Stories from Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Nora Grace Vaught, infant daughter of Chad Layne and Hailey Renee (Turner) Vaught, of Verona, began life as an angel Sunday, June 5. A private family service will be held at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora...

Jo Ann Laster, 88, of Viola, died at 11:45 a.m. Thursday, June 2. Burial will be held at a later date at Viola Cemetery. Cremation arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Shell Knob.

Glenna Sue Buckhanan, 64, of Verona, died at 5:45 a.m. Sunday, June 5, at Ozark Methodist Manor in Marionville. No services are planned at this time. Arrangements are under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora.

Jeffery Allen "Jeff" Baughman, 51, of Wheaton, died at 7:45 p.m. Monday, June 6. A family wake will be held at a later date. Cremation arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.

Fans attending football games at Pierce City this season will have an easier time seeing the score, down, distances and time remaining in games thanks to the addition of a new scoreboard. First State Bank of Purdy donated $24,224 for Don Keebaugh Stadium to install a new Kelly Green Daktronic scoreboard...

The American Red Cross will host a blood drive from 1 to 6 p.m. on June 13 at the First Freewill Baptist Church, 107 W. Sycamore, in the fellowship hall. The City of Monett requests that flowers placed on graves in the IOOF, Oakdale and Cox cemeteries for Memorial Day be picked up by Sunday, June 12, so that regular maintenance can resume...

A New York financial technology company recently completed its second annual, SmartAsset study, which analyzes places in which Social Security income goes the furthest. In the study, the company analyzes cost-of-living data, income, and taxes in counties across the U.S. to determine where Social Security is going the furthest, and Barry County came in at number six in the state. According to the data, the county is making its second consecutive appearance in the study's Top 10...

From door locks to testing procedures, Purdy schools are implementing a number of technology changes that will change the mechanics of several school operations. Superintendent Steven Chancellor told school board members locks on the buildings were replaced with key pads in the second week of May. Faculty, administrators and staff will now have access to buildings with cards, keypads and keys for access. Doors will unlock at 7:30 a.m. and...

Sales tax revenues to bi-county cities and counties saw a big swell in May, jumping by 25 percent overall and recovering the declines Monett saw in April, compared to a year ago. The jump appeared to mirror big rises in 2013 and 2014, when the Missouri Department of Revenue sent out a big disbursement in May that blunted the historic high numbers in June, resulting in a lower June total than the previous year...

Arcing power lines connected to a transformer serving the Tyson Foods processing plant in Monett on Monday set off a chain reaction that destroyed the transformer and suspended some of the plant's operations, which resumed on Tuesday. According to Skip Schaller, Monett utilities superintendent, wiring from a bank of three transformers serving the main Tyson Foods plant, located on the northwest corner of the plant, started arcing at the transformer around 2 p.m...

Isaac Yeoman, 5, plays on the monkey bars dome while at the annual St. Mary's Picnic in Pierce City on Saturday.

The A+ scholarship program, created more than 20 years ago to help qualifying graduating seniors pay for college tuition and fees at participating public community colleges and vocational-technical schools, may be modified to include all schools, and students, in Missouri...

The Barry County Commission pays $4,000 annually to the Ozark Drug Enforcement Team (ODET) to help address, control, and prosecute drug-related crimes, but a lack of assistance from the task force has caused Barry County Sheriff Mick Epperly, who says he is not getting results in exchange for those county funds, to consider pulling out...

Three Monett hoops standouts will receive one more opportunity to display their talents and skills Saturday at Neosho. The Lions Club of District 26-M6 hosts the 37th Lions All-Star Twin Classic basketball games at the Neosho High School Athletic Center...