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Joplin's Celebrations Commission and local historians hard at work planning city anniversary

The Celebrate Joplin Commission has 19 scheduled events, starting later this month through late July.

Later this month, Joplin will kick off thecity's 150th birthday celebration with several activities throughout the Spring and Summer. KRPS's Fred Fletcher-Fiero has more.

In about two weeks, on Thursday, March 23rd, Joplin will mark the Sesquicentennial anniversary of its cityhood dating back to 1873. The Celebrate Joplin Commission has been busy organizing various events and activities.

Patrick Tuttle, Director of Joplin Visitors and Convention Bureau, provided an update Monday night at the Joplin City Council meeting on the first scheduled event.

"As Lynn said, March 23rd is the actual birthday. We're going to kick things off that day at 2:30 with Brad Belk here in the council chambers talking about the significance of the Benton Mural downstairs, which turns 50 this year and is a gift from 1973."

The Benton Mural on the first floor of Joplin city hall was his only autobiographical mural. Benton passed away two years after completing it in 1975. The film portion of the celebration gets Thursday, April 14th, underway. You can view the complete calendar of events at celebratejoplin.com. For 89 9 KRPS News, I'm Fred Fletcher-Fierro

Link to Joplin City Council information

Since 2017 Fred Fletcher-Fierro has driven up Highway 171 through thunderstorms, downpours, snow, and ice storms to host KRPS’s Morning Edition. He’s also a daily reporter for the station, covering city government, elections, public safety, arts, entertainment, culture, sports and more. Fred has also spearheaded and overseen a sea change in programming for KRPS from a legacy classical station to one that airs a balance of classical, news, jazz, and cultural programming that better reflects the diverse audience of the Four States. For over two months in the fall of 2022 he worked remotely with NPR staff to relaunch krps.org to an NPR style news and information website.

In the fall of 2023 Fred was promoted to Interim General Manager and was appointed GM in Feburary of 2024.
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