Stories from Wednesday, June 20, 2018

The annual ice cream social at the Waldensian Presbyterian Church will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 28. The event, one of the highlights of the summer, will be held on the grounds of the church on Waldensian Road, a mile and a half south of Monett. The menu will include homemade ice cream, pies and cakes, pimento cheese sandwiches, ham salad sanwiches, Sloppy Joe's, potato chips and beverages...

An Aurora teenager charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Samantha Hill, of Aurora, by an Aurora police officer on May 5, appeared before Lawrence County Associate Circuit Judge Robert E. George on Friday for a bond hearing. Farris, wanted for a probation violation, was taken into custody by officers following an attempt to arrest him. ...

Members of the Pierce City school board have a busy evening ahead of them tonight, wading through a fistful of applications to fill the position of district superintendent, replacing Russ Moreland, who, for the second time, has served in that capacity since 2013...

Voters in and around Freistatt on Nov. 6 will vote on whether or not to convert from a membership-based fire protection service to a tax-supported fire district. Fire Chief Art Mattlage described the plan for the Freistatt Village Board of Trustees last week...

Agreements have been signed and pipe has been hauled to the work zone for construction of the sewer pipeline from Purdy to Monett. Prior to the pre-construction conference with Rosetta Construction last week, Purdy City Council members approved and signed required documents...

The Freistatt Village Board of Trustees presented its 2016 Community Service Award to electrician Mike Harmon at the board's June meeting, bringing the board up to date on its recognitions. Harmon, who has been the electrician of choice for years to who city officials go with all questions about electrical service, received a plaque naming himself and his business, Harmon Electric, "for outstanding community service." The plaque further commended him for "generous efforts to help the Village of Freistatt with electrical maintenance illustrates your loyalty and support to the Freistatt community.". ...

Activity at the Monett Regional Airport for the first five months of 2018 for daytime weekday flights has hit a five-year low, though local business activity is close to an average for the period and fuel sales reflect very little change from last year’s pace...

A mild winter with little snow to push offered no breaks for the Verona Benefit Special Road District leaders. In one of the largest road districts in the bi-county area with 70 miles of rural roads to maintain, the Verona commissioners and crews found themselves facing an exceptionally large crop of potholes, leaving prospects for other improvements for the year in doubt...

Jerry Cox, a member of Henderson Baptist Church located north of Rogersville, assisted several Barry County Youth Camp attendees with building birdhouses during their week of camp at Roaring River State Park, while camp counselors observed their progress...

Edgewood Creamery, north of Purdy, held its annual Farm Day on Saturday. Owner Charles Fletcher offered tractor-pulled tours through the farm, showing off the facilities and the herd.

Summer school offers opportunities for learning in fun ways.

The Monett City Council will meet at 9:30 a.m. today at Monett City Hall. A Celebrate Monett commemoration of the city and school district’s participation in the Healthy Schools/Healthy Communities grant will be held from 8:30 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 23 at the Jerry D. Hall Memorial Pavilion in the Glen nd Sharon Garrett Park on Front Street. A light breakfast will be provided. Activities will include a scavenger hunt, Zumba on the grass and goody bags for the first 100 visitors...

Cox Monett Hospital has been recognized as one of the nation’s top 150 Best Places to Work in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare magazine. This is the first year Cox Monett applied and made the list. Cox Monett is the only critical access hospital in Missouri selected for this award, and one of only two hospitals in Missouri to be named to this prestigious list...

While the varsity season may be over, the postseason award train is steadily moving forward for spring sport athletes. In the Class 1, District 6 tournament, Wheaton’s Klay Reed, Verona’s Kolton Pinkly and Caleb Hillhouse, and Exeter’s Jared Alverson, Ethan Caddell and Trevor Nelson led the area charge...

It is no secret that usually the longer a team can keep a coaching staff together, the better off a program will be in the long run. However, no matter what level of sports a person follows, there will always be coaching turnover. Some coaches leave for better opportunities, others to be closer to family, but whatever affairs necessitate change, there is always turnover...

The International Dehydrated Foods (IDF) Cal Ripken Rookie League baseball team of the 2018 Monett Youth Baseball and Softball League.

The Four States Dental Cal Ripken Minor League baseball team of the 2018 Monett Youth Baseball and Softball League.

Doyal Alvin Patterson, 90, of Marionville, died Friday, June 15, at his home. A graveside service, under the direction of the Williams Funeral Home in Marionville was held June 19, at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Springfield.

Jerry D. Mason, 73, of Rocky Comfort, died Sunday, June 17. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, June 25, at McQueen Funeral Home in Wheaton. Burial will be at King Cemetery in Seligman. Visitation will be held from 9-10 a.m. Monday, at McQueen Funeral Home in Wheaton...

Gene Ann “Jeannie” Decker, 68, of Monett, died Friday, June 15, at Cox Monett Hospital. Memorial services are pending and will be released upon completion. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Bennett-Wormington Funeral Home in Monett...