A step forward for a historic downtown building in Joplin has meant taking a step back, into the past.

GALENA, Kan. — A 19-foot-tall Muffler Man was recently placed near the historic viaduct along old Route 66 in Galena, and locals hope it will become the town’s newest roadside attraction.

The Joplin Board of Education plans to move quickly on a recent recommendation to combine West Central and Columbia, its oldest elementary schools, into one building to be constructed at a new location.

Janet Kavandi remembers exactly where she was on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took those first historic steps on the surface of the moon:

The Joplin Globe publishes summaries of routine and follow-up inspections performed by the Joplin Health Department.

The Joplin City Council will be asked at a meeting Monday to pay off $1.62 million the city still owes for Joe Becker Stadium renovation.

Two people from Verona and two people from Aurora were injured at 12:35 p.m. Saturday at the Kings River Marina on Table Rock Lake in Barry County when their boat exploded, according to the Missouri State Water Patrol.

The following are five of the top stories published in the Globe during July 8-12. In case you missed them, here’s a recap:

The Joplin Board of Education plans to move quickly on a recent recommendation to combine West Central and Columbia, its oldest elementary schools, into one building to be constructed at a new location.

Janet Kavandi remembers exactly where she was on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took those first historic steps on the surface of the moon: