Stories from Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Connie Benton "C.B." Swearengen, 94, of Eagle Rock, died Saturday, Jan. 21. Memorial services will be held at 12 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4 at Schoene-Ruschmeier Funeral Home in Milan. Burial will be at the Oak Grove Cemetery in Milan. Cremation and local arrangements are under the direction of the White Funeral Home and Crematory in Cassville...

Raymond Kleeman, 93, of Richardson, Texas, formerly of Stotts City, died Saturday, Jan. 21 at his home. A graveside service, under the direction of the Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home, in Mt. Vernon, will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26 at the Union Cemetery, south of Stotts City...

There is an old saying that the only things certain in life are death and taxes. I always considered myself lucky in this regard, having a father that owns his own tax business and brother who is a licensed mortician. As much as we want to believe that life is a straight path, we are constantly reminded that it has twists, bends, valleys, peaks, sorrows and happiness along the way...

A 73-70 win over Billings on Saturday gave the Purdy boys basketball team (9-7) the Sarcoxie Tournament title. For Tommy Eagn, Purdy coach, the tournament signified his team still has room to grow, but reinforced the belief that the squad is full of fighters...

Staffers at the Barry-Lawrence County Development Center will honor Patricia Ray for her 35 years of dedicated service in supporting children with developmental delays at an open house, set for 2 to 4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 23, at the Monett Park Casino. The public is invited...

Warm temperatures and sunny skies brought visitors from Pierce City to Monett's South Park Tuesday.

Economics and strategies for success will provide topics for the 48th annual Monett Dairy Day, one of two agricultural conferences planned for Tuesday by the Monett Chamber of Commerce and the University of Missouri Extension Service. Dairy Day will open the day-long session beginning at 10:30 a.m. at the Monett National Guard Armory on Chapell Drive, just south of the railroad tracks...

The first two hemp oil registration cards have been issued in the southwestern part of the state to treat persons with epilepsy, said Dolores Halbin, Barry County native and advocate for the legalization of medical marijuana. Two St. Louis-based companies, Noah's Arc Foundation and BeLeaf, have been authorized by the Department of Agriculture to produce the oil...

The Purdy Special Road District commissioners adopted a budget of $227,150 for 2017 and planned to continue ambitious efforts to upgrade district roads. The budget, up from approximately $224,000 in 2016, exceeded revenue projections by approximately $10,000. However, Commissioner David Henry said the Peterbilt tractor owned by the district, which fellow commissioners agreed to sell, should bring in at least $15,000, which will go back into an equipment fund...

The Purdy City Council has approved a new animal control ordinance that lifts the ban on pit bulls while strengthening its use for prosecution. A new, six-page ordinance was passed governing the regulation of dogs within the city limits. Mayor Steve Roden said the old ordinance had language that would not hold up in court. He asked City Attorney Darlene Parrigon to review the ordinance to give it "more teeth."...

The sunshine and warm weather Tuesday proved to be a perfect day to break out the 'hog' and head down the highway.

A Springfield man was arrested recently after a pursuit beginning in Wheaton ended on Highway HH in Newton County. Jacob Rogers, 27, of Springfield, is charged with felony resisting arrest in one case, and third-degree assault on a special victim in a second...

The Barry-Lawrence Regional Library received a positive audit for its fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2016, but library leaders warned the grants and bequests that supported improvements would not continue into the 2016-2017 year. Kurt Krueger, with The CPA Group in Monett, reported the library's audit received an unmodified opinion, indicating no problems with the organization's record keeping. ...