Stories from Saturday, January 21, 2017

Lawrence County Sheriff Brad DeLay said due to the cuts in the county's approved budget for his office an the jail, four employees may be laid off in coming months. DeLay said one road deputy, one jail deputy, one administrative assistant and the office's victim's advocate may no longer have jobs in a few months if the office cannot sustain their salaries...

After approving 25 percent raises for ambulance staff in December, members of the Barry-Lawrence Ambulance District board looked for ways to support the move after their auditor warned the increase pushed cash flow too far. Board members approved the raises to place pay scales for the district in the 75th percentile of services operating in southwest Missouri. Previously, the district fell in the 50th percentile range and perpetually struggled to attract workers...

Mary Holmes looked at lobby cards and posters Mark Henderson from the Gillioz Theater trash as an employee.

National Guard soldiers from Monett will be among Guardsmen recognized in a departure ceremony in Kansas City today prior to their final training. According to a statement released by the National Guard, soldiers in the 138th Infantry Regiment, which meets at the Monett Armory, will leave following the ceremony for the final portion of their training for a year-long deployment overseas at a location that has not been disclosed...

Verona High School will celebrate homecoming on Friday, as the Wildcats take on the Billings in basketball action. Students have nominated a boy and girl from each class to serve as homecoming royalty. Three senior girls have also been chosen to compete for the crown of queen, each with a male classmate as her partner...

For the past four months, Cox Monett Hospital has offered room service to its patients, and an overhauling of the food service program has received a warm reception and praise by customers. Instead of offering a standard meal of two choices, patients now receive a detailed, restaurant-style menu for their food choices. ...

A relatively small drop in delivered meals and an increase in costs described operations for the Loaves and Fishes hot meal delivery program in 2016. During the annual membership appreciation banquet, Janie Bates, financial secretary, reported the private volunteer program run out of the First United Methodist Church delivered 6,964 meals in 2016, down 413 from 2015, but up 932 from 2014...

Ray Isley, of rural Monett, holds a faded leather wallet still bearing the entire calendar for the year 1914.

St. John's Lutheran Church-Stones Prairie will host its annual chili supper at 6 p.m. today at the church, located on Farm Road 1057 northwest of Purdy. The menu will include homemade chili, potato soup and homemade dessert. Donations for the meal will go toward constructing a new pavilion for the picnic grounds. For additional information, people may call 417-442-3836...

The Dorcas Ladies Aid of Trinity Lutheran Church hosted its January meeting in the Fellowship Hall of the school, located in Freistatt. Doris Meyer, president, called the meeting to order, welcoming 10 members. Betty Sawyer gave the worship, based on the cross, how Christ died and was resurrected. She also explained the symbolic meaning of the LCMS cross. The color has been changed from burgundy to blue...

Five generations of a local family gathered for Christmas at the home of Sue Lawrence in Aurora.

Jerry Davis and Mary (Bell) Davis of Monett will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Jan. 25.

Monett-based Jack Henry and Associates (JHA) has reported market success with its Episys core system, winning the business of the Sun East Federal Credit Union, based in Aston, Penn. Sun East used a core system provider for nearly 30 years. The company switched to Episys, a product offered by JHA's Symitar division, to resolve its need for technological advancements and the ability to integrate the system with complementary data solutions...

Eight Purdy R-2 School District students recently competed in the Ozark Hispanic Study League (OHSL). Competitions were held at Central High School, Bolivar High School, Summit High School and Greenwood High School. The Purdy team placed third overall in both the Central and Bolivar Tournaments...

Drury University has recognized Ann Saunders, director of the Monett campus, with the 2016 Distinguished Staff Award. Saunders, director of the Southwest Region within the College of Continuing Professional Studies (CCPS). was singled out for her dedication to the mission of Drury and CCPS and for her tireless efforts to bolster that mission at Drury's Monett campus...

Third and fourth grade students have been named to the second quarter honor roll at Purdy Elementary School. Principal Janet Boys recognized the following students. Third Grade "A" honor roll: Daniel Barrientos, Owen Gibson, Jenna Adams, Zeanndrea Brown, Easten Goetz, Jazmin Howarth, Ellysa Kettner, Kate Ozbun, Aldo Perez, Randy Rueda, JJ Aguilar, Anjelina Barrientos, Elijah Bowers, Gracelyne Logan, Chance Parsons, Courtney Patterson, Daniel Salas, Frankie Salas, Simon Walker, Shayla Whittington and Rose Wilson.. ...

Four local college students have been named for dean's lists for outstanding academic achievement. At the State Technical College of Missouri at Linn, named to the Dean's List were Brian Hartman of Monett, Colter Sexton of Mt. Vernon, and Blane Schnake of Stotts City. State Tech is a two-year technical college specializing in training for business and industry...

Officials at Monett Elementary School have chosen students demonstrating the characteristics of being hardworking as Students of the Week for Jan. 16.

The Sarcoxie Tournament championship is on the line tonight, as Purdy and Billings clash in the championship tilt at 7:30 p.m. The Eagles topped College Heights, 76-67, in overtime to open tourney play, then routed Wheaton 67-29 in pool play to advance to the championship game...

The Purdy girls basketball team (13-1) advanced to the championship of the Marionville Lady Comet Classic championship with a 67-47 win over Ash Grove on Thursday. The Lady Eagles rallied from a 25-23 halftime deficit and outscored the Lady Pirates 37-22 in the second half...

Four more duals await the Monett wrestling team, beginning Wednesday, as the team makes its preparations for multiple state tournament berths. On Thursday, the Cubs lost a 48-27 dual to rival Seneca, a team Coach Daryl Bradley believes will hoist a state title trophy at Columbia in a month...

Lawrence County commissioners faced an extraordinary moment with exasperated county officials who were more than outraged at being charged with handling public safety in the county without the funds to do it. Usually it takes some effort to pry answers out of officials about their priorities, their projections and their reservations about the coming year's spending plan. ...

Dear Editor: The Enbridge Energy spill of 15,000 gallons of crude oil that took place last week in Lawrence County is just one local example of why it is so important to continue on our journey beyond outdated dirty energy to 100 percent clean energy...

Naomi Joan Young, 78, of Wheaton, died Tuesday, Jan. 17. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23, at Pineville Christian Church in Pineville, under direction of McQueen Funeral Home in Wheaton. Burial will be at Pineville Cemetery in Pineville...

Erin Ann Spradling, 57, of Mt. Vernon, died Tuesday, Jan. 17 as the result of a vehicle accident. A memorial service, under the direction of the Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon, will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21 at the United Methodist Church at 1211 South Carnation Drive in Aurora. Visitation will be held from 12:00--1:00 p.m. on Saturday, prior to the service at the church...

Richard Leon Parsons, 62, of Mt. Vernon, died Wednesday, Jan. 18 at his home. A visitation will be held from 3-4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 22 at the Fossett-Mosher Funeral in Mt. Vernon.

Ron Everett Carter, 88, of Mt. Vernon, died Tuesday, Jan. 17 at his home. A graveside service, under the direction of the Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home, in Mt. Vernon, will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Garoutte Cemetery, northeast of Mt. Vernon...