Stories from Monday, November 18, 2013

A 4-H club is forming in Purdy and will meet for the first time at 6:30 p.m., Nov. 19 at the Purdy Community room, which is attached to the Purdy Library. Nathan Witt of Purdy has volunteered as the community leader. As the largest out-of-school youth organization in the world, 4-H is open to all boys and girls, ages 5 to 18. Children who are five to seven years old (by Jan 1, 2014) are eligible for 4-H Clover Kids, an introductory program...

Maggie Irene Shaver, age 93, of Cassville, died at 3:13 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 15. Graveside services were held at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 17, in Steele Branch Cemetery, under direction of Finch Funeral Chapel, Stockdale, Texas. Local arrangements were under direction of Fohn Funeral Home, Cassville...

Johnny Coker, Jr., age 69, of Cape Fair, formerly of Aurora, died at 5:07 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at Mercy Hospital in Springfield. A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 18, at the Woodland Hills Family Church, 3953 Green Mountain Dr. in Branson. Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home, in Aurora, has conducted local arrangements...

Emma Faye Laney Utter Bartkoski, age 75, of Purdy, died on Friday, Nov.15. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 18, in Maplewood Cemetery, Exeter, under direction of Fohn Funeral Home, Cassville. No Visitation will be held.

Twyla May Stanley, age 90, of Exeter, died at 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov.13. Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 17, in McQueen Funeral Home, Wheaton. Burial was in Chitwood Cemetery, Wheaton.

Gregory Allen Witt, age 52, of Monett, died on Saturday, Nov. 16 at Cox South Hospital in Springfield. Service arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be released at a later date. Arrangements are under the care of Bennett-Wormington Funeral Home in Monett...

EIGHTY YEARS AGO Nov. 18, 1933 Knights Templar from various parts of Missouri and Arkansas who attended the joint commandery conclave held at the Masonic Temple here characterized the conclave as one of the best they ever had attended. Approximately 100 Knights Templar were present...

sports@monett-times.com The Pierce City Lady Eagles softball team placed several players on the Spring River Valley All-Conference team. Pitcher McKenzie Moreland and coach Kacy Gunnels received the coveted Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards...

sports@monett-times.com Several members of the Pierce City Lady Eagles volleyball team earned post-season awards for outstanding regular season play. The Lady Eagles finished the season 23-7 overall and 9-0 in Spring River Valley Conference play. Jenny Kaiser earned first team All-Conference, second team All-District and All-Region, and Honorable Mention All-State awards...

sports@monett-times.com Monett senior volleyball player Elizabeth Arnold fulfilled one of her goals in life when she recently signed a national letter of intent to play volleyball at Labette Community College in Parsons, Kan. "This opportunity is the best of both worlds," said Arnold. "I get to go to college and still play the game of volleyball."...

A two vehicle, non-injury crash took place on Nov. 14 at the intersection of Highway 60 and Bridle Lane. According to Monett Police, that were on scene, a Ford Explorer in the west bound lane of Highway 60, stopped at the light and when the light turned green the Explorer yielded to a fire truck southbound through the light from Bridle lane. The Explorer was struck in the rear by a Nissan truck that was also traveling westbound on Highway 60...

community@monett-times.com One person received minor injuries in a single-vehicle crash on County Road 2020 two miles east of Pierce City at 12:35 p.m. on Nov. 16. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Carla M. Calverts, 32, of Pierce City, was traveling west in a 2000 Ford Focus, when she ran off the roadway and struck a culvert. Calverts was taken to Mercy Hospital in Springfield. It is unknown if she was wearing a seat belt...

Storms cause outages, down tree limbs in Missouri ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Severe storms have downed tree limbs, damaged roofs and left tens of thousands of Missourians without power. Ameren Missouri was reporting more than 37,000 outages Sunday afternoon, mostly in the St. Louis area...

Members of the Pierce City Arts Council (PCAC) gathered at the Pierce City Branch Library on Thursday, Nov. 7 to watch the unveiling of the new Pierce City mural, completed by artist and muralist Sherry Pettey. The four-by-eight mural reflects Commercial Street in Pierce City in the pre-1940s era, along with vignettes of several local landmarks, including the fountain, bandstand, Elm Street Bridge, the railway depot, Central School, the National Guard Armory Houn' Dawg regiment mascot and legend, Pierce City Baptist College and the old Lawrence County Bank. ...

jwhitlock@monett-times.com The time has arrived again for Crosslines staff and volunteers to gear up for their annual Christmas food basket drive to benefit area families in need. "We were able to make around 330 to 350 baskets last year," said MaLinda King, administrator. "We would like food donations to be dropped off by Dec. 12 for the baskets, but we will accept food donations at any time."...

times-news@monett-times.com The Monett School Board heard reports on several district programs during its October board meeting. Health services Head nurse Carole Hamm and her team, along with Mike Dawson, assistant superintendent, provided details about the district's health services...