Stories from Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Joseph Anthony Miller, 79, of Monett, passed from this life to his heavenly Father Saturday, Jan. 2, at home, surrounded by his family. Joseph was born March 19, 1936, in Olpe, Kan. He was the youngest child of 11 to John Henry Miller and Catherine Hagemann Miller...

Lee E. Cook, 80, of Pierce City, passed away Tuesday morning, Jan. 5, surrounded by his family while at Mercy Hospital in Springfield. Lee was born on March 22, 1935, in Grove, Okla., son of the late Ralph and Veda (Jones) Cook. Lee served his country honorably in the National Guard and was a member of the Christ United Methodist Church for over forty-five years. For many years, Lee worked as a supervisor at Jumping Jack Shoes. He enjoyed spending time fishing, as well as camping and traveling...

Blia Vang, age 87, of Fresno, Calif., died Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015. Services will be held from 8:00 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, until Monday, Jan. 11, at McQueen Funeral Home in Wheaton. Burial will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Newtonia Cemetery in Purdy. Arrangements are under the direction of McQueen Funeral Home, Wheaton...

Norma Rue Oliver, 87, of Wheaton, died at 3:45 a.m. Monday, Jan. 4. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 8, at the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints, Cassville. Burial will be in Goodnight Cemetery in Purdy. Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, at McQueen Funeral Home, Wheaton...

William Glenwood Jennings, 95, of Aurora, died at 10:35 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2, at the Aurora Nursing Center. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 8, at Elm Branch Christian Church. Burial will follow at the Orange Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 7, at the funeral home...

The Monett wrestling team returns to the mat on Thursday after an almost three-week layoff, as the Cubs welcome Republic and McDonald County to the high school gym. "Right now, we are as healthy as we have been all year," said Daryl Bradley, Monett coach. "We took some time off to heal and allow our guys to get certified in weight classes. I feel like we are ready to roll."...

Upcoming activities at the Monett Branch of the Barry-Lawrence Regional Library include an adult coloring get-together is slated for 2 p.m. on Jan. 7. Joetta Johnston will lead a crafts class, "Making Angels from Christmas Cards and Snowmen" at 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 12. The library is located at Sixth and Bond streets...

The Monett Police Department and the Barry Lawrence County Crime Stoppers are asking for help in identifying a person of interest in a felony shoplifting, which occurred in late November of 2015 at the Monett Walmart.

Lately, homeowners may have noticed large numbers of Asian Lady Beetles coming from seemingly nowhere to visit their homes. "This year seemed worse," said Tim Schnakenberg, regional agronomy specialist for the University of Missouri Extension. "I can't explain why this fall is worse than most, but it tends to be a fall and spring issue. ...

Before reentering a home after flooding, important steps need to be taken to ensure safety. To help, the University of Missouri extension has resources to help Barry County residents in the aftermath of recent flooding throughout the county. "We have to think about flood recovery and dealing with the issues of going back into the house, such as making sure the power is off, and there's not a structural issue as in whether or not a building can fall in," said Tim Schnakenberg, regional agronomy specialist for the extension. ...

Two first babies arrived by way of the stork in 2016, one for Cox Monett Hospital and another for Cox Hospital South in Springfield, coming from Barry and Lawrence counties. The first baby at Cox Monett was Reece Alexander Newman, born at 8:14 p.m. on New Year's Day, weighing 8 pounds, 13 ounces and measuring 21.5 inches long. Reece is the son of Rusty and Cortni Newman of Cassville...

In the wake of recent flooding that hit southwest Missouri, amounting to 10-12 total inches of rainfall in some Barry County areas over a 48-hour period, the University of Missouri Extension is providing a new resource to local residents. Missouri Flood Info, a community Facebook page dedicated exclusively to flooding information and resources, has been formed to create a virtual disaster-response community...

In one of his last acts of public charity, Senator Emory Melton of Cassville donated $25,000 to the Barry-Lawrence Regional Library for use specifically for young readers. The gift was announced at the library board's November meeting. Melton died at his home on Dec. 26...

Returning to school this week, preschoolers and kindergarten students at St. Lawrence Catholic School in Monett went to music class, where they sang and danced "The Monkey Song," mimicking climbing, scratching and other things monkeys do in time to the music...

A Purdy man was injured Tuesday in an incident at 10:40 p.m. on Highway 37, one mile south of Butterfield. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Tony Morgan, 52, of Purdy, placed a 2008 Chrysler Town and Country Minivan in reverse, and when he stepped out of the vehicle and removed his foot from the brake pedal, the vehicle backed onto him...

Sales tax receipts found fertile ground in 2015 for bi-county cities and counties. All but two cities showed gains in December, compared to year ago, and every city but one showed a gain for the year, while the short-comer missed the mark by less than $25...

It has not taken Alyssa Kennedy long to put her stamp on the Lady Cubs basketball brand. The Monett girls basketball coach has no issues wearing out the floor pacing up and down the Monett bench during games, all the while encouraging her team, giving directions, working the officials and burning timeouts to talk to her squad...

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced Saturday night that President Barack Obama has signed an emergency declaration for 60 counties in Missouri, including Barry and Lawrence. The declaration limits assistance to schedules A and B, which Barry County Emergency Management Director David Compton said covers only things like debris removal and sheltering. He said the vast majority of Barry County's damage is in other areas, mainly roads...

William Ozbun, 88, of Aurora, died Tuesday, Jan. 5, at his home. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, Jan. 8, at Peterson Funeral Home in Aurora. Burial will be at Bethel Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 7, at the funeral home...

Whitney Nicole Barker, 22, of Osceola, Nebr., formerly of Pierce City, died Jan. 4 at Annie Jeffry Hospital in Osceola, Nebr. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 9 at Lakin Funeral Home in Pierce City. Burial will be at Muncie Cemetery near Wheaton...

Lola Barnhart, 100, of Pierce City, died at 12:50 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 5, at her home near Pierce City. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 11, at Lakin Funeral Home in Pierce City. Burial will be at Pierce City Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 10, at the funeral home...