Stories from Friday, October 21, 2016

Erick Rene Vazquez, 40, of Aurora, died Saturday, Oct. 15 at home. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29 at the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home, in Aurora. Burial will be at the Maple Park Cemetery.

Ric Stoops, 73, of Monett, died on Wednesday, Oct.19 while at Cox South Medical Center in Springfield. Services are pending at this time. Arrangements have been entrusted to Buchanan Funeral Home, Monett.

Edward Charles Callahan, Jr., 79, of Mt. Vernon, died Friday, Oct. 14 at the Cox South Hospital in Springfield. Visitation will be held from 10--11 a.m. followed by the funeral service at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22 at the Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon. Burial will be at the Summit Cemetery...

Jack Weston Keith was born July 5, 1920, to Kenneth and Edna Keith in Coffeyville, Kansas, where he was raised and attended schools there. He passed away October 18, 2016, at Freeman Hospital in Neosho at the age of 96 years, 3 months, and 15 days. Jack served as a navigator/gunner in the Army during WWII from 1941 until 1945. ...

CRIMINAL The following defendants plead guilty or were found guilty of the charge listed. An Alford Plea does not admit guilt but indicates defendant believes there is enough evidence for a conviction, SES is Suspended Execution of Sentence, SIS is Suspended Imposition of Sentence, ITC is Intensive Treatment Center, CVCF is Crime Victim's Compensation Fund, LERF is Law Enforcement Restitution Fund. Additional court fees may apply...

Samson Porter, emergency management lead at Cox Monett Hospital, recently completed training offered by the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP), in Anniston, Ala. The CDP is operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency and is the only federally-chartered weapons of mass destruction (WMD) training facility in the nation...

Monett-based Jack Henry and Associates (JHA) and its JHA Payment Solutions group has introduced its JHA EPS SmartPay Biller Direct, an electronic bill, invoice and payment solution for the financial industry. According to studies, over half of all bills are paid directly through a biller site. In order to provide comprehensive solutions to commercial clients, financial institutions must provide billers with support for the critical billing and collection cycle...

An open house for the new addition at Animal Clinic of Monett will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. on Oct. 21 at 687 N. Highway 37, west of Monett. The Mt. Vernon Community Theater presents Neil Simon's "Plaza Suite" at 7 p.m. Oct. 21 and 22 and 2 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Mt. Vernon Arts and Recreation Center, 822 W. Mt. Vernon Blvd. Tickets may be reserved by calling 417-366-9526...

A concert of striking melodies and memorable music by American composers will be offered by the Ozark Festival Orchestra at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Between rain showers on Wednesday afternoon, children at the Melvey Hillhouse Early Learning Center took advantage of their playground to put in some quality time.

The 21st annual Missouri Health Care Association District 4 Golden Age Games, a competition for residents at nursing facilities in southwest Missouri, will return to Monett High School on Oct. 28. Lacoba Homes in Monett will again serve as the local host. About 200 residents from approximately 15 nursing homes will compete. With support staff, the event should draw around 500 people to the games...

The City of Monett has received the Outstanding Project Award from the Missouri Chapter of the American Planning Association for its long-range transportation improvement plan. The award, given annually for a specific project, recognizes innovative planning methods and outstanding public outreach to create communities of lasting value. It was presented at the association's annual conference held Oct. 5-7 in Springfield...

Nearly 100 people turned out on Sunday for the open house at Lacoba Homes in Monett, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the opening of the facility. In remarks that opened the occasion, Administrator Mike Baldus reviewed the history of the Lawrence County Baptist Association's home, the first professional nursing home in Monett. ...

The Lawrence County Sheriff's Office has received approval on a federal grant from the Department of Justice to purchase new ballistic vests for deputies. The award totals nearly $18,000, the largest award in Missouri for this grant cycle. The application was submitted through the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Initiative, totaling over $36,000, with the grant funds providing 50 percent of the cost of the vests. The Sheriff's Office budget must provide the remaining fifty 50 percent of the cost...

Scores from standardized state tests taken last spring have been released by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for Monett School District children, showing positive progress similar to state averages but leaving some head scratching puzzles for educators to resolve...

With a strong Big 8 Conference race on Monday, the Cubs and Lady Cubs cross-country teams take aim at possible state berths on Saturday in Hollister. According to Kelly George, Monett coach, the top 15 runners in each division at Hollister advance to the state championships. With 13 schools in the district field on Saturday, more than 160 total runners are expected.
The Lady Cubs finished second in the Big 8 race at Seneca, and the boys team took fifth...

For the fifth straight year, and sixth time in school history, the Cubs soccer team captured the district crown. On Tuesday, Monett (15-6-1) polished off Logan-Rogersville, 6-2, in the championship, just one night after ending rival Cassville's season by the same scoreline...

Many good Pierce City teams over the years saw their seasons end at the hands of in-county rival Marionville. The Eagles had not beaten the Comets since 2010. That all changed Friday night. Led by a stellar defense, it was Pierce City (5-3) who this time ended Marionville's season, recording a 33-0 postseason victory, the team's first playoff win in six years...

Nothing comes easy as Cubs (9-1) found out in a 35-11 win over Seneca on Friday in the first round of the Class 3, District 4 playoffs. Monett, nursing a 4-point, 7-3 lead turned a tight game around with an Onis Howard fourth down sack of Seneca's Gavin Clouse at the Cubs' 35-yard line with 4:50 left in the third period...