Stories from Wednesday, March 2, 2016

The Monett Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual membership meeting at 6:30 p.m. on March 4 at the Scott Regional Technology Center. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the program follows the catered meal. Winners of the Community Service Award, Pride and Progress Award and Business of the Year will be announced, as well as new board members. Tickets are available for $25 each from the Chamber office, 200 E. Broadway...

A vehicle crash three miles south of Highway 60 on Highway 97 around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday resulted in injuries for the driver

The Barry County Sheriff's Office is planning to soon place licensed officers in its jail, which will provide the county with more advantages because employees with these credentials will be able to provide services a non-certified jailers may not. Currently, jailers are not required to have a license, but under the new plan, jailers would be officers licensed by the state through the Peace Officers Standards and Training program (POST) and Missouri Department of Public Safety...

The Barry County Clerk's Office has consolidated voting precincts in three different locations around the county. The changes will be in effect for the next election on March 15, the Presidential Preference Primary. Gary Youngblood, Barry County clerk, mailed a letter advising all registered voters in the affected precincts of the changes on Oct. 23, 2015...

Crafted in Barry County, two bills, one in the Missouri House and another in the Missouri Senate, would open up road districts statewide to consolidation, starting with Shell Knob and Viola. Cherry Warren, Barry County presiding commissioner, said he and the commission drew up the bill, as when Shell Knob and Viola road districts came to the commission looking to consolidate, it had to be done on a state level...

The Barry County Sheriff's Office will soon be getting four new Ford Explorers to add to its fleet of patrol cars. "We believe it's a good vehicle for the terrain in Barry County," said Mick Epperly, Barry County sheriff. "They are all-wheel drive. They seem to be holding up pretty good. We've been using the Ford Explorer for about five years. We had to go with a car that was big enough to carry everyone's supplies, and maybe two inmates."...

Trout season kicked off with a bang on Tuesday at 6:30 a.m., when Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon fired a full magazine from the Opening Day gun to allow anglers to reel in the treasured trout at Roaring River State Park. Nixon spent Monday night in a cabin at the park, then made his way to the gazebo to fire the gun and then trekked just below it to the banks to fish for some trout on his own...

Filings in Barry and Lawrence county offices as of 3 p.m. Wednesday. Filing deadline is Tuesday, March 29. The primary election will be Aug. 2, and the general election will be Nov. 8. Sheriff Travis Hilburn, R Danny Boyd, R James A. Smith, R Justin Fohn, R...

Thousands of people, with varying levels of fishing experience, descended upon Roaring River State Park on Opening Day. While I spent March 1 only fishing around for pictures, I will soon have to make my annual stop by the park store to get my license for the year...

The Monett girls basketball team, despite a 2-24 record, made several strides on and off the court, according to Coach Alyssa Kennedy. "We know that we are starting to score a little bit, and defensively we are growing," Kennedy said. "We have a large group of juniors that will be seniors next year, and it is time for them to lead."...

Coaches tend to worry about every detail when it comes to their teams, no matter how minute. Tommy Egan, Purdy's boys hoops coach, is no exception. Egan's Eagles (19-8) fly into tonight's Class 2 sectional playoff game against Marionville (19-10) on the heels of the team's best performance of the season in a 83-64 district title win over McAuley Catholic on Friday...