* Wednesday marked the close of the year for the Monett Garden Club with a luncheon held at the home of the retiring president, Mrs.

Frank Runyan, pastor of the First Christian Church in Monett, tendered his resignation Sunday morning to the congregation.

A former Cassville man is facing federal charges for his banking practices that involved branches in Aurora, Mt.

A federal grand jury indicted the owners of Guaranty Title, formerly headquartered in Nixa, for participating in a $2.6 million conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.

More than 60 local grocery stores will participate in Ozarks Food Harvest's annual Check Out Hunger campaign, Monday through Dec.

Mrs. P.N. Cook is the president of the new club. * The Femper-Amecia Monett High School boys fraternity entertained a masquerade party on Tuesday.

Tickets are now on sale for the Monett Chamber of Commerce's Festival of Flavors, the annual tasting event featuring delicacies from eateries and food industry specialists from around the area.

Three people were injured in a trio of area traffic accidents since Friday. The Missouri State Highway Patrol issued the following reports: A Monett woman was hurt in a one-vehicle wreck at 9:30 a.m. Friday two miles east of Pleasant Ridge on Route Z in Barry County.

By Wally Kennedy wkennedy@joplinglobe.com The Missouri Department of Transportation will attempt to unload 23 properties, including eight pieces of land in Southwest Missouri, in a four-day blitz that begins on Nov.

For the second consecutive year, Monett's application for the Downtown Revitalization and Economic Assistance for Missouri Initiative has been turned down.

An Aurora man was found guilty of molesting a 10-year-old child following a jury trial, according to Lawrence County Prosecutor Robert George.

Five people suffered injuries today after a two-vehicle crash in Barry County. In a 1998 Mercury, the injured were driver Amanda Westerman, 18, of Crane, who had minor injuries; Aurora resident Ashley Walles, 17, who had minor injuries; and Ozark resident Jackson Johnson, 2, who had moderate injuries.

Springfield residents who want to boost the city's recycling program fund literally can go nuts.

The annual fundraising drive for the Barry-Lawrence Area United Fund is now underway.

One of the issues on the November ballot is to build a new high school for the Pierce City School District.

The morning after our first day of rains proves to be more of a possitive outlook on the floods.

Personnel as well as maintenance and repair items highlighted the September meeting of the Barry-Lawrence Regional Library Board of Trustees.

A Pierce City woman was killed and six people were injured in several bi-county traffic wrecks since Friday.

Looking at how to fix healthcare, 29th District State Senator Jack Goodman met with professionals in the field during stops around the district on Wednesday.

In an effort to meet the continuing needs of developmentally disabled citizens in Lawrence County, board members of the Lawrence County Board for the Developmentally Disabled voted to purchase a new community building during the Sept.