Stories from Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Robert R. "Bob" Charles, 85, of Exeter, died Friday, Jan. 20. Funeral services were held Monday, Jan. 23 at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville. Burial with military honors was at Maplewood Cemetery in Exeter.

William L. "Bill" Martin, 85, of Monett, MO, passed away on Sunday evening, Jan. 22, 2017, while at Cox South Medical Center in Springfield, Mo. Visitation will be held at Buchanan Funeral Home on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017 at 10 a.m. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., immediately following the visitation, with Dr. Bill Cox officiating. Burial will be at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Bentonville City Cemetery at 400 SW "F" Street in Bentonville, Ark...

The Pierce City girls basketball team improved to 13-4 on the season with a 56-41 victory over Columbus (Kan.) in the third place game of the Lady Lancer Classic at Southeast (Kan.). The Lady Eagles were led in scoring by Ragan Blinzler and Belle Golubski with 14 points apiece. Libby Strickler scored 9 points. Kendyl Hayward and Christine Stellwagen added 7 points each, and Kayla Portillo and Kristen Jones put in 4 each...

Pierce City improved to 12-4 on the season with a 72-37 win over Southeast (Kan.), in the Lancer Classic on Saturday. Hunter Tindell led the way with 25 points and was named to the All-Tournament team. Freshman Aaron Garner erupted for 16 points, and Mason Moreland added 11 points...

Spurred by Tyler Keeler's 39 points, the Purdy boys basketball team (11-8) held off Billings, 73-70 to claim the Sarcoxie Tournament championship. Keeler scored 32 in the first half, with teammate Matt Wilson adding 13 more to lead the Eagles. Purdy led 51-49 after three quarters, with the final period seeing the Eagles outscoring the Wildcats, 22-21...

The Purdy girls basketball team improved to 13-1 on the season and won its 10th-straight game with a 65-49 win over Spokane to earn the Marionville Lady Comet Classic title on Saturday. The Lady Eagles led 18-13 at the end of the first and 35-25 at halftime...

A hardwood battle in Galena tonight will give the Verona boys basketball team (6-11) a chance to level out what has been a roller coaster ride season fitting for any theme park in America. The Wildcats wrapped up a sixth-place finish in the Spokane Invitational on Friday with a disheartening 59-37 loss to Blue Eye...

The Barry County Retired Teachers and School Personnel will meet Friday, Jan. 27, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Monett. Snacks will be served at 10 a.m. with business meeting following at 10:30 a.m. Dues have been increased to $10 and may be paid this month...

The Monett High School athletic department was the recipient of a check in the amount of $15,000 from the SRC Automotive's Monett plant in recognition of their outstanding performance and taking the state title in football competition this year.

Third-grade students at Central Park Elementary School in Monett participated in a Snuggle Up and Read Day, during which Mayor Mike Brownsberger read a short and timely story, "Duck for President," by author Doreen Cronin.

Several Harold Bell Wright Museum board members have resigned their seats in recent weeks, resulting in vacancies filled at the January meeting of the Pierce City board of aldermen. Resigning were Rose Killingsworth, Jack George and Katie Frantz. Jerry Stanphill will replace Killingsworth, whose term ends in 2017...

The Southwest Research Center has been busy in the last year earning its namesake, as staff have been taking on numerous agriculture-related research endeavors. David Cope, director of the University of Missouri's center, noted one trial to compare alfalfa baleage as a food source for cattle, compared to Kentucky 31 fescue, the standard fescue grass with harmful endophyte fungus. ...

It was a full house at the 15th annual Dining for Diabetes fundraiser, held Saturday in the multi-purpose room at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Pierce City.

Producers of food for cattle often struggle to cut and bale hay at the peak of nutrition because of rain. Three local producers talked about the advantages of baling wet field produce and wrapping it for silage as presenters at the Lawrence County Soils and Crops Conference...

With the change in administrations in Washington, D.C., Monett Attorney Darwin Groomer said he has heard much anxiety among new immigrants about what will happen to them. Even so, Groomer said changes will come slowly, providing opportunity to make positive steps to prevent major issues...