Stories from Thursday, February 7, 2013

For months, the Barry-Lawrence Ambulance District has been asking area fire departments to sign new memorandums of understanding (MOU). The Monett City Council approved the MOU for the city fire department, which makes the most responses in support of Barry-Lawrence Ambulance crews. The Butterfield Fire Department, whose territory overlaps the ambulance district, has also signed on...

Collaborative projects between the Purdy High School Spanish Club and the Purdy Renewal Project were discussed at the January meeting of the Purdy R-2 Board of Education. Gerry Wass, faculty sponsor for the Spanish Club, showed the playground equipment the groups would like to purchase from Miracle Recreation Equipment for $5,000...

The Barry County Sheriff's Office responded to a total of 12,254 calls during 2012 according to an end-of-year report released by Barry County Sheriff Mick Epperly and Jail Administrator Jan Smith. The calls handled in 2012 was down slightly, compared to the 12,981 county officers responded to in 2011...

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon's proposal to add $8.5 million to the state budget for mental health services may have a broad reaching effect on the healthcare system. Frank Compton, chief executive officer for the Clark Community Mental Health Center, said details on Nixon's proposal have not been released but the target for funding is known...

Michael Jackson is back! This week's homecoming activities revolve around the King of Pop, culminating in the homecoming dance, slated to take place following the game. The Pierce City Eagles will play against the Jasper Eagles in basketball court action, beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8 in the high school gymnasium...

The Monett City Council will hold a work session at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 7 to meet with Monett R-1 School District representatives to discuss the Ninth Street traffic study. The Chatty Crafters will meet at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9 at the First Christian Church in Purdy. New participants are welcome and encouraged to bring their own projects. For more information, call 417-498-2202...

The annual Ronald McDonald House Share a Heart campaign gets underway on Friday, Jan. 25, with local McDonald's restaurants accepting donations to support the Ronald McDonald House in Springfield. Local residents will have the opportunity to donate $1, $5 or $20 to adopt a heart at McDonald's restaurants in Monett, Aurora and Mt. Vernon. Each heart comes with an official entry form to win a $1,000 MasterCard from Great Southern Bank...

Monett-based Jack Henry and Associates, Inc. (JHA) has been named one of America's Top Workplaces by WorkplaceDynamics. The National Top Workplaces list was determined solely by feedback gathered through an objective employee survey. The survey was conducted by WorkplaceDynamics, LLP, the leading on-demand employee survey provider, in conjunction with 30 leading regional newspapers...

A Greenfield woman was hurt in a single vehicle crash at 10:20 p.m. on Feb. 2 three miles north of Miller. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Christina Mitchum, 33, was driving south on Highway 39 in a 1984 GMC bus when the bus ran off the roadway, overturned and struck a fence...

Loraine Dawn, age 92, of Purdy, Mo., passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013 while at Cox-South Hospital in Springfield, Mo. Loraine was born on Oct. 22, 1920 in Purdy, daughter of the late John Morlan and Lois (Shepherd) Morlan. She lived her entire life in the Purdy area, attending the former Marbut School, south of Easyville. Loraine worked for over 25 years at the Garment Factory in Monett, retiring in 1983. She enjoyed sewing quilt tops and crocheting. She was also an avid reader...

Betty Lou Ratliff, 86, of Aurora, Mo., formerly of Monett, passed from this life on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013 at Mercy Hospital in Aurora, Mo. She was born March 9, 1926, the daughter of the late Jess and Molly (Kern) Stufflebeam. She was united in marriage in Galena, Mo. in 1942 to Rex Ratliff, he preceded her in death in 1954...

Mrs. Evelyn L. Miller, age 66, of Squires, Mo., met Jesus on the morning of Feb. 5, 2013 while at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Mo. Evelyn was born on Oct. 24, 1946 in Greene County, Mo., daughter of Frank T. and Lola E. (King) Gray. She is survived by her mother, Lola Gray, of Mansfield, Mo.; two sisters, Francis Dedmon, of Mansfield and Priscilla Logan, of Seymour, Mo. She was preceded in death by her father, Frank Gray. She was a member of Ava United Methodist Church...

Damon Lavon and Maggie Helen (Lamp) Wormington, of Purdy, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Sunday, Jan. 27, with a family dinner at their home. They were married on Jan. 28, 1932, at the home of Rev. Winford Davis, of rural Purdy. They have four children: Junior Wormington and his wife, Gayle, Helen Marie Roller and her husband, Rick, Mary Terry and her husband, Steve, all of Purdy; and Larry Wormington and his wife, Jerrie, of Monett. ...

Kathryn Marie (Katie) Fountain-Sutherland, age 48, of Cassville, died at home Wednesday, Dec. 23. Memorial services will be held at 1 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11, in Fohn Funeral Home, Cassville.

Mechele Tharp and Jeff James, both of Monett, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. The bride-elect is the daughter of Jerry and Becky Tharp, of Monett. The prospective groom is the son of Jerry and Jane James, of Monett. The wedding is planned for April 2013...

Ruth Estelle Hinshaw Tobey, age 99, of Mt. Vernon, died at 7:15 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 4, at the Lawrence County Manor. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8, at the Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon with burial at the Webb Cemetery, west of Miller...

Air Force Airman Dane M. Swanger graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. Swanger completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. ...

Storytime for preschoolers continues to meet at 10:30 a.m. each Wednesday. The Prairie Quilting group will meet for their third lesson at 1:30 p.m. on February 12, followed by a hands-on session in the community room. A scrapbooking and stamping demonstration will be held at 1:30 p.m. on February 19. The quilting group will join them for an afternoon of creative fun, work, fellowship and snacks!...

The next "Wii Gaming Event" will be held at the Monett Branch Library at 4 p.m. on Thursday, February 14. All ages are invited to participate in this fun and free event. New non-fiction titles include: "Cracking the ACT" by Geoff Martz; "Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal," and "The Two Minute Yoga Solution" by Nicole DeAvilla...

The Pierce City High School cheerleaders are set to perform a tribute to Michael Jackson during homecoming ceremonies on Friday, Feb. 8. The PCHS homecoming theme is "Michael's Back."

Cattle theft is alive and well in southwest Missouri. This, in spite of law enforcement efforts, cattle producer night patrols, trail cameras, neighborhood watches and vigilant observations by livestock markets, says Eldon Cole, a livestock specialist with University of Missouri Extension...