Stories from Saturday, July 7, 2018

Stephen Schwartz's musical "Godspell" will be the summer production of the Monett Artists' Guild, coming to the Monett High School Performing Arts Center next weekend. Performances will be at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 13 and 14, and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 15. Cost is $10 at the door...

John and Joann Hoggett will be celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary this year. They were Married on Dec. 6, 1968, at the United Methodist Church on Marshall Hill in Monett. Rev. Leslie McClanahan is the pastor of the church. John Hoggett is the son of the late Eli and Zelda Hoggett of Monett. Joann Brown-Hoggett is the daughter of late Glenis and Lucille Brown of Monett...

More photos from Wednesday’s event may be found at http://www.monett-times.com/gallery/33124 Cooler weather and a last minute heroic effort made Monett's July 4 celebration a memorable and successful party for the community. Despite additional preparations, the party ultimately hinged on the fireworks show, which came in jeopardy on Tuesday when the A.M. ...

More photos from Wednesday’s event may be found at http://www.monett-times.com/gallery/33124 It was like one of those legendary calls when the star becomes ill and the understudy has to step in at the last minute. Dereck Morrison, Dalton Burton and Zach Blevins, all 2018 Monett High School graduates, started shooting off fireworks as a team when they were age 8. ...

Editor’s note: This is Part 4 of an 11-part series detailing the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office Citizens Academy. Lawrence County Sheriff Brad DeLay spoke to students at the Lawrence County Citizens Academy about how the department operates and some of the practices law enforcement officials undertake...

New Pierce City School Superintendent Kelli Alumbaugh has hit the ground running, tackling a number of ongoing projects on campus and looking for a new home for herself and her husband, Zach. "I did a walk through [of the campus] with Russ Moreland, the architects overseeing the remodel and maintenance workers to review progress made so far," she said. "We are in great shape and moving forward with the master plan."...

The Verona school board voted to boost the base salary of teachers and made additional hires in preparation for the new school year. At the recommendation of Superintendent Tony Simmons, the board raised base pay by $1,000, putting the starting salary for a new teacher at $31,000. Simmons noted other area districts were raising pay by $250 to $500...

To help celebrate the Fourth of July holiday, Hailey Grace Davis, 2 1/2, decorated the yard of her aunt, Cathy Lewis, in rural Pierce City and offered a salute.

The Aurora Historical Society Museum in the depot Chamber office will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 7. The Verona City Council will hold a work session on a wide range of topic at 7 p.m. on July 10 at city hall. The Purdy Special Road District commissioners will meet at 10 a.m. on July 9 at the road district barn at 200 S. Ninth St., east of the ball fields in Purdy...

A special patriotic exhibit and Saturday hours will be offered July 14 at the Lawrence County Historical Society Museum in Mt. Vernon. The museum will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 14, as well as its regular hours 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 15. Admission is free to the family-friendly attraction...

The Missouri Council of Teachers of English has announced the winners of the first MoCTE Collaborative English Language Arts Grant. Amy Sampson, Monett language arts teacher, received the award for her project, “Get Out.” Her initiative is designed to get students outside the four walls of the classroom to learn in real-world environments. ...

The yearly combined luncheon meeting of Missouri Retired Teachers meeting was held at Olive Grill in Aurora on June 14.

Pittsburg State University has released the honor rolls for the 2018 spring semester, and two Monett natives are included. Jacob Fuldner, of Monett, is a junior majoring in automotive service tech, and Vickie Aldridge, of Monett, is a senior majoring in recreation. Both earned All-A Scholastic Honors...

Four bi-county students have been named to the spring Dean's List at Central Methodist University in Fayette. Kelsey Wiseman, an athletic training major, and Cassidy Pachner, an elementary education major, both of Monett, were named to the honor. Also recognized were Shannon Mitchell of Seligman, a middle school science major, and Christopher March of Mt. Vernon, an athletic training major...

Principal Julie Dalton at Purdy Elementary School has announced the honor roll for the fourth quarter of the 2017-2018 school year. Named to the A honor roll were the following students: Third grade — Lizett Aldava, Kylee Arivett, Jacob Clarke, Logan Clow, Eliazar Hernandez, Loyda Juarez, Jackson Lee, Emily Maddocks, Alexa Robles, Cyris Williams, Alexis Craig, Carlos Juarez-Solis, Allison Lopez, Hector Rueda, Jesus Serrano, Andelynn Vineyard, Kimberly Canales, Ryan Farris, Brennan Hawkins, Easton Hughes, Seth Hutchens, Danika Sandoval and Alex Stubblefield.. ...

Each year Monett Check Cashers holds a drawing to award a customer with a private cache of fireworks to enjoy the nation’s birthday.

An Open House will be held in honor Dorothy Badger's 95th birthday will be held on July 15 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Monett Historical Museum Event Center, 418 E. Broadway, with family and friends invited. Dorothy Inez Badger was born on July 23, 1923, in Monett, to Walter and Flora Eubanks. She married Jim Badger on August 15, 1946. It was the first marriage ever performed at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Monett. The couple had one son, Ron Badger, who resides in California...

Last week, the killings of five of our colleagues in Annapolis, Md., hit too close to home. In a small-town newspaper most of us say, “This can’t happen to us” — but it can, and it did. A man with a grudge against the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis shot his way into the office and killed five employees before he was apprehended and arrested...

Fourth of July celebrations are not endangered. People love fireworks, sometimes way too much, it seems, by the sight of some of the big fireworks shot off over the center city of Monett both Tuesday and Wednesday nights. But the idea of getting together for a community activity has become less and less common. ...

Dear Editor: I was saddened to read the article in the June 23-24 paper headlined “Designated Driver hangs up keys” which reported how someone doing good work was penalized rather than rewarded. On Friday and Saturday nights, Mr. Michael Carter accepted phone calls and Facebook messages from those looking to get home safely and offered free rides. ...

While the Monett baseball team might have come up short in the district tournament, they were not shut out from receiving postseason awards. Corey Spain and Brady Wright were named to the Class 4 All-District 12 baseball First Team, and Alejandro Groomer and Jedd Anderson collected Second Team honors for the Cubs...

The most anticipated award that can be presented to any athlete is being named to the All-State list of their respective sport. Athletes, in order to qualify, must be voted First Team in the All-District and All-Region voting in order just to be considered for All-State...

The Jack Henry and Associates Cal Ripken Rookie League baseball team of the 2018 Monett Youth Baseball and Softball League.

The Monett Sheet Metal T-ball team of the 2018 Monett Youth Baseball and Softball League.

Ella A. Kleiboeker, 95, of Pierce City, Mo., passed away on Thursday evening, July 5, 2018, while at Mercy Hospital in Aurora, Mo. Ella was born in Freistatt on August 11, 1922, the daughter of the late Carl and Selma Holle, and lived all of her life in that area. She was a life-long member of Trinity Lutheran Church...

Kay Anne (Gillette) Krueger, 76, was born on June 25, 1942, and entered into rest on July 3, 2018. She grew up in Monett,and attended Burge School of Nursing in Springfield, where she received her bachelors of science in nursing and became a registered nurse...

Cora Lee Eiskina, 85, of Monett, formerly of Pierce City, died Friday, June 29, at Lacoba Nursing Home in Monett. Her wishes were to be cremated with burial at a later date. Arrangements are under the personal care and direction of Buchanan Funeral Home, Monett...

Michael Mason Mitchell, 32, of Miller, died Saturday, June 30, at the Mercy Hospital in Springfield. A memorial service was held Thursday, July 5, at the Living Water Fellowship Church in Mt. Vernon. Burial will be held at a later date at the Miller Memorial Gardens Cemetery...

Eddie Harold Seitz, 66, of Mt. Vernon, died Monday, July 2, at the Mercy Hospital in Springfield. A graveside service was held Thursday, July 5, at the Salem Cemetery, northwest of Mt. Vernon, under the direction of Fossett Mosher Funeral Home, Mt. Vernon...

Billy Wayne Taylor, 86, of Miller, died Sunday, July 1, at his home. A funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 8, at the Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon. Burial will follow at the Misemer Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 2-3:00 p.m. on Sunday, in the funeral home chapel...

Glenna Eileen Willhite, 79, of Cassville, died Sunday, July 1. Funeral services were held Friday, July 6, at Ridgley Baptist Church in Ridgley, under direction of McQueen Funeral Home in Wheaton. Burial was at Leann Cemetery in Leann.