Stories from Thursday, July 22, 2010

Monett city officials have started talks with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad about upgrading the crossing at Chapell Drive. According to City Administrator Dennis Pyle, concern has been growing for months about the condition of the Chapell Drive crossing, where wooden ties are still in use. The city would like to see the crossing upgraded to the same kind of concrete crossing that city motorists used to have at Central Avenue...

Chester LaVonne George, age 70, of Freistatt, died on July 18, at approximately 2 a.m. at his home following an extended illness Arrangements are pending at Eastlawn Funeral Home of Springfield. The body has been cremated.

June Huffman, age 81, of Pierce City, died at 8:50 p.m. at St. John's Hospital-Aurora on July 20. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 24 at Lakin Funeral Home in Pierce City. Burial will be in Pierce City Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. on Friday, July 23 at the funeral home. Arrangements are under the direction of Lakin Funeral Home in Pierce City...

This week in Monett: At Mocha Jo's coffee café, Austin McClean and Dane Swanger will play acoustic music at 7 p.m. on Friday. The Christian Writers Guild will meet at 6:30 p.m. on July 26. At Denali Dreams, 315 E. Broadway, there will be open mike at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Outstanding performers have a chance for a later booking...

Local law enforcement officials are still seeking the whereabouts of a man last seen in the Monett area earlier this year. Michael S. Nguyen, a white male, 27, is described as being 5-feet, 7-inches in height, and weighing approximately 157 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. Nguyen is wanted for a parole violation...

Area residents will have the opportunity to cast absentee ballots for the Aug. 3 primary election at the county clerks' offices in Cassville and Mt. Vernon. Voting can be done at the Barry County Clerk's office from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 31...

The Monett Police Department participated in the "You Drink and Drive, You Lose" campaign on July 10. Officers participated in a joint effort with the Southwest Missouri DWI Task Force. The enforcement crackdown was aimed at making motorists think twice about traffic safety...

EIGHTY YEARS AGO July 22, 1930 SEVENTY YEARS AGO July 22, 1940 SIXTY YEARS AGO July 22, 1950 FIFTY YEARS AGO July 22, 1960 FORTY YEARS AGO July 22, 1970 THIRTY YEARS AGO July 22, 1980 TWENTY YEARS AGO July 22, 1990 TEN YEARS AGO July 22, 2000...

An Aurora teenager is dead following an overnight crash on U.S. Highway 71 five miles south of Sheldon. The wreck occurred at 4:32 p.m. yesterday. Shelby L. Estep, 17, was driving north in a 2008 HHR and attempted to pass a 2005 Peterbilt tractor trailer, driven by Matthew S. ...

Seven major races kept racing fans entertained with action on Sunday, July 18, at the Monett Speedway. In the Rookies division, Lennie Coats proved to have the winning strategy and duplicated the preliminary race results by also winning the feature race. Jesse James, Frank James, John Beard and Janette Murphy finished in that order in both the opening heat and in the features...