MHS Performing Arts Center. The Freistatt Village Board of Trustees has moved its next meeting to 7 p.m. on May 15 in the community center. The Missouri School Boards’ Association Superintendent Search Services will conduct a community forum to gather information and listen to your input as they assist the Board of Education in finding the “right fit” for the district’s next leader at 7 p.m. ...