News

Verona residents, long concerned about the historic pollution from operations at the local chemical plant, received reason for expanded concern recently with the release of a report by the public advocacy agency ProPublica about the severity of ethylene oxide (EO) emissions from the BCP Ingredients plant...

The 20th Annual Dining for Diabetes event is just around the corner. “This year, we are continuing our virtual event,” said Lisa Ramirez, of CoxHealth. “Instead of our traditional dinner and auction, we have moved the date up so people can use the silent auction items as Christmas gifts. We will still have gift baskets of all kinds, including a baking basket, a Show Me Mo eateries and entertainment venue basket, pet baskets and more...

The Monett Historical Museum has announced the opening of a new exhibit on Monett’s early history. “Stephen Courdin: Monett’s First Mayor” tells the story of the South American immigrant who in 1888 was named the town’s first mayor, his adventures as a teenager and his exploits in the West after leaving Southwest Missouri in 1891. The exhibit is sponsored by the Waldensian Foundation of Monett...

Christmas is on the way and communities throughout the region are preparing to kick off the Yuletide season with their annual parades, craft fairs and home decorating contests. In Monett, festivities officially kick off this week with the opening of the Festival of Lights in South Park...

Five seats on the Pierce City board of aldermen will open for the April 5, 2022, municipal election. Up for grabs are the positions of mayor, currently held by Kenny Smith, and one seat in each of the city’s four wards: John Archer, Ward 1; Beverly Miller, Ward 2; Earnie Jarvis, Ward 3; and Ruth Bozarth, Ward 4...

Monett’s Festival of Lights is now officially open in South Park.

Due to ongoing construction during the renovation of the old First National Bank of Monett, there will be road closure from Broadway and Fourth streets north to the alley behind the bank until further notice.  Families in Monett, Purdy, Pierce City or Verona who want to commit to personal growth and RISE out of living in survival mode are invited to apply now for the spring cohort of Project RISE by contacting Yesy Perez at 417-308-7054 or projectrisemonett@gmail.com. ...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases have leveled for a week, with a few less new cases than last week and a few less active cases, as well. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,808 (+65 from Nov. 17) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

We asked Monett Central Park Elementary third-grade students what they are thankful for.

There is good news for SWI Barry-Lawrence in Monett. A $284,781 grant from the Department of Economic Development Neighborhood Assistance Program will allow for additional renovations to the facility, which was formerly the Monett Area Sheltered Workshop. Those renovations will include a new heating and air conditioning system, new bathrooms and a life skills kitchen and cafeteria...

A local swim coach was honored in a former student’s essay that was submitted to a library writing contest in Wellington, Kan. Raylea Ledbetter, daughter of Hannah and Grant Ledbetter, formerly of Pierce City, wrote the essay concerning the compassion and patience of her former coach, Charles LaGarce...

Miracle Week is just around the corner, and the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at CoxHealth is aiming to make a difference for local kids and their families every single day. Miracle Week is an opportunity for community members to make donations that will provide medical care and assistance when they’re needed most...

The Seligman Chamber of Commerce and the Arkansas and Missouri Railroad are teaming up again this year to bring the Santa Train to Monett on Dec. 20. The hour-long journey starts at the soccer fields on Waldensian, just off Dairy Street and meanders through the countryside to Exeter and back. Guests will have the opportunity to visit with Santa Claus, eat sugar cookies and drink hot chocolate. Train ornaments will be available for purchase...

As of Jan. 1, 2022, qualifying employees at the Barry-Lawrence County Ambulance District will begin receiving longevity pay. Amounts will be determined by the number of years each employee has served with the district, and funds will be invested in a separate district account and disbursed once per year. Pay will be accrued starting at 25-cents per hour at year five, and increasing by 5-cents per year of service starting at year six...

Tony Melendez, guitar playing Christian singer who now lives in Branson, gave a concert Saturday at St. Lawrence Catholic Church fellowship hall in Monett.

Due to ongoing construction during the renovation of the old First National Bank of Monett, there will be r from Broadway and Fourth streets north to the alley behind the bank until further notice.  Families in Monett, Purdy, Pierce City or Verona who want to commit to personal growth and RISE out of living in survival mode are invited to apply now for the spring cohort of Project RISE by contacting Yesy Perez at 417-308-7054 or projectrisemonett@gmail.com. ...

On Wednesday evening, two men pulled their bikes up to the First United Methodist Church in Monett. They were completing the first half of their journey riding their bikes across a portion of the United States to raise money for three organizations...

Two men are facing felonies after police allegedly found more nearly 20 grams of methamphetamine in their vehicle during a traffic stop in Monett. Bradley Trowbridge, 38, of Aurora, and Corey Yadon, 36, of Monett, are both charged with delivery of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia...

Kemin Industries in Verona has broken ground on a new 38,000 square-foot facility. The new facility is designed as a state-of-the-art production plant that represents a $40 million investment in the community that will add another 30 full-time jobs to the books in Verona...

Mackenzie Lay is a familiar face to many families in the area.  As a labor and delivery nurse at Cox Monett, where she has spent the last six years, Lay has been a part of helping hundreds of moms bring the amazing miracle of new life into the world. ...

It’s looking more like Christmas with the annual Festival of Lights display, which runs from Nov. 24 through Dec. 31.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft visited Barry-Lawrence County Libraries Veteran’s Day, Thursday, including stops in Monett and Mt. Vernon, before heading to Neosho to visit a Newton County Library.

American Legion Post 717 of Monett hosted a chili dinner and concert at the Legion Hall on Broadway on Nov. 15.

Due to ongoing construction during the renovation of the old First National Bank of Monett, there will be road closure from Broadway and Fourth streets north to the alley behind the bank until further notice.  Families in Monett, Purdy, Pierce City or Verona who want to commit to personal growth and RISE out of living in survival mode are invited to apply now for the spring cohort of Project RISE by contacting Yesy Perez at 417-308-7054 or projectrisemonett@gmail.com. ...

The Barry County Commission has made a couple of moves recently in an effort to bolster the county’s law enforcement and jail. Official language has yet to be submitted, but the Commission is planning to propose a 1/2-cent law enforcement sales tax in April 2022. Separately, the Commission has also purchased a 25.42-acre tract of land on which it plans to build a new county jail...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases have continued to rise, with 72 new cases reported in the county in the last six days. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,743 (+72 from Nov. 11) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

It is just in the planning stages, but Lawrence County law enforcement officials will soon have a new tool in their arsenal with the proposed formation of a Critical Incident Team. Sheriff Brad DeLay said that many departments already belong to multi-jurisdictional teams and task forces, but his thought was to create a county-wide team of first responders to critical events...

Members of the Barry County Retired School Personnel organization heard from Monett Superintendent Mark Drake on some of the critical needs of the district. “Attendance is a challenge,” he said. “Pre-COVID attendance numbers haven’t been great. Last year, one second grade teacher missed 40 days having to quarantine after exposure to COVID...

Will Carr, an agent with the Missouri Department of Conservation for 16 years, has been promoted to lieutenant in the Protection Branch in the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Southwest Region. Carr, who began his role in October, will supervise conservation agents in Jasper, Lawrence, Newton, McDonald and Barton counties. He replaces Scott Burger, who retired earlier in the year...

A workshop to help farm families plan for transitioning to the next generation is being held Tuesday at the Southwest Research and Education Center in Mount Vernon. The workshop will begin with dinner at 6 p.m. and the program will follow. Wesley Tucker, field specialist in Ag Business for MU Extension, will provide the program...

Purdy students gathered Thursday to honor local veterans with the school’s annual Veterans Day assembly, which included the fight songs for each branch of the military, colors presented by the Scott Tech JROTC and testimonials from faculty discussing the impact Sept. 11, 2001 had on them...

Due to ongoing construction during the renovation of the old First National Bank of Monett, there will be road closure from Broadway and Fourth streets north to the alley behind the bank until further notice.  First United Methodist Church is now offering free round-trip Sunday morning van transportation within Monett. To make a reservation, call Kathie at 417-235-8286...

Monett High School students, staff and community recognized area veterans on Thursday with a luncheon and honors assembly, giving thanks for their military service. Steve Snider was the guest speaker, discussed the special character trait necessary for warriors...

Monett City Council members approved a measure that would allow for officials to seek administrative search warrants to inspect properties where owners are non-compliant in order to investigate abatement opportunities. Commissioners approved the bill as it concerns the health, safety and welfare of the public...

The November meeting of Pierce City aldermen started with a public hearing to close out the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) portion of the city’s water project. The city had received $500,000 in CDBG funding, which, according to City Clerk Julie Johnson, was expended early on in the project...

Twenty percent of the surrounding community lives below the poverty line, and the Life360 Resource Center is hoping to reduce that number with the poverty-alleviating programs and services it will offer. Life360 Community Services is inviting the community to stop by on Nov. 22 to see what’s going on at the old hospital building, located at 801 N. Lincoln Ave. in Monett...

The Monett Area Community Foundation (MACF) is accepting grant applications for the 2021 Community Grant round. The MACF was founded on Sept. 3, 1998, and has distributed more than $2.5 million back to the community. “We now hold assets totaling $4,428,623 as of June 30, 2020,” said Shawn Hayden, MACF president. “The mission of the foundation is to enhance the quality of life in the Monett area through resource development, community grant making, collaboration, and public leadership.”...

Monett High School students painted a patriotic mural on the building’s front windows in honor of area veterans and their sacrifices for country and community.

Electronics Technician (Navigation) 2nd Class Olivia Otto, from Aurora, assigned to the Blue Crew aboard the Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Ohio (SSGN 726), poses for a photo in control.

Nearly 50 local veterans turned out at the Pierce City High School Veterans Day luncheon and honors assembly on Thursday.

Due to ongoing construction during the renovation of the old First National Bank of Monett, there will be road closure from Broadway and Fourth streets north to the alley behind the bank until further notice.  First United Methodist Church is now offering free round-trip Sunday morning van transportation within Monett. To make a reservation, call Kathie at 417-235-8286...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases jumped up slightly after multiple weeks of falling figures. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,671 (+48 from Nov. 2) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Former Monett resident Chester Mosier has joined a select group of Army enlisted soldiers to obtain the rank of master sergeant. Mosier moved to Monett when he was 13 years old and his father, got a job at Jack Henry and Associates. He said he attended Monett High School through his junior year before dropping out and obtaining his GED through Crowder College...

For a woman in the military, it can be a longer and much harder road paved with opportunities that don’t match up — that didn’t stop Elaine Boles. The nurse now at Cassville High school, Boles served in the Army from 1980-1989. “I grew up in the Neosho area and graduated from high school in McDonald County,” she said. “We traveled a lot when I was a kid, and we spent some time overseas in Iran. My dad was an aircraft engineer.”...

The 10th annual Drury Leadership Summit has a lineup of three notable industry leaders offering advice on the successes and struggles for students and community members alike. “This summit has been organized, coordinated and prepared by Drury students,” said Joel Thomas, instructor of Principles of Leadership at Drury. ...

CoxHealth is now offering COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 5-and-up. The change, which added eligibility for individuals ages 5-11, is in response to approval of the vaccine for this group from the CDC and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services...

The family of Les Mason invites the public to visit the Monett Historical Museum and learn about one of Monett’s distinguished residents, from 1-4 p.m. on Nov. 14. Mason resided in Monett until his death on Oct. 10, 1991. Anne Spangler, granddaughter of Les Mason, her husband Steve Spangler and great-grandson Mason Spangler will be available to tell stories of Les’ life and discuss some of the exhibits furnished by them for display...

Ruby Knight, front left, as Marmee, and M’kena Propps, front right, as Jo, talk during the play “Little Women” on Saturday.

Faye Cotherman, left, 3, and Rourke Moore, 2, got some time in a number of bounce houses provided by Life360 during its community block party fundraiser at Price Cutter on Eisenhower Street on Saturday.

Due to ongoing construction during the renovation of the old First National Bank of Monett, there will be road closure from Broadway and Fourth streets north to the alley behind the bank until further notice.  First United Methodist Church is now offering free round-trip Sunday morning van transportation within Monett. To make a reservation, call Kathie at 417-235-8286...