Stories from Wednesday, August 3, 2016

A rural Purdy student at the Gold Dragon Taekwondo school in Monett earned a third place finish at the Ozark Mountain Nationals Karate Tournament, held July 29 and 30 at the Ramada Inn Convention Center in Springfield. Haley Love Burnett, 11, the daughter of James Burnett and Heather Syring and a student at the Purdy schools, won third place in the double elimination sparring contest for the age 11-12 division, where she faced a field of 10 competitors in sparring and a medal for traditional forms competition at the tournament. ...

Monett High School gym was noisy and full of diving bodies as the Lady Cub worked on their volleyball skills on Tuesday. Despite not winning a match last season, enthusiasm for the program by its players has not wained, as evidenced by a large turnout to the fall practice schedule...

Lauren Evonee Akin, speeding, fined $215 Howard Wayne Alexander, seat belt infraction, fined $10 Brain W. Coddens, speeding, fined $140 Jory Coleman, possession of marijuana: unlawful use of drug paraphernalia: 30 days jail to run concurrently, SES, two years unsupervised probation, fined $150; seat belt infraction, fined $10...

James D. Atteberry, following too close/accident, two days in jail, $94.50 jail Brennon K. Krueger, defective equipment, $150 fine Ricardo Ibarra Valdez, careless and reckless driving, $465 fine Kyle D. Norris, stealing, $453 fine Amber M. Thompson, failure to stop at stop light, $100 fine...

The American Job Center, 100 S. Maple in Monett, will offer free workshops in July. Interested persons may attend cases on computer skills, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., and interview and resume writing from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 5. Pre-registration is needed by calling 235-7877...

Secretary of State Jason Kander, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, made a campaign stop at Whitley's Pharmacy in Cassville last week.

The Monett Artists' Guild presented Rick Abbot's comedy "Play On" last weekend at the Monett High School Performing Arts Center, attracting its largest crowd for the final performance on Sunday.

An unusual problem developed in Monett's South Park on Tuesday when the driver of a commercial tractor trailer, who took directions from his GPS system, found himself directed through the park to reach his destination. The trailer hung up on the curve east of the City Park Casino...

Pierce City voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a $4.7 million bond issue to replace the city's aging water distribution system, with 193 votes, or 89.9 percent, in favor of the bond to 23 votes, or 10.6 percent, opposed. "I feel great," said Mayor Allen Stockton, who has been lobbying for a city-wide repair of the water distribution system for more than 18 years, since he first served as an alderman on the council. ...

The Purdy school bond issue to build a performing arts center and the first FEMA storm shelter for the community received resounding support from patrons on Tuesday. The $2.3 million bond issue for the construction project sailed to approval with 608 or 81.5 percent of the vote, compared to 138 against...

In the race for Barry County Public Administrator, Keith Daniels, R-Exeter, a retired health care finance executive took the most votes cast in the Tuesday election, 2,448, winning the position by a 2 percent margin. "I would like to congratulate Andy and Rodney both," Daniels said. "It was a very spirited campaign and they truly kept to the issues. It was a respectful campaign and I appreciate that very much...

In what may be considered an upset, challenger Tim Selvey won a strong victory in the three-way race for eastern commissioner of Lawrence County on the Republican ticket. Selvey, a retired Highway Patrol trooper, secured 1,323 or 49 percent of the vote for the win. Incumbent Joe Ruscha received 906 votes or 33 percent, while businessman Joe Boyd, another first-time candidate like Selvey, received 475 or 18 percent...

Retired FBI Special Agent Gary Davis won the Republican nomination for Barry County sheriff by 65 votes on Tuesday. Davis finished with 1,565 votes, or 24 percent; former state trooper Travis Hilburn took second with 1,500 votes, or 23 percent; and Barry County Lt. ...