Stories from Saturday, May 26, 2018

The Monett school board has accepted the resignation of one teacher and hired eight to fill open positions. Nikki Owens resigned from his position as communication arts teacher at the high school. Hires include: • Jennifer Grant as an elementary special education teacher. Grant has three years of teaching experience and comes to Monett from the Shell Knob school district...

Candidates for the Monett school district superintendent position have been narrowed from 22 to five following the Monett school board’s review of applicants on Wednesday. Darren Bass, board president, called the field of candidates “amazing,” including 16 sitting superintendents. Most, he said, came from within Missouri, but others applied from more distant locations...

The Monett City Council has made changes to its application for a flood buy-out grant and approved several other land-related deals. City Administrator Dennis Pyle reported the federal and state emergency management agencies (FEMA and SEMA) reviewed the city’s application for buying out flood-prone properties in the city. ...

Monett High School students had an opportunity to explore world history through a Skype discussion with a recognized historian during a session in the final week of classes. English teacher Amy Sampson, who teaches Holocaust studies as part of her curriculum, hosted author Peter Ross Range on Tuesday. Sampson opened her class to interested colleagues, students and the class taught by teacher Kristy Berger, who uses Holocaust studies as part of her fifth- and sixth-grade writing class...

Monett High School students spread throughout Monett on Wednesday for the eighth annual Community Service Day, giving back to their community through a variety of efforts

Chip and seal work on five miles of rural Monett roads began this week as the Monett Special Road District deployed a new strategy to tackle maintenance issues in 2018. Bruce Washeck, board chairman, reported the district found itself in an unusual position, facing a significant unplanned expense that forced a reassessment of this year's road projects. ...

Plans are complete for the Barry-Lawrence Regional Library's Summer Reading Club, due to begin on May 30 at some branches and on June 5 at others. Special programs have been planned for each branch, a number of which will travel. "Libraries Rock" is the theme...

St. Mary's 31st Old Fashioned Picnic will kick off with a full day of activities, beginning with the 8:30 a.m. Mass at the church, located at 300 Front St. in Pierce City. Festivities will begin with a chicken or beef dinner served from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages six to 12. Children under the age of 6 eat free with an adult purchase...

A Florida man was killed in a collision between a tractor trailer and a pickup truck on Interstate 44, five miles east of Mt. Vernon on Thursday. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Mark Cunningham, 56, of Bushnell, Florida, was driving east on I-44 at 10:17 p.m. ...

An adult and two juveniles refused transport by ambulance for care after their pickup truck went out of control and rolled over on Highway H by Vaughn Trailer Park, approximately one mile north of Monett, shortly before 12:30 p.m. on Thursday.

The Monett Ministerial Association hosted a going away luncheon for Father Hank Grodecki, pastor at St. Lawrence Catholic Church, this week.

The new mural on the west wall of the Fifth and Broadway parking lot,, commissioned by Monett Main Street, has begun taking shape as muralist Raine Clotfelter finishes his second week of work.

As part of the bell ringing ritual, faculty members moving to another campus position rang the bell, also signifying the end of their service at Monett Elementary.

A Memorial Day Weekend commemoration service will be held at 11 a.m. today, May 26, at the Veteran’s Memorial Park at Maple Park Cemetery in Aurora. A rifle salute will be provided by VFW Post No. 4207. Monett’s Farmer’s Market is open today from 8 a.m. to noon at the Glen and Sharon Garrett Park on Front Street...

The Monett Lions Club, as part of its ongoing mission in vision and sight preservation, continued its efforts in identification of sight impairment issues by hearing a presentation by Katherine Patterson-Paronto, executive director of KidSight. Patterson-Paronto explained that KidSight performs thousands of vision screenings of Missouri students each year. ...

Four Monett High School National Honor Society students recently joined Master Naturalist Karen Richardson in planting over 300 native wildflowers on the southwest corner of Fifth and Broadway, across from the Monett Museum.

Entertainment for the Lions steak dinner was provided by the Monett High School Jazz Band, under the direction of Philip Soule, center right. Lions President Tom Wormington is at front left.

Larry and Sammye (Davis) Beck will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 2, at Generations Free Will Baptist Church, 2301 Connecticut in Joplin...

Stanley and Elaine Terry will celebrate 60 years of marriage next week. They were married on May 30, 1958 in a double wedding with cousins at Arnhart Baptist Church at East Purdy. The Terrys have one child, Sandy Guyer, and her husband, Curt, and one granddaughter, Tiffany Haynes, and her husband, Christopher. They also have four great-grandchildren: Rowen, Liam, Ezra and Finley Haynes. Cards would be welcomed and may be sent to 11317 Highway C, Monett MO 65708...

Nearly halfway into the year, Mt. Vernon Community Theatre has announced its 2018 schedule of productions. “It took us a while to narrow down our choices,” said David Kloppenborg, MVCT vice president. “But when it came together, we actually ended up with a plan for the next few years. It’s going to be really exciting.”...

The Monett school district took time to honor its athletes at the annual all-sports banquet. Each respective sport was recognized for its achievements and the four-year participants were recognized. Additionally, Cub Award Winners for each sports were named along with the top Male and Female Athletes of the Year and four-year participant winners...

St. Louis native Mark Schupp is a goal oriented individual. In 2014, he made a lofty goal and on Wednesday, he will be one step closer to completing his task. Schupp set his sights on playing every golf course in the state of Missouri and will be in Monett on Wednesday, May 30, playing Windmill Ridge Golf Course...

Members of the Monett volleyball team recently volunteered to pick up trash on Highway 60 inside the Monett city limits.

Controversy erupted this week over Monett Main Street’s mural being painted by Raine Clotfelter at the new Fifth Street parking lot, as Viga Hall gave us all a history lesson into Monett’s past. The problem is the choice of the diesel locomotive No. ...

Lydia Ann Dayton, 55, of Independence, passed away Monday, May 14, at Truman Medical Center. Lydia was born May 29, 1962, in Monett, to John and June (Carr) Fritz. She grew up and graduated from Monett High School in 1980 and later received a bachelor in science degree. She had worked for over 30 years at the Lake City Ammunition Plant until she retired in 2014. She enjoyed gardening and spending time with family. She was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Freistatt...

Danny D. Booton, 72, of Lampe, died Friday, May 4, 2018. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 29, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Shell Knob, under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Shell Knob. Burial with military honors will be at Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Springfield...

Carolyn Sue Rayburn Bowers, 52, of Exeter, died Wednesday, May 2. Services will be held at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, May 26, at Exeter Park in Exeter. Burial will be at Fields Cemetery in Shell Knob. Cremation arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville...

Betty Estelle Breckenridge, 68, of Aurora, died Sunday, May 20, at her home. No services are planned at this time. Arrangements are under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora.

Donna Kay (Matthews) Cheek, 79, of Cassville, died Wednesday, May 23. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 29, at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville. Burial will be at Ozark Prairie Cemetery in Mt. Vernon. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Monday, at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville...

Charles Edward “Eddie” Hadley, 52, of Cassville, died Friday, May 18. Services are pending. Cremation arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.

Dale Cledis Shepard, 65, of Golden, died Tuesday, May 22. Graveside services were held at 3 p.m. Friday, May 25, at Mars Hill Cemetery in Scholten, under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.