Jerry Thompson, left, an iron worker with Septagon Construction, installs steel base trim to the frame of the covered arena annex being constructed on the north side of the Coliseum Building on the fairgrounds. The 80-by-220-foot building is scheduled to be completed in time for this year's Missouri State Fair.

Jack Hayes, a University of Missouri extension office Master Gardener and a full-time chemistry instructor at State Fair Community College, invites Webster Brown, 10, to stick his hand into a bowl of homemade compost and feel how warm it is. Hayes explained to the kids attending the Sedalia Public Library's summer reading activity Wednesday at Liberty Park that compost is organic; it is alive and the heat is a sign that microorganisms are busy digesting organic matter.

The last of the participants in the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival fashion contest, from left, Maxine Griggs, of Sedalia, Lakisha Williams and her son Dakota, 5, of Sedalia, and Gene McPherson, of Sturgis, South Dakota, walk to the Stark Pavilion for the announcement of the winners. Griggs won a second place, the Williamses won two first places and McPherson picked up a first place.

 The Elite Syncopators, from left, Jim Marshall on banjo, Terry Parrish on piano, Christopher Parrish on washboard, and Steve Ley on tuba, perform Friday before a sizable crowd on the third day of the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival at the Stark Pavilion.

A crew with Joplin Tent and Awning, directed by owner George Heim, of Joplin, sets up the John Stark Pavilion venue Tuesday on East Fifth Street, next to the Fox Theater Event Center. The Stark Pavilion, a free performance venue, opens 10 a.m. Thursday with Faye Ballard. About 20 musicians play each day at the Pavilion, each scheduled for a 20-minute set. Admission tickets to paid performances and symposiums can be bought at the Fox Theater Event Center, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the festival.

Lanie Phelps, 6, of Rich Hill, bides her time with her Palomino mare, Foxy, as she competes Friday in a halter mares class at the Palomino Exhibitors Association of Missouri Midway Spring Fling show in the Coliseum Building at the fairgrounds. The three-day show also includes the showing of quarterhorses and pintos. Lanie won a sixth-place ribbon.

Christian Ferm, a mason with D H Restoration of Grandview, dismantles the southwest corner of the Sedalia Public Library, block by block, Thursday morning. He labels and stacks the terra cotta block after he removes it and then takes apart the exposed brick wall. The entire corner from just below the building's water table to the roof will be rebuilt with rebar reinforced concrete block, Firth said, adding that the terra cotta will be cleaned and filler material and grout removed before the blocks are put back in place. Afternoon thunderstorms cut short Firth's exterior work. Construction work was scheduled to wrap up in July but stormy weather has altered the completion date. "We're a little behind schedule, I was speaking with the project manager last night and we are looking at probably latter August," said Pam Hunter, director of the Sedalia Public Library. She said the restoration work has to be done in stages and until the southwest corner is rebuilt other work has to wait.

Rowena Nickell, of Smithton, center, and her husband Dennis, right, help place flags in front of the gravestones of military veterans early Saturday morning at Crown Hill Cemetery. "This is our first year doing this; we heard on the radio that they needed volunteers," she said. Larry Brooks, with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2591 and manager of the Memorial Day flag project, said there were a lot more volunteers this year than last year. "We placed about 3,000 flags," he said. It took an hour for the volunteers, from kids to adults, to place the flags. Afterward the volunteers were treated to a free breakfast by the 40&8 at the American Legion Post on West Main Street.

The hearse bearing the body of Army Sgt. 1st Class Trenton L. Rhea, 33, leaves the First United Methodist Church Celebration Center, 1701 W. 32nd St., following a funeral service on Saturday. According to the Department of Defense, Sgt. 1st Class Rhea drowned May 15 while crossing a body of water during a combat operation in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Rhea, of Oakley, Kan., was with the 200th Military Police Command. He and his wife Leah, of Sweet Springs, were married in 2006 at the Celebration Center.

Hundreds of rubber ducks in the Amigos de Cristo Lutheran Church Duck Race are herded Saturday by volunteers equipped with paddles, from bottom, Jose Alicea, Dalton Shepard, Bryce Chalfant and Adrian Sotella, The boys are directing the ducks to an area shaped by floating noodles to resemble a funnel, top of picture, where the bobbing flock will be squeezed into a single line. The first 30 ducks pulled out are winners of the first of three heats. Ninety ducks will compete in a final race and the first 30 will win their ÒadoptersÓ a prize, said Nicole Gadt, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer and organizer of the fundraising event. The ducks were adopted for $5 apiece or $25 for a flock of six by visitors to the event. Each duck was marked with an identifying number. The top prize is a hot air balloon ride for two donated by RE/MAX of Sedalia.

Sedalia Middle School students Lyndon North, left, and Elise Hawley perform a series of basic martial arts moves during testing for a yellow belt, the next skill level above the beginner's white belt. They were among 13 middle school students enrolled in Boys and Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri-sponsored martial arts course that began in January. The test on Friday was the last day of the course.

Robert Barnier, who is blind, is handed several magnetic tipped darts to throw, by Erica Rennison, a supervisor for service coordinators with the Center for Human Services, at an outdoor picnic Thursday for more than 100 CHS clients and staff at Centennial Park. "We have seven social leisure events a year," Rennison said. After several attempts and vocal guidance from Rennison, Barnier was able to hit a metal target.

(NewsUSA) - This year marks the 150th anniversary of the turning point in the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg. As far as defining American moments go, it doesn't get much more iconic than that.

Josh Meford, a senior on the Smith Cotton High School robotics team, Team SCREAM, (Smith-Cotton Robotics, Engineering and Mathematics), explains to industrial technology instructor, Michael Wright, right,  a modification he would like to add to the team's robot, Mantis. The robot is currently in St. Louis, under lock and key, awaiting the arrival of the team on Wednesday for a 4-day world championship robotics competition involving 400 high school teams from mostly the United States.