Stories from Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Graphic crime scene photos of 9-year-old Rowan Ford's dead body were shown to the jury during the third day of the Christopher Collings' capital murder trial in Rolla. One by one, close-up images of Rowan were displayed electronically on a large screen in the courtroom as FBI Special Agent Robert Stewart described what he photographed on Nov. ...

2011-12 Softball Academic All State List

Eighty degrees is not the kind of temperatures that one would expect in March but that was what we experienced yesterday with many taking advantage of the summer-like weather.

Rolling Thunder Missouri  Chapter 3 will host a chili supper and silent auction beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, at the Hobbs-Anderson American Legion Post #91, located at 717 E. Broadway in Monett. The event will also feature a quilt drawing and live entertainment by Crazy Cisco. Drawings will be held for door prizes...

Brooke Cornell, of Cassville, and Katie Kaiser, of Monett, students at the Mary Beck's School of Dance recently attended the Dance Makers, Inc. convention and competition held at the Chateau On The Lake Resort in Branson. At the competition, both girls qualified to attend the national competition to be held this summer at Myrtle Beach, S.C. ...

One problem was identified in Monett's response to the statewide tornado drill on Tuesday. "Everyone was dispatched to the stations," said Bonnie Witt-Schulte, Monett emergency management director. All but one of the city's 14 sirens sounded. The siren at Monett Elementary School did not respond to its repeater. Witt-Schulte said a team from Radiophone was in the area making repairs on one of Pierce City's sirens and came to Monett in short order to make repairs...

The Ozark Festival Orchestra began rehearsals on March 6 for its Young Artists concert Lian Ojakangas, of Springfield, who is filling in on concert master duties for the rest of the season. Ojakangas has stepped in for his teacher, regular concert master Elizabeth Meisinger, who broke her arm in a fall during the snow in February. Ojakangas serves as concert master for the Springfield Youth Symphony...

The Missouri Department of Conservation will offer PEEP Passport to Discovery at parks across southwest Missouri March 17 through March 25. "We will have a passport book that can be picked up at any PEEP location," said Tim Smith, Roaring River State Park naturalist. "If an individual visits six of the eight sites they will receive a PEEP patch...

Students and faculty at the Verona School District recognized something extraordinary in their midst for the last few weeks when school librarian Judy Meadows returned to work on Valentine's Day after losing her arm in a farming accident six weeks earlier...

A fire at the Tyson Foods hatchery on Chapell Drive in Monett on Tuesday was answered by the full Monett Fire Department. Chief Tom Jones said the fire was electrical in nature, possibly caused by a florescent light falling onto foam insulation, which ignited. Firefighters arrived to find smoke coming from the plant roof. Jones said firemen accessed the blaze from doors on the north side of the building after stringing 700 feet of five-inch hose from a hydrant near the National Guard Armory...

Pierce City officials held a public hearing on a property in violation of the city's nuisance code ordinance, hearing testimony from Chief of Police Mike Abramovitz. The hearing was in reference to the Lester Morris property located at 510 Newman Ave. in Pierce City. The city council has been trying to work with Morris for several months to allow him time to get the property cleaned up and in compliance with the ordinance...

Barry County is among the 18 Missouri counties denied disaster aid through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from the February 29 tornados. Governor Jay Nixon is planning to appeal the decision. "There's no explanation for why [the disaster declaration request was rejected]," said David Compton, Barry County emergency management director. "They just say no."...

Martha Jane Boyd, age 72, of Miller, died at 9:50 a.m. on Sunday, March 11, in her home. A graveside service, under the direction of the Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon, was held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14, 2012, at the Mt. Vernon IOOF Cemetery...

Thomas Eugene Bunch, age 66, of Aurora, died at 1 p.m. on Monday, March 12, at his home. A funeral service, under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home, in Aurora, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, March 16, at the Fellowship Baptist Church in Aurora, with burial at the Spring River Cemetery in Verona...

Thomas Bruce Duncan, age 77, of Cassville, died at 8:45 a.m. on Monday, March 12. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, in Fohn Funeral Home, Cassville. Burial will be in Mineral Springs Cemetery, near Cassville. Visitation will be held from 5 until 7 p.m. on Wednesday, in Fohn Funeral Home, Cassville...

The family of Leroy Earll, who died on Feb. 20, 2012, will hold a memorial service and celebration of life at 2 p.m., on Sunday, March 18, at the Fairview Community Building in Fairview. Arrangements are under the direction of Clark Funeral Home, Neosho...

Della L. O'Neal, age 96, of Shell Knob, died at 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 10. Funeral services were held on Wednesday, March 14, in Central Community United Methodist Church, under direction of Fohn Funeral Home, Shell Knob Burial was in Painter Cemetery, Shell Knob...

Mrs. Jess Parmley (Billie England), age 86, of Antioch, Calif., formerly of Monett, died on March 11. She was a 1943 graduate of Monett High School and is survived by her husband, Jess, and three sons. Arrangements are incomplete.

Donald Wayne Warner, age 85, of Monett, died at 2:37 p.m. on Sunday, March 11. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 15, in Fohn Funeral Home, Cassville. Burial with military honors will be in Oak Hill Cemetery, Cassville. Visitation will be held from 6 until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, in Fohn Funeral Home, Cassville...

First and second grade students at St. Mary's Catholic School in Pierce City recently completed a special project on a science chapter entitled "Sound Energy." Each student designed and made a musical instrument out of materials found in their homes. ...

The Monett High School jazz band recently competed at Pittsburgh State University. The band received a I rating and students who received musicianship awards were: Jonah Ragsdale, trumpet; Bobby Mobley, trombone; Aaron Morley, trombone; Angel Townsend, tenor saxophone; and Alison Bekas, drum set. ...

Monett High School has announced February Students of the Month. In the front row, from left, are: Bailey Pfitzner, junior; and Hope Caselman and Chris Renteria, seniors. Back row: Kyle McCallister and Tallie Williams, freshmen; and Rebekah Jones and Jonah Ragsdale, sophomores. Not pictured was Matt Murphy, junior...

Monett Elementary School has announced Students of the Week for March 6. Picture in the front row, from left, are: Avery Owens, Luis Campos and Karen Ayala. Back row: Dylan Gorman, Cameron Wallace and Karey Anderson.

Verona High School has announced Students of the Month for February. Pictured, from left, are: Allison Krueger, seventh grade, and Tessa Bilyeu, freshman. The students enjoyed a pizza buffet lunch with Terry Winton, principal, provided by Wing Street of Aurora...