Stories from Tuesday, January 27, 2015

A Pierce City woman was pronounced dead at the scene of a wreck Friday afternoon on Highway 37, north of Nellie Street in Monett. Francis Williams, 29, of Pierce City, was driving a Mercury Villager van when her vehicle drove off the south side of the highway and down an embankment, coming to a stop in a dry gulch...

Ruth Eileen Jackson, 75, of Mt. Vernon, died at 12:28 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, at her home. Memorial services for family and friends will be held at a later date. Burial will be at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Springfield. Local arrangements are under the direction of Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home, Mt. Vernon...

Defense and timely scoring helped the Monett boys basketball team earn fifth place at the NEO Tournament on Saturday. The Cubs squandered a 15-point first half lead against Guthrie (Okla.) and trailed by three points with six minutes left in the game before rallying for a 46-40 win...

There is an old saying that goes, "Defense wins championships, but offense puts fans in the stands." For the Monett boys basketball team (12-5), the first part of that saying is covered, but the team is struggling to get the offense rolling. The Cubs began the season 7-3, and are 5-2 since Jan. 1...

Crafts Night at the Scott Regional Technology Center at 6 p.m. on Feb. 2 and Feb. 3. Instructor Beth Garrett-Dillon will teach how to make string art. The first time session will focus on making heart-shaped string art for Valentine's season. The second project will focus on a burlap state shape with a heart string over a special place. Sessions are $20 per person. Registration can be made online by Jan. 30 at www.monett-srtc.school fusion.us...

An Aurora man is facing three charges after being seriously injured Friday in a wreck on Route W, four miles west of Butterfield. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Robert Rockwell, 37, of Aurora, was driving a 2004 Ford F-350 westbound on Route W at about 7:30 p.m. when his vehicle traveled off the right side of the roadway, overturned and struck two fences...

Monett-based Architectural Systems Inc. has completed an expansion at its Aurora facility and received a land deal from the city of Aurora to assist future growth. Now in its 17th year, ASI completes fabrication, extrusion finishing and makes brake metal with formed sheet aluminum at its Monett plant. ASI receives its raw materials from its customers and does not extrude aluminum, but focuses on processing the materials...

Monett High School is celebrating Rose Homecoming for basketball season this week. "Night in the Galaxy" is the theme. Activities culminate in the crowning of the homecoming queen on Friday. For Spirit Week, activities have been planned with themes for special apparel to mark the occasion. Monday was Pajama Day and today is Decade Day, where students pick a fashion style distinctive for specific periods...

The Freistatt Board of Trustees approved a budget for 2015, calling for little change from last year's financial picture, though the city clerk anticipates a water and sewer rate increase will likely take place in 2016. The new budget called for total income of $81,215. Of that, water and sewer services are expected to produce $58,000. This compares to actual income of $80,612.65 in 2014, and utilities income from water and sewer sales totaling $58,114.15...

Kermit Charles Whitney Marble, 79, of Shell Knob, died Monday, Jan. 23. No services are scheduled at this time. Cremation arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home, Shell Knob.