Stories from Saturday, July 28, 2018

After mulling the decision for the last few years, Monett Athletic Director Daryl Bradley and Assistant Sports Director Michael Calhoun made an official presentation and requested to the Monett School Board add middle school softball and baseball to its sports offerings...

For the second consecutive time, State Rep Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, is facing a primary challenge from a female first-time candidate. Karen Echols of Verona has been campaigning door to door for three weeks heading into the Aug. 7 primary. She reported she has found support for her “bring back common sense” campaign, challenging Moon for positions he has taken that have placed him in the media limelight...

Monett school board members made additional preparations for the coming school year, including staff adjustments. Superintendent Russ Moreland reported Monett Police Officer Juan Salazar has been hired as the second school resource officer, working with Jay Jastal. ...

The Monett Police Department is moving forward with plans to expand camera coverage inside the city, thanks to additional connections installed during the past month. Skip Schaller, utilities superintendent, reported electric crews have been working on installing wiring and additional cameras at the request of the police department. Police Chief George Daoud confirmed the additions and noted cameras are widely in use at the present time...

Families in the Verona school district will have expanded access to healthcare through the telemedicine program offered through CoxHealth Systems in the coming school year. School Superintendent Tony Simmons told school board members Verona is partnering with the Aurora school district to join the telemedicine link. The Monett school district joined a pilot program with five other districts in 2017, thanks to a pilot program funded by a grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health...

Monett city employees have been active in a wide range of projects over the past month. Police Chief George Daoud reported the Fourth of July celebration and the three First on Front concerts held by First State Bank of Purdy at the new downtown park had provided “good family atmosphere” and ran smoothly. ...

Many have heard the old adage, “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time,” and the staff at the Lawrence County Jail in Mt. Vernon have implemented a few measures to discourage return visits from former inmates. “Last year, we spent $400,000 housing names outside of our county jail,” said Lt. Doug Bounous, jail administrator. “And while we did build a bigger jail [in 1986]. It’s like the movie, Field of Dreams, ‘If you build it, they will come.’”...

Students going to the Verona school district will pay more for school lunches next school year. At the Verona school board’s July meeting, Superintendent Tony Simmons announced the price of lunch will rise by 5 cents in accordance with program rules that state districts must attempt to break even in their food service programs each year, but limits the increases available to 10 cents...

Dara Wormington, 3, was all about the ice cream at the annual annual Stones Prairie Picnic, hosted adjacent to St. John’s Lutheran Church, located northwest of Purdy.

Minor injuries resulted from a northbound motorists who lost control of a vehicle around 10:40 a.m. on Wednesday on Farm Road 1110, east of Monett.

Pictured is the full cast from the Rebel’s bluff Troupe production of “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” running this weekend at the MARC in Mt. Vernon, with four Monettans in the cast.

Ground breaking ceremonies were held July 12 at Crosslines in Monett.

The Rebel’s Bluff Troupe in Mt. Vernon will present its summer musical, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” at 7 p.m. today, July 28, and 3 p.m. July 29, at the Mt. Vernon Arts and Recreation Center, 822 W. Mt. Vernon Blvd. Stephanie Schumacher, Sarah Gripka, Tyler Preston and Bailey Preston of Monett are part of the cast. For additional information, people may call Kerry Green at 417-833-7130...

Part of the job of a small town sports editor is to be sociable — or at least that is what I tell myself. As a matter of fact, I enjoy working in a community that supports and follows its local sports teams. The added bonus has been that those sports teams have had tremendous success on the field and they have the state hardware to prove that to be true...

The Bruner’s Pharmacy T-ball team of the 2018 Monett Youth Baseball and Softball League.

The Answered Pest Management T-ball team of the 2018 Monett Youth Baseball and Softball League.

Monett’s city workers have been a beehive of activity in the past few weeks. You don’t have to drive far around town to find utility workers digging, or street department crews working on chip and seal surfacing, or contracted workers pushing dirt on Enterprise Drive or the MoDOT hired crew rearranging the Highway 37 and 60 intersection. The new turning lane went into service this week and is already making long waits for southbound traffic disappear...

Jerry “Dave” Gatewood Jr., 55, Purdy, died on Monday, July 23, 2018 at Cox South Hospital in Springfield. He was born on January 14, 1963 in Nevada, Mo., the son of the late Jerry David Gatewood Sr and Regina Ann Wyrick. He was employed by the City of Purdy...

Velma K. Robbins, 82, of Aurora passed away Wednesday, July 25, 2018, in her home. She was born to Elmer and Georgia Mitchell Roach on Jan. 5, 1936, in Chesapeake. She was a homemaker. Survivors include one son, Jerald Robbins and wife, Linda of Monett; one daughter, Janie Cochran of Marionville; six grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren...

Virginia Sarah Boykin, 69, of Aurora, died Tuesday, July 24. A graveside service, under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home, in Aurora, will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, at the Maple Park Cemetery in Aurora.

MaryAnn Theresa Criqui, 84, of Cassville, died Saturday, July 21. Private burial was held Wednesday, July 25, at the Fayetteville National Cemetery in Fayetteville, Ark. A celebration of life for family and friends will be held at a later date. Service arrangements were under the direction of the White Funeral Home and Crematory, Cassville...

Peggy Gorton, 87, of Cassville, died Monday, July 23, 2018. Graveside services were held Thursday, July 26, at Antioch Cemetery in Cassville, under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.

Jerry Dean Greek, 61, of Cassville, died Wednesday, July 25. Graveside services were held Friday, July 27, at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Cassville, under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.

John “Rick” Horn, 74, of Cassville, died Tuesday, July 24. Graveside services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 28, at Russell Cemetery in Butterfield, under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville. Visitation will be held from 9-10 a.m. Saturday, at First Baptist Church in Butterfield...

Ruth Frances Lawmaster, 91, of Miller, died Monday, July 23, at her home. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 28, at the Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home, in Mt. Vernon. Burial will follow at the Ozark Prairie Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 10-11 a.m. on Saturday, in the funeral home chapel...

Maxine Senninger, 85 of Monett, died Wednesday, July 25, at Oak Pointe of Monett. Funeral services were held at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Springfield on Friday, July 27. Interment was at the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Freistatt. Arrangements were under the personal care and direction of Buchanan Funeral Home...

Mildred Louise Torbett, 92, of Aurora, died Tuesday, July 24, at the Ozarks Methodist Manor in Marionville. A private burial will be held at the Maple Park Cemetery in Aurora under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora.