Stories from Friday, September 30, 2016

Cox Monett Hospital has received a major equipment upgrade -- new Stryker beds for the main patient wing and for the baby delivery unit -- that arrived this week. According to Janell Patton, director of community relations and administration for the hospital, 18 beds for the medical surgical rooms and five for labor will provide options previously not available on the hospital's older, conventional beds...

Spurred by three interceptions and a fumble recovery, the Monett defense set the tone early for a 35-0 Cubs win over McDonald County on Homecoming night. While Monett's offense sputtered in the first quarter, the Purple Haze defense gathered in three interceptions -- one each by Mason Swearingen, Michael Branch and Brody Crawford. Crawford also recovered a fumble...

JOPLIN -- The Pierce City football team (3-2) wrapped up the exhibition part of its schedule on Thursday with a 21-0 victory over the Joplin junior varsity. The game was a bit more telling than just a small-school varsity program against a Class 6 junior varsity. Pierce City's roster contains five seniors, which meant that age-wise the teams were close to the same, yet the Green and White team show no mercy...

Golfers at Monett's Windmill Ridge have noticed a minor inconvenience to their daily play, as the course has shut down holes No. 1 through 9 for green improvements. The renovation is expected to last until April, according to Justin Beck, course superintendent...

The Monett volleyball team fell 25-13, 25-13 to Seneca on Tuesday. The Lady Cubs were led by Randi Prock with 7 digs and 2 aces. Kalene Shanks added 4 kills. Natalie Wages chipped in 6 assists, and Kaylee Davis recorded 2 aces.

Railroad repairs in Pierce City have forced the closure of the crossing at Highway 97, just south of Highway 37. According to the Missouri Department of Transportation, the closing will be 'round the clock until Monday to allow railroad crews to make repairs...

Monett officials have had success in securing grant money to make highway improvements, though not on every attempt. City Administrator Dennis Pyle reported the city was hopeful in applying for grant money under the Missouri Moves program to make improvements on the intersection at Highways 37 and 60. ...

With October, autumn officially begins. Taking in the sights of the season as displayed on the lawn of Mike and Phyllis Garrett at 700 Lincoln is calendar girl Lindsey Preston.

The Monett City Council has formally banned the digging of private water wells inside the city limits, or the alteration of any private well. Action followed a moratorium imposed a year ago. The civic engineering firm of Olsson and Associates conducted a study of the city's water system and recommended making the ban permanent. The main concern raised focused on the danger of potential cross-contamination...

A two-vehicle crash on Highway 60 east of Monett at approximately 3:25 p.m. on Wednesday sent two people to area hospitals. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Patrick Jordan, 28, of Clearwater, Kan., driving a 2007 Mazda SUV, was driving east on Highway 60 when he executed a U-turn while driving a quarter mile east of Farm Road 1100, by the the Berean Christian Academy driveway. The Mazda was struck broadside by an eastbound 2004 Pontiac GTO, driven by Louis M. Soto, 22, of Verona...

A single vehicle crash sent one person to Cox Monett Hospital for treatment on Wednesday. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, around 12:30 p.m. a 2003 Volkswagen Beetle, driven by Shawna Sanford, 21, of Monett, was traveling north on Farm Road 1070, two miles south of Monett, when Sanford drove off the right side of the road, through a fence and overturned just south of Farm Road 2030...

The Missouri State Highway Patrol was called in to deal with a pickup driver who was doing donuts on a private road southwest of Monett on Wednesday around 5 p.m.

The old city reservoir between Benton and Wishart streets in Monett, west of Seventh Street, disappeared over the past week.

On Oct. 1, the new brush site for Monett residents to deposit their tree limbs and yard debris will open at the old city dump on Farm Road 1100, north of Business Highway 60. Hours will be from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays...

Lawrence County native Loeda Chapman was inducted as an honoree into the 4-H Hall of Fame on Aug. 13 at State Fair Community College in Sedalia. Her children attended the induction ceremony to accept the award for their mother, who passed away in 1996. She was among 54 from 40 counties, establishing a legacy totaling 1,594 years of service to 4-H. More than 400 family members and friends attended the 10th annual event...

Deputies and employees of the Lawrence County Sheriff's office will soon start to change -- in looks, that is. Starting Oct. 1 through Jan. 1, 2017, they will begin growing beards and/or dressing down, to kick off its annual internal fundraiser to support a county children's charity which provides Christmas gifts to Lawrence County children in need...

The Lawrence County Sheriff's Office reports that its participation in the August Labor Day national DWI Enforcement campaign, 'Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,' was a major success. The office reported that one substance-impaired driving arrest and six citations were made during the enforcement period, which ran from Aug.19 through Sept. 5. In addition, 111 warnings were issued for various other hazardous moving violations...

The Monett eighth-grade football team earned a 26-12 win over Lamar. Tanner Wright led the way with touchdown runs of 43 and 3 yards. Mathew Bahl scored on a 32-yard scamper, and Isaac Hilton recorded a 14-yard score.

Ezequiel Cecenes and Ethan Umfleet helped the Monett seventh-grade football team down Lamar, 35-28. Umfleet scored on runs of 20, 6 and 57 yards. He also returned a kickoff 74 yards for a score. Cecenes recorded touchdown runs of 42 and 24 yards.

The Monett swimming and diving team improved to 16-0 on the season in dual matches with victories over Webb City and Carthage on Tuesday. The Cubs recorded 205 points in the win to earn first. Carthage amassed 177 points, and Webb City finished with 72...

Harry "Bud" Swartz, 65, of Aurora, passed away on September 27, 2016, at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Mo. As many know, he has been suffering from chronic pain for some time now. We are relieved that his passing was peaceful and painless. He was born in Niles, MI, the son of the late Harry and Viola Swartz...

Kimberly McDonald-Williams, age 53, went to be with The Lord peacefully at home on September 26, 2016. Kimberly was born on January 3, 1963, in Lee's Summit, Missouri, the daughter of Bill and Pat McDonald. Kimberly graduated from Lee's Summit High School in 1981, and was united in marriage to David Hoerl, Jr. ...

Katherine L. Barfield, 60, of Cassville, died Monday, Sept. 26. No services are scheduled at this time. Cremation arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home, Cassville.

Rosemary Garzon, 87, of Exeter, died Monday, Sept. 26. Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1 at Maplewood Cemetery, Exeter, under direction of Fohn Funeral Home, Cassville. Visitation will be held from 12:30 until 1:30 p.m. Saturday, in Fohn Funeral Home, Cassville...