News

A public forum held Wednesday evening at Pierce City School District found more than 50 patrons in attendance, making their views known about the possibility of the district allowing armed personnel on the campuses. The board took the initial step of hosting the information-gathering event to determine how the public felt about the possibility of having employees to carry concealed weapons in the interest of student safety...

Laughter and high spirits marked the annual installation banquet of the Monett Kiwanis Club this week, held at the Monett Museum’s Events Center. President Jim Haston, entering the second year of his current term, commended club members for their ongoing efforts...

The Monett Police Department now has the highest number of female patrol officers in its history. Patrol Officer Lyndsi Waltrip, 27, was hired in March 2006, followed by Kristin Butterworth, 27, in August and Jalynn Harner, 22, in September. All three said they were inspired to enter law enforcement because of positive contacts with police officers in their pasts...

A large summer uptick in activity from planes hangared at the Monett Regional Airport helped to push the number of weekday business hour flights from June through September to the highest numbers in five years. The shift occurred not in flights recognized as routine business activity, but in non-business action. ...

The Monett Police Department, in conjunction with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, will host the 18th opportunity in nine years to prevent the abuse and theft of medications by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs...

The Monett Times newspaper recently held a coat drive, with donated coats to be distributed to Monett’s high school, middle school and elementary school students who need coats to keep them warm this winter.

The Marionville Park Board is the happy recipient of a grant from the Lawrence County Tax Board for the Developmentally Disabled in the amount of $29,592.

St. Mary’s Catholic School in Pierce City will hold its annual Fall Festival and Chili Cook-off from 5 to 8:30 p.m. today, Oct. 19, in the school gym. Chili will be available from cooks for purchase, with the audience determining the winners who receive trophies. Activities will include a costume contest, dames and a 50-50 raffle...

A Washburn girl was injured Thursday in a wreck at 4 p.m. on Miles Mountain Road, 6.5 miles west of Washburn. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, a 15-year-old girl, of Washburn, was driving a 2007 Honda TRX ATV southbound when her vehicle lost control on a gravel roadway, went off the roadway and struck a fence, ejecting the driver...

Two people were injured Wednesday in a wreck at 9:50 a.m. on Farm Road 1180, three miles south of Aurora. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Mary Washam, 62, of Aurora, was driving a 2011 Honda CRV southbound when her vehicle failed to yield while turning from a driveway and traveled into the path of a 2009 Chevrolet Equinox, being driven by Bethany Godsy, 31, of Aurora, hitting the vehicle head-on...

New sources of industrial pollution ― some old and some recent ― have surfaced through public meetings and disclosures in Verona. Representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) returned to Verona on Friday for the second public meeting in two months, in an effort to keep lines of communication open with a community facing more doubts from the Superfund site stretching across its west side. ...

The Lawrence County Health Department has announced vaccines are now available for the upcoming flu season. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses, resulting in mild to severe illness. Serious outcomes of flu infection can result in hospitalization or death. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, who are at high risk of serious flu complications, receive vaccinations annually...

Age: 34 Current Occupation: Manages cattle operation on family farm; former Ag teacher at Cassville High School 1. What can be done to increase tourism in our area? Tourism in our area is somewhat of a complex subject because we attract folks to the district for a such diverse range of reasons, and those folks come from all walks of life! It can be tricky when discussing how to increase that because a high percentage of the tourists that wind up visiting will point blank tell you that one of the biggest reasons they are attracted to this area is that it isn’t “too commercialized”, but that’s why it is essential to dive a bit deeper and understanding what tourists that come back to our district time and time again are actually looking for. ...

Age: 55 Current Occupation: Operates farm where she has goats and wild mustangs, does animal rescues; mother of two special needs children 1. What can be done to increase tourism in our area? The state parks and waterways in our area are the primary element to increase tourism. ...

A collision between a train and a tractor trailer in Aurora on Sunday resulted in no injuries but caused major damage to the truck. According to a release from the Aurora-Marionville Police Department, a 2018 Freightliner driver attempted to go around the barricades at the Morgan Street railroad crossing, heading north. The crossing had been closed to vehicle traffic for several months...

A 2001 Purdy school district graduate is donating time back to his home town by helping the school build a new website. Susan Funkhouser, Purdy public relations coordinator, said the idea and process of rebuilding a website started when Steven Chancellor was still the Purdy superintendent...

The 24th annual Missouri Health Care Association District 4 Golden Age Games, a competition for residents at nursing facilities in southwest Missouri, will return to Monett High School on Oct. 25. Lacoba Homes in Monett will again serve as the local host. ...

The Monett City Council will take action to acquire some real estate and advance infrastructure projects during the monthly meeting at 9:30 a.m. Friday at Monett City Hall. Palnned action includes buying the west half of three lots in the Callamack Heights subdivision, on Park Street between 11th and 12th streets...

Over the weekend during a mini fall camp at Camp Barnabas, camper Chance Presley and missionary Faith Duensing had a smashing good time while smashing pumpkins.

Apple Butter Makin’ Days in Mt. Vernon dodged a weather bullet and ended up with sunny skies for the three-day event.

With dangling 45 rpm records, a girl band and rockin’ to Kiss music, the Monett High School sophomores captured first place for their rock music float in the “We Got The Beat”-themed MHS homecoming parade on Friday.

It was a bumpy ride for one Monett man early Monday morning, when his vehicle ran off the side of the road and ended up overturning.

Former St. Vincent’s Hospital employees will have a reunion at 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 19 at Angus Branch Steakhouse. The Pleasant Ridge Special Road District will hold its monthly meeting in the basement of the Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church at 6 p.m. on Oct. 21...

Work on Monett’s two highway projects, on the bridge over Waldensian Road and widening the bridge on Highway 37 over Clear Creek, is expected to pick up momentum next week. According to Johnny Teagarden, resident engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation, work has progressed steadily on the Highway 60 bridge although it may not be evident to passers by. ...

Nathan Bowen, an insurance agent and native from Pierce City, announced his bid for state representative of the 157th District.  Bowen, a first-time candidate, seeks to succeed Mike Moon, who will leave office due to term limits in 2020. “I am running for state representative because I believe in the conservative values and hard work of the people in Lawrence County,” Bowen said. ...

Dedication ceremonies have been held for the pocket park at Fifth and Broadway, finished in the spring of 2018, with additions this year. Dennis Pyle, president of Monett Main Street, said the final product was a joint undertaking with the Southwest Missouri Board of Realtors, which participated in the dedication, and others...

Mavis Schlessman has begun her duties as the third director of the Monett Senior Citizens Center this year. Schlessman, a native of New Mexico, is a Pierce City resident. She began her duties on Sept. 3. Theresa Morgan, who left the post in March, recently resigned as director of the Heritage Harmony House in Aurora. Eric Halvorson, who came in as director for both the centers in Monett and Mt. Vernon, left Monett in September...

A Pierce City man who was indicted in September in connection with a 31-year-old murder was turned down for representation by a Missouri Public Defender. Lawrence “Larry” Timmons, 65, is accused of the murder of Cynthia A. Smith, a California native whose body was found at Dry Valley Cemetery on Aug. 7, 1988. She was last seen in the early morning hours of July 28, 1988, leaving a local bar in the company of an unknown male...

A new service for patients hospitalized at Cox Monett Hospital was launched in September. “Meds-to-beds” is a free and convenient bedside delivery service which allows the pharmacist and pharmacy technician to personally deliver the prescription to the patient prior to discharge...

The Daddy-Daughter Dance at St. Lawrence Catholic Church on Saturday had a Hawaiian theme, lending itself to more energetic dances than on some years.

Several spectators at the 31st annual Pierce City Car Show were drawn to Austin Morris’ 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air, which he called a “work in progress.”

Work has progressed rapidly on the second home the Monett-Purdy affiliate of Habitat for Humanity is building on West Logan Street in Monett.

For the second year, Monett Firefighters Local No. 2001 are partnering with First State Bank of Purdy to raise money in October for Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks.

Monett firefighters responded to 1309 Central Ave. in Monett shortly before noon Thursday over a reported lightning strike at a house. Smoke was found inside the structure.

The concentration of 89 classic vehicles at the Aurora Car Show lent themselves as perfect backdrops for photos.

The Monett City Council will hold its monthly meeting at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 18, at Monett City Hall. Former St. Vincent’s Hospital employees will have a reunion at 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 19 at Angus Branch Steakhouse. The Pleasant Ridge Special Road District will hold its monthly meeting in the basement of the Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church at 6 p.m. on Oct. 21...

Monett High School celebrated its annual Homecoming festivities on Friday night with the crowning of its King and Queen.

Verona City Council members have revealed a more aggressive stance over industrial pollution issues, as the city appears to be positioning for a lawsuit. Paying bills, often not a routine matter in Verona, sparked an extended discussion on the pollution issue. ...

An area group — 417 Predator Hunters — played a big role recently in the arrest and bond revocations of a Monett man. Led by a woman named Dani, whose last name is being withheld due to the nature of her work, 417 Predator Hunters was founded a few months ago and recently confronted Shannon Clayton, 41, of Monett, for allegedly attempting to meet and have sex with a 15-year-old girl in Springfield...

Monett firefighters rescued a resident from a house fire at 612 Fifth Street on Monday. According to Fire Chief Tom Jones, the fire in the rental property was called in at 8 a.m. Firefighters found fire in two locations, in the bedroom and in the kitchen, and found the occupant down inside the house, likely due to smoke inhalation. The victim, whose name has not been released, was taken by air helicopter to Mercy Hospital in Springfield for treatment...

An Everton man is behind bars in connection to the kidnapping and rape of a 20-year-old Springfield woman. James Maggard Jr., 33, has been charged with two counts of felony first-degree rape, and one count each of first-degree sodomy, trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation and kidnapping...

A former teacher and now full-time farmer, Shell Knob resident Scott Cupps, 34, is hoping to replace Scott Fitzpatrick, former Representative appointed State Treasurer, and he is putting a focus on logic and facts prior to the election. Cupps was born and raised in Shell Knob and handles the cattle side of his family farm operation. He said that and his work as a teacher has prepared him for a career in politics...

Lisa Kalp, Democratic candidate in the State House Special Election on Nov. 5, had to go no further than her own home for a reason to run for the position left open by former State Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick, who was appointed State Treasurer. Living in the area since February 2005, Kalp, 55, of Butterfield, spends most of her time working on her farm and with her two special needs children, ages 23 and 24, and it was her children that spurred her to run for office...

Under somewhat extraordinary circumstances, sales tax revenues to bi-county cities and governments in September trended higher than a year ago, leaving more than half of the recipients gaining ground with the close of the third quarter of 2019. The unusual circumstances stem from the Missouri Department of Revenue disbursing not one — but two — extra payments to all recipients. ...

Monett High School is celebrating homecoming this week as the Cubs entertain festivities around the theme, “We Got The Beat.” Homecoming culminates Friday with the homecoming assembly at 2:30 p.m. in the school gym, the downtown parade at 4 p.m., the coronation at Burl Fowler Stadium at 6:30 p.m., the gridiron contest against the East Newton Patriots at 7 p.m., and a dance from 9 p.m. to midnight on the mezzanine at the high school...

Area residents will have the opportunity to discover important information for senior citizens and their caregivers at the second annual Silver Discovery Expo, set for 8 a.m. to noon on Oct. 18 at New Site Baptist Church in Monett. Exhibitors will offer resources for completing a health care directive, and information on nursing homes, assisted living and memory care facilities. Blood pressure checks and vital signs will also be offered to attendees...

With most people three to four generations away from living on the farm, Kyle Whittaker and the University of Missouri Extension challenged students during Field Day at the Southwest Research Center to understand product labeling. An agriculture business specialist based in Marshfield. Whittaker asserted that the entire agriculture industry loses when people do not know what they are buying...

With dogged determination, Cole Perry, 6, turned the hand crank to make a rope at Saturday’s History Day at Jolly Mill.

Berean Christian Academy in Monett held its Fall Festival on Saturday, featuring activities, a dinner and concert and school musicians and the Ledbetter family.

To better explain the dynamics of dairy farming to high school students visiting the University of Missouri’s Southwest Research Center, Teresa Fry, co-owner of Ozark Mountain Creamery in Mountain Grove, and Tiffanie Stumpff, left, brought samples of milk and milk products to share...