Sidney Rushing is in the center of the back row.

Sidney Rushing assists at GMA Dove Awards

Webb City alum Sidney Rushing is among 20 students from Cedarville University who served recording artists backstage Wednesday night during the Gospel Music Association Dove Awards at Nashville, Tenn.

Superstars appearing included Lauren Daigle, Crowder and Lecrae, and songwriters Brandon Lake, Steven Furtick and Phil Wickham.

The Gospel Music Association has used Cedarville students as talent escorts at the Dove Awards for the last seven years. Students from the department of music and worship continue to receive the invitation due to their professionalism.

The job of a talent escort can be stressful during a live performance. They are responsible for making sure performers and award winners are where they need to be and ready for their cues at all times. This requires these students to listen and communicate well as they help ensure the show continues smoothly and without delay.

Sidney Rushing, a senior worship major who has helped at the Dove Awards for three years, says he appreciates the lessons he has learned concerning workflow and effectiveness in performance events.

“If I am at my own church, I want to implement ways to make the service smoother, cleaner and less distracting. It’s not about performance, but when things are visually in the way, people are distracted from the ultimate goal of praising God and worshiping through music,” said Rushing. “The Dove Awards provide a great example of how to keep things running smoothly.”

Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 5,456 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 150 areas of study.

Class of ’74 50-year reunion

A 50-year reunion for the Webb City High School Class of 1974 will be held Oct. 18 – 19.

Prior to the group attending the football game against Carthage at Cardinal Stadium, a mixer will be held at 5 p.m. at Gambino’s, Airport Drive.

On Saturday, there will be a guided tour of Webb City High School beginning at 10 a.m.

The finale will be dinner, music and bonfire at Red Door Barn, 9164 State Highway 43. It will be from 5 to 10 p.m. at a cost of $40 per person.

Tickets can be reserved at myevent.com/wchs50reunion or paid for in advance by mail: Brenda (Witt) Elliot, 801 W. Broadway, Webb City MO 64870.

For updated information, visit the group’s Facebook page.

Sky Kings R/C Fun Fly and Swap Meet

Sky Kings, the remote-contol airplane club, invites spectators to attend their annual Fall Fun-Fly and Swap Meet Saturday, Oct. 12.

Club members and guests will begin flying at 9 a.m. and continue until sunset, as weather permits.

There’s no admission charge for spectators. Chairs, hats and maybe umbrellas are recommended.

The Sky Kings airfield is east of East Street on Sharon Drive.

Free grower training videos available

The new online video series “Practical Advice from Successful Farmers” features advice and best practices from some of Southwest Missouri’s best farmers and extension educators.

Topics include:

• Farm Business Models of :

– Oakwoods Farm, which markets through farmers markets, online, restaurants, a health food store and school sales.

– Gardener’s Orchard, which includes u-pick, seasonal festivals, farmers markets and value-added products.

– Millsap Farms, whose business model includes a CSA, farm store, school tours and other agritourism, pizza nights, flower sales and institutional sales.

• Establishing a Berry Farm, with Patrick Byers, University of Missouri Extension.

• High Tunnel Strawberries – Lessons learned by a first-time grower, with Angela Brattin of Brattin Farms.

• Growing Alliums – Onions, Leeks and Garlic, with Curtis Millsap of Millsap Farms.

• Growing Lavender, with Kelly McGowan, University of Missouri Extension.

• Distilling Lavender Essential Oil, with Patrick Byers.

• Growing Leafy Greens, with Karen Scott, of Oakwoods Farm, and Jason Hirtz, of Box Turtle Farm.

• Tips on Grafting Tomatoes for Commercial Production, with Shon Bishop, of Bishop Gardens.

• Growing High Tunnel Tomatoes, with Farmer Dre aka Andre Gradinaru, of Gardener’s Orchard (available in Spanish as well).

• Growing Sweet Potatoes, with Curtis Millsap (available in Spanish as well).

• Sweet Potato Slip Production, with Patrick Byers.

• Hmong language videos, with Lykou Lee, of Lykou Farms:

– Growing blueberries, elderberries, and high tunnel strawberries.

– Growing tomatoes and squash.

Practical Advice from Successful Farmers is a collaborative project of the Webb City Farmers Market, University of Missouri Extension and Lincoln University Cooperative Extension. It was funded, in part, by a Specialty Crops Block Grant from the Missouri Department of Agriculture.