Month: April 2021

by Amelia Wigton

Ozark High School senior Brady Perkins has always enjoyed writing his own music, but he never thought he’d be recognized for it. On April 24, not only will Perkins receive an award, but his piece will be performed by the Mizzou Wind Ensemble. 

Perkins won the High School Fine Arts Division of the 2021 Creating Original Music Project with his composition “Dance in G for Woodwind Octet.”

“I didn’t go into the competition thinking I’d win. I was super excited. It’s good inspiration to keep going and continue to write music,” said Perkins, who plans to attend Missouri State University next year and major in music. “I wrote it back when the lockdown first started. I wrote it like a piece I played in All-State Band that I really liked.”

Perkins’ piece has eight woodwind parts — flute, oboe, bassoon, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone and two clarinets — despite the fact that Perkins plays the trombone.  

“Brady is blessed with natural musical talent and a great work ethic,” OHS Band Director Tom Meyer said. “Besides the honor of winning and having the Mizzou Wind Ensemble play his composition on a concert, Brady also earned a $1,000 scholarship for himself and a $1,000 donation to our band program.”

According to the website, the Creating Original Music Project — COMP — was founded in 2005 by the University of Missouri’s Mizzou New Music Initiative and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation to “encourage K-12 students in Missouri to write original music and to provide performance opportunities for those works.”

“The work of these students under difficult conditions this past year shows that creativity is an unstoppable force,” Jeanne Sinquefield, of the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation, said in a press release.

This year’s COMP Festival showcasing the best of those compositions will take place online April 24 on the University of Missouri School of Music’s YouTube channel and the Mizzou New Music Facebook page. The junior division concert, featuring works from elementary and middle school winners, begins at 10:30 a.m., with the senior division concert of music by high school winners following at 3 p.m. The online stream, which is free and open to the public, will feature a mix of performances on video, including some COMP winners performing their own compositions, as well as performances by Mizzou students of other winning works.

The woman who moved Community Foundation of the Ozarks from an all-volunteer group and significantly grew the organization’s influence in the region has died after a short illness.

Jan Horton was 87.

“We often credit the CFO’s growth and geographic expansion to standing on the shoulders of the giants who brought the community foundation model to reality in Greene County and then across central and southern Missouri. Jan was clearly among those giants,” CFO said in a statement.

Horton joined CFO in 1988 as the executive director. She moved the organization from an all-volunteer structure, becoming the group’s first employee, and assuming the role of the organization’s President in 1993. She served in that role for a decade until her retirement.

During her leadership, the CFO grew from assets of $1.7 million to nearly $52.5 million for the group and its 19 regional affiliates.

(photo courtesy Community Foundation of the Ozarks)

Republic city officials announced Friday the return of the Pumpkin Daze festival.

The festival had been cancelled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but will return in 2021 on October 2.

“To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Republic Pumpkin Daze and the 150th Anniversary of the City of Republic, we are pleased to announce we have partnered with the Republic Pumpkin Daze Committee to bring about a mega-event in 2021,” City officials posted on social media. “Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 2nd as we celebrate these two historic anniversaries!”

The event had traditionally been held on the first Saturday in October. The event will move to J.R. Martin Park for 2021 in anticipation of larger than normal crowds for the dual anniversary celebrations.

The Webster County Health Unit will be holding an evening vaccination clinic on Monday, April 19, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Nazarene Church in Marshfield.

The WCHU is conducting the event in conjunction with the Missouri Air National Guard.

The vaccine given will be the Moderna two-dose vaccine.

Appointments are heavily encouraged by they will try to accomodate walk-ins if time permits. Appointment can be made through the Missouri Vaccine Navigator website. If you have trouble with the website, contact the WCHU at 874-1211.

Vaccines are available to any Missouri resident 18 years of age or older.

After highs approaching 70 on Monday, we’re in for a drastic change with the weather this week.

The National Weather Service says rain may mix with and change to snow Monday night into Tuesday morning, especially over portions of west central Missouri.

The weather service says little to no accumulation is expected and the main potential for light accumulations will be on grassy and elevated surfaces.

Forecasters say there’s a 64% chance Springfield could see at least a trace of snow, with that percentage dropping to 22% in the Branson area.

Then, a Freeze Watch is in effect for all of southwest Missouri from 1 a.m. through 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Widespread frost is likely, with growing confidence in a hard freeze for parts of the Ozarks.

Any sensitive or uncovered vegetation will be at risk of dying, with potential impacts to early crops and buds.

You should cover sensitive vegetation or brings plants into the house.

Nixa Utilities has discovered an error in customers’ bills in the first quarter of 2021.

Leaders say a software error caused the January, February, and March figures to be miscalculated for some customers.

The utility will be making adjustments in April and/or May to correct the software error on impacted bills and you will not be charged a late fee, nor will your utilities be disconnecdted for any arrears resulting from the software error.

Customers who have questions should call the Nixa Utilities office at 417-725-3229.

A woman is in custody after a high speed pursuit Thursday night that started near Nixa and ended in Springfield.

Christian County deputies responded to a report of a woman with a gun making threats at Highway 160 and CC.

As authorities approached, she took off north toward Springfield, where Greene County deputies picked up the chase, eventually stopping the car at the intersection of Campbell and Sunshine in Springfield.

Witnesses say the woman slammed into several vehicles near Bass Pro Shops, including a Greene County patrol car, before she was apprehended and taken to the Christian County jail.

Authorities say no one was seriously hurt in the incident.