Stories from Saturday, January 28, 2017

A Monett man arrested with 13.2 grams of meth on Wednesday was returning home in his vehicle when Ozark Drug Enforcement Team (ODET) officers and the Barry County SWAT team arrested him and two others.

A Purdy man is facing two felony charges after numerous allegedly stolen items were found in his apartment on Washington Street in Purdy. David Henry, 29, of Purdy, is charged with felony stealing and felony burglary. According to probable cause reports filed by Det. Rob Evenson, with the Barry County Sheriff’s Office, the Ozark Drug Enforcement Team alerted deputies Henry was burglarizing a home outside of Purdy and was in possession of stolen property...

For an after-school exploration this week, Cecilia Gripka, left, and her dad, Chap Gripka, made designs in geometric patterns at the Monett Branch Library, using the new LED activity table.

Catholic Schools Week will be celebrated Monday through Friday at St. Lawrence Catholic School in Monett, and the event will include special activities for each day of the week. St Lawrence Catholic School serves Pre-K through sixth grades, with a student enrollment of 70...

Mary Whitehead has been named as the new elementary principal at the Verona school district, beginning in the 2017-2018 school year. Whitehead was hired at the board’s January meeting to succeed Jeanne Abeln, who is retiring this year after nine years as an administrator with the district. Whitehead was chosen out of a field of 45 for the position...

Rehearsals are underway for the next production by the Monett Artists' Guild, a stage version of the beloved children's book, "The Velveteen Rabbit." Directed by Marilyn Mann, the play, with a cast of more than 20, is an earlier version of the film "Toy Story," only in this tale, the toys feel threatened by the arrival of a new toy and exhibit attitudes that are frequently uninviting...

The Monett City Council will hold a work session at 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 31 at Monett City Hall to discuss and review the budget for fiscal year 2017-2018, beginning on April 1. A retirement reception for Patricia Ray, who has given 35 years of service to the Barry-Lawrence County Development Center, will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Feb. 23 at the Monett City Park Casino...

The Pierce City Arts Council will host a month-long indoor rummage sale on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Artopia Arts and Events Center, located at 106 W. Commercial St. in Pierce City. The organization is accepting donations from the public during business hours, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m...

Charlie and Joyce Kimbro will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary next week with their family in Texas.

Purdy High School freshman Hunter Thomas has been selected by the Purdy FFA Chapter as January member of the month.

Officials at Monett Elementary School have chosen students demonstrating the characteristics of being hardworking as Students of the Week for Jan. 23.

Verona Elementary School held its annual annual Spelling Bee on Tuesday, Jan. 24, challenging students in grades four to six to a text of excellence. Three students from each of those grades were selected through a class spelling bee. The winner was Elley Sherwood from Mrs. Dobyns’ fourth grade class...

With a senior night looming on Thursday against Joplin, the Monett wrestling program (11-11) knows it has work to do before the district tournament arrives. On Thursday, Daryl Bradley, Monett coach, felt he did not get a good read on his team, thanks in large part to the two teams, Neosho and Cassville, that came to town...

The Monett wrestling team is still getting state attention for its performance on area mats. In the latest poll released by www.missouriwrestling.com, the Cubs checked in at No. 4. Individually, Monett has six wrestlers ranked in the top seven of their respective weight classes with two grapplers earning No. 1 individual rankings...

Verona High School athletes took time out of their schedule to participate in the annual Breakfast of Champions day on Friday.

Last week and a good part of this week I was on the road on family business and recreational activities. When you travel to a place about three times a year, one tends to stay so busy that it hardly passes for recreation. I’m pleased to report Monett still has almost the lowest gasoline prices in the state. ...

Johnnie Ray Herd, 89, of Monett, Mo., passed away on January 24, 2017, at Mercy Hospital in Joplin, Mo. Ray was born on April 17, 1927, in Gainesville, Mo., son of the late D.P. Herd and Genevieve (Shaw) Herd. Ray served his country honorably in the United States Army and was discharged on April 17, 1947. ...

Bill W. Henson, 86, of rural Pierce City, died Friday, Jan. 27 at Lacoba Homes in Monett. Services are pending at this time. Arrangements are under the personal care and direction of Buchanan Funeral Home, Monett.

Robert Michael Jackson, 51, of Monett, died Wednesday, Jan. 25, at Cox South Medical Center in Springfield. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 30 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Monett. Interment will follow at King’s Prairie Cemetery. Visitation will be from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday at the church...

Anna Louise Tartar, 87, of Neosho, formerly of Miller, died Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the Medicalodges in Neosho. A graveside service, under the direction of the Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home in Miller will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at the Stahl Cemetery, southwest of Miller...

Laura Kathryn Wilkinson, 85, of Aurora, died Wednesday, Jan. 25 at the Aurora Nursing Center. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28 at the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora. Burial will be at the Maple Park Cemetery in Aurora. Visitation will be held from 10–11 a.m. on Saturday in the funeral home chapel...