Stories from Monday, January 27, 2014

The city of Monett has approved a $6 million bond issue, which will go to voters on April 8. According to City Administrator Dennis Pyle, passage would provide authorization to sell up to $6 million in bonds to upgrade equipment at the waste treatment plant. ...

Pierce City has approved one highway annexation and stalled on a second. The city spent $3,000 in certified mailings to inform property owners on Highway 37 to the east of the city and on Highway 97 to the north of the city's plans to annex state right-of-way on both highways. Paperwork was sent to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) requesting the annexation, allowed under state law...

The Monett Rural Fire Association dipped into savings during 2013 to make a major purchase, but otherwise held expenses close to income for the year. Ryan Nestleroad, treasurer, reported the association received $80,563.57 for the year. Dues payments made up all but $1,000 of the income, with the rest coming from a donation...

A new ordinance before the Monett City Council would provide a new framework for protecting children. Presently, county prosecutors must handle all child endangerment cases. Det. George Daoud found grounds to file child endangerment charges while investigating a number of child abuse cases. Daoud recommended establishing child endangerment as a city office, which would bring those cases under the jurisdiction of the city prosecutor and would allow them to be heard in municipal court...

Pierce City officials have repealed restrictions made on fishing at the city's South Park lake in October. Mayor Allen Stockton said he received complaints from the public over limiting fishing to persons age 15 and under and having no fishing from Oct. 31 to May 31. Alderman Scott Wahl recalled the season was imposed to give the fish population a chance to recover during the winter months...

The Ozark Artists Guild will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 28 at the Mt. Vernon Branch Library. Vietnam Veterans Chapter #1023 will meet at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2 at Angus Branch Steakhouse in Monett. Bids will be accepted until Feb. 7 for the management contract of the Mt. ...

A late-night encounter with a deer south of the Monett Municipal Airport is responsible for sending a Berryville man to the hospital on Friday. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Kelly Nelson, 52, was headed south on Highway 97 just south of Farm Road 2025 when he swerved to miss a deer in the road, ran off the right side of the roadway and overturned his 1995 Dodge Ram...

A Rogersville woman sustained moderate injuries in a crash one-half mile north of Golden on State Highway J. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the incident happened at 8:15 p.m. Thursday when Kathryn Norris, 43, was headed toward Golden. Her 1995 Saturn SL2 traveled off the right side of the roadway into a ditch, overturned and struck a tree...

Pierce City's girls basketball coach knows that he has his work cut out for him tonight against Pleasant Hope in the Marionville Lady Classic Tournament. "They are a good team and have the ability to go inside out," said Rob Guerin. "We have to match their intensity and make them play at our pace."...

The Monett Lady Cubs swimming and diving team won four of their five head-to-head duals during Tuesday's home meet. The Lady Cubs' only setback was a 93-92 hiccup against traditional power Webb City. The Lady Cubs' team of Gina Verhoff, Maddy Glouse, Alex Bahl and Lauren Bass had the best relay time in the 200-yard medley at 2:04:87...

Over the weekend, 150 players fired over 600,000 paint balls at the Kick'n Paintball Park tournament in Monett, competing for cash, points and bragging rights. For park owner Tim Land, it was just another day at the office. "This is the biggest tournament we have hosted on our site," Land said. "This is all I do. My life revolves around paintball."...

This is a make or break week for Monett. On Tuesday, the Cubs travel to Central High School for a triangular with the Bulldogs and Ozark. The Cubs then prepare for a two-day tournament in Odessa. "It's a big week for us, no doubt," said Daryl Bradley, Monett wrestling coach. "Central and Ozark have a lot of big kids and will give us a great test. Odessa is chock-full of state qualifiers and champions. It is the toughest tournament we wrestle in."...

Students, parents and administrators at Pierce City R-6 School may soon be utilizing technology in the form of smartphones to keep abreast of school closings, communications, calendar events and student grades. Su p e r i n t e n d e n t Russ Moreland reported...

EIGHTY YEARS AGO Jan. 27, 1934 The power went off just before noon today. The trouble was finally traced to a small transformer back of the Fourth Street garage, putting out half the lights in town. The power did not come on again until about 2 o'clock. With an hour to heat up the metal pots on the Intertype machine at The Times, the paper was late, and you may have been among those crawing around to find it in the yard after dark...

Louis Joseph Metz, 60, of Monett entered into eternal rest on Thursday, January 23, 2014 at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. He was born on January 22, 1954 in Providence, Rhode Island, the son of Elizabeth (Deming) Metz and the late Louis Frances Metz. He was united...

Mona Marie Strong, 55, of Monett, died Thursday, Jan. 23, at Cox South Hospital. Memorial services will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, at Buchanan Funeral Home in Monett. Visitation will follow from 6:30-8 p.m.

Debbie L. Hill, 61, of Potosi, died Friday, Jan. 24, at the Georgian Gardens Nursing Center in Potosi. Services are pending under the direction of Buchanan Funeral Home of Monett.

Vivian Virginia Whisman, 90, of Joplin, died at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 24. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, at Calvary Baptist Church in Joplin under the direction of Fohn Funeral Home of Shell Knob. Graveside services will be at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at Painter Cemetery in Shell Knob...

Mary Ellen Garris, 72, of Carl Junction, died Saturday, Jan. 25, at her home. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30, at Buchanan Funeral Home Chapel in Monett. Burial will follow at the Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Monett. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, at the funeral home...

Bonnie Blue Jones, 68, of Willard, died Thursday, Jan. 23, at Willard Care Center in Willard. The body has been cremated. Graveside services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, at Clio Cemetery in Jenkins under the direction of White Funeral Home and Crematory of Cassville...