Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Reading promotion designed to keep Pliler, MItchell, Cook in the pink







Photos, Video
By MEGAN WALLS
Staff Writer

If East Middle School students read 1,200 books in six weeks, they will be treated to something never before seen in the Joplin School District.

Principal Mr. Ron Mitchell, Assistant Principal Mr. Jarrett Cook and Coach Casey Pliler will wear pink dresses to celebrate the students achievement.

The announcement was made this morning during an assembly in the EMS Auditorium. Serving as master of ceremonies was KSN Hometown Today host and former South Middle School student Phillip Mitchell, with the assistance of EMS Reading Department Chairman Mrs. Linda Weaver..

EMS eighth graders win home opener





Photos by
ELI TAYLOR

The East Middle School eighth grade girls basketball team won their home opener (the first in school history) Monday night, defeating North 16-8.

The Eagles grabbed a 9-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, held an 11-2 advantage at halftime, and kept the same nine-point lead, 13-4 after three quarters.

Leigh Ann Craig led all scorers with eight points. Kelsey Johnson and Celeste Graves added four apiece. Also playing and helping shut down the North offense were Kristen Tyler and Brittnie Hunter.

The eighth grade B team lost 28 to 16 to North with Shelbie DeWitt and Alexis White scoring six points apiece, and Celeste Graves and Corinna Padilla dropping in two each.

The teams will be back in action tonight in the East Middle School Gymnasium.

Thursday, November 05, 2009





By: AMARA PENDERGRAFT
Staff Writer

Winners in the East Middle School Pumpkin Decorating Contest winner: Scariest Pumpkin-Mrs.Stamper, Most Original Pumpkin- Mrs. Titus, Prettiest Pumpkin- Mrs. Moore, Most like a TV/cartoon character- Mr. Biggers

Sixth grader's mother dies in drunk driving accident

By CHRISTINA OCHOA
Staff Writer


The mother of East Middle School sixth grader Tanner Bartholomew was killed in an accident. Anita L. Lizotte is 46 and a mother was killed by a Noel man facing manslaughter and that was drunk driver in an accident on East Fifth Street near Murphy Boulevard at 1:01 am on October 13.

When she was driving down the rode she didn’t know that a Noel man was on a chase from the police and was going to crash into her. A corporal police officer Chuck Niess said Lizotte was a passenger in a GMC Yukon driven by Francisco Espinoza, who was 22, he allegedly led police officers on a pursuit in the downtown area when they tried to pull him over for allegedly running a red light at Fourth and Main Streets. The pursuit ended when Espinoza sped up and lost control of the vehicle crossing the railroad tracks in front of Missouri Gas Energy operations, than he became airborne and crashed into a ditch. Then, the car burst into flames and the police officers were able to extinguish the fire. Lizotte, died at the scene. Police have yet to indicate if either driver were wearing a seat belt. The driver was taken to St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin. On Monday Espinoza remained in the hospital but the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department custody on charges of first-degree manslaughter, driving while intoxicated and driving with a revoked license, his bond on all three charges were totaled $85,000, Involuntary Manslaughter in the First degree is $75,000, Felony driving while Intoxicated $5000.00, and felony driving while Revoked $5000.00. Espinoza and Lizotte were the only occupants in the vehicle. The Missouri State Highway Patrol was called in to assist police in a reconstruction of the accident.

Ms. Lizotte was born Oct. 1, 1963, in Kansas City, Mo and passed on Oct 11, 2009. Her parents are Roscoe and Frieda (Becker) Stovall, of Quapaw, Oklahoma. Anita graduated from Quapaw high school and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Pittsburg State University. She worked for a Missouri Career Center, AT&T, and was currently employed in Economic Security Corporation in Joplin. She was a member of St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church and was on Board of Director’s at the Independent living center. Anita was preceded in death by her father, a brother named John Stovall and her grandparents. Survivors are her four daughter’s Chelsea Bartholomew age 19, Micaela Bartholomew age 16, Sierra Bartholomew, age 14, and Tanner Bartholomew age 11. Their father Ken Bartholomew; Her mother Frieda Stovall Bowers, her husband, Dean Quapaw, four brothers and many more have had their hearts broken. Tanner’s sisters are all former South Middle School Students. Although these kids lost their mother they still have her in their heart to show them the way, and to guide them if they are ever hurt and need someone to talk to.