Stories from Saturday, July 27, 2019

Everette Adaris Kritz, 27, of Cassville, died Wednesday, July 24. The family will receive friends from 2-3:00 p.m. Sunday, July 28, at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.

Dear Editor: Do you want Monett to lose its 4th of July Celebration? If my old 4th Committee (total of 7) were able to make Monett’s 4th of July Celebration the largest event of the year (which we did), then why can’t the Chamber? Because they never wanted advice from us and tried to change a good thing...

Touching on Monett’s cave history in last week’s column, I scratched the surface of a great deal of lore, much of which ballooned into incredibly tall tales going back almost a century. Monett history buff Bob Banks weighed in with documentation as we tried to sort out fact from fiction. Pete Rauch, retired Monett utilities superintendent and geologist by training, pinpointed additional information that helped put the big picture together...

A dream four years in the making is now one huge step closer to reality for two business owners with local ties. Austin Cloud, a 2008 Monett High School graduate, and Charlie Locher, co-founder of Architectural Systems Inc. in Monett, have broken ground on a 19-acre facility in Republic called Backwoods Golf...

The Monett Cubs Athletic Booster Club has begun its annual “Catch the Spirit“ membership drive. For the 2019-2020 season, the Booster Club is looking for members to become part of something special. “Our athletic programs often serve as the window to the school and community,” said Eric Merriman, club president. “By building pride in our athletic programs, people will become more familiar with the academic progress being made in Monett.”...

More than 50 community members gathered to show their support of Monett Veterinary Hospital’s new luxury boarding and grooming facility during a ribbon cutting event hosted by the Monett Chamber of Commerce. The new facility, at 215 Dairy St., offers 10 luxury boarding suites, each very spacious and equipped with a luxurious dog couch or bed. ...

Monett-based Jack Henry and Associates (JHA) has announced Steve Tomson, general manager of sales and marketing, has been promoted to vice president of sales and marketing. Tomson worked for IBM before joining Peerless Group, Inc. in 1991 and worked his way to company president. He joined Jack Henry in 1998 through the acquisition of Peerless. Tomson is best known for bringing groups together and fostering collaboration and teamwork among them...

Schreiber Foods employee Dave Long retired June 30 after nearly six years of service.

Jeff Meredith, executive director of the Monett Chamber of Commerce, recently graduated from the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute.

The Monett High School Class of 1964 recently hosted its 55th anniversary reunion at the Monett Museum.

Friends of the family of V.B. Hall gathered on the weekend of July 20 to celebrate the centennial of the V.B. Hall company.

St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church on Highway H in Monett will celebrate “A Centennial of Faithfulness” on Sunday, Aug. 4, marking 100 years of activity in the Monett area. The celebration will begin with a private reception on Saturday, Aug. 3. On Aug. 4, the Divine Service at 10 a.m. will include participation by two previous pastors, Rev. Mart Thompson and Rev. Merwin Desens, followed by a catered meal...

Monett High School students can begin picking up their schedules for the fall semester next week at the high school office. Seniors can get their schedules on July 30, juniors on July 31, and sophomores on Aug. 1, all from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Freshmen can get theirs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 5 or from 1 to 7 p.m. on Aug. 6. Open house will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 8...

Bill Baker, incoming president of the Aurora Rotary Club, presented a plaque of appreciation to Jeramie Grosenbacher for completing his third stint as president of the Aurora Rotary Club.

Marionville aldermen have pondered the question of establishing a city ordinance governing the establishment of any business having to do with the cultivation, processing or sales of medical marijuana. Marionville City Attorney Ken Reynolds, of Springfield, was in attendance at a special meeting of the council. ...

Eleven area high school students participated this week in the fifth annual Missouri AHEC Science and Health (MASH) day camp at Cox Monett Hospital, a two-day immersion experience geared to educate about careers in science, the medical and health field...

  Drivers in Barry County can expect increased traffic congestion and delays on U.S. Route 60 in Monett when a bridge rehabilitation project begins the week of Aug. 5, the Missouri Department of Transportation said.  Contractor crews will begin installing work zones signs and restriping Route 60 between Hickory Street and Route 37 the week of July 29. ...

Students entering kindergarten at St. Mary's Catholic School in Pierce City will find a new face welcoming them to class. Teresa Hopper, of Monett, formerly of Newcastle, Okla., has accepted the position of kindergarten teacher at the school, bringing a wealth of experience — 22 years — in educating young minds...

Taking steps to organize service, the Lawrence County Emergency Services Board hired an attorney, selected a bank and an accounting firm at its meeting this week. The board received three proposals for service for legal counsel. Members approved the offer by Mt. Vernon attorney Bill Petrus, offered at a rate of $125 an hour...

Pierce City aldermen heard several concerns from residents of Pierce City recently regarding a group of teens and one younger child the residents say are bent on terrorizing the the town once the sun goes down. Danette Nelson addressed council members regarding the two children of a Wentworth mother and some of their cohorts that take to the streets at about 9 p.m. each night, bent on bullying local children and bedeviling area residents...

The Village of Freistatt has received notice by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that the city has failed to submit water quality and sewer discharge reports for six months, earning 14 violations of its permits with the state. The issue appears to stem from water and sewer operator Alan Obermann failing to submit reports electronically, a new system DNR moved to in 2018. The violations cover reports due from the end of October 2018 to the end of March 2019...

The Verona City Council voted to seek reinstatement of the city’s .5 percent sales tax for transportation purposes at a special meeting on Tuesday. Aldermen also wrestled through details of a standard operating procedure for use of body cameras by police officers...

The Monett City Council has extended the time for feedback on its proposal to ban e-cigarettes from workplaces and in public venues, following introduction of the new restrictions on July 22. Council members opted to hold a work session on the subject on Aug. 8, at a time that has not been set. The question will not come up for comment and action in another open council session under Sept. 20, a month longer than typical ordinances typically receive...

Like the Olympics, many may enter, but only a few will win. So, it was a complete surprise when representatives of Lacoba Homes, in Monett, swept three of the four awards categories at the Missouri Health Care Association competition for Employee of the Year, Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) of the Year and Volunteer of the Year at District 4 competition...