Stories from Tuesday, July 11, 2017

G.E. (Bill) Leonard, 98, of Cassville, died Saturday, July 8. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 12, at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville. Burial will be in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery at Butterfield. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville...

Debra Sue “Debbie” Huse, 55, of Cassville, died Thursday, July 6. Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, July 10, at Oak Hill Cemetery in Cassville, under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville. Visitation will be held from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville...

Michael Renee Benbo, 62, of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, died Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Funeral services were held Monday, July 10 at the chapel located at Bashan Hill in Exeter with Pastor Trevor Bingham officiating. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the White Funeral Home and Crematory, Cassville...

John W. “Wes” Nelson, age 72, of Monett, Mo., passed away on Sunday morning, July 9, 2017, while at Joplin Health and Rehabilitation Center following a lengthy illness. Wes was born on April 15, 1945, in Omak, Wash., son of the late John T. and Viva Nell (Carney) Nelson...

Norma J. “Jeannie” Gautney, age 66, of Aurora, Mo., passed from this life, surrounded by her family, due to a sudden illness on July 8, 2017. She was the daughter of William M. and Lois M. (Neill) Haynie; born September 11, 1950. She graduated from Willard High School in 1968. ...

Monett High School senior Kloie White opened competition in the barrel racing event at the 25th annual International Finals Youth Rodeo (IFYR) on Monday. The annual event is held at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center, in Shawnee, Okla., White is participating in the world’s richest youth rodeo, hoping to win her share of more than $250,000 in prize money and championship saddles and buckles...

History is believed to have been made over the weekend at North Park, as the Monett 8-and-under (8U) All-Star baseball team captured the 2017 Cal Ripken Rookie Division District tournament championship. “Brent Daingerfield, who has been associated with Monett youth baseball as long as anyone, said he couldn’t recall an 8U, 10U or 12U baseball championship,” said Kevin Mahurin, Monett youth coach. “We’ve had several runner-up finishes. It was a fun and exciting weekend for sure.”...

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, SATOP is Substance Abuse Traffic Offender Program, CVCF is Crime Victim’s Compensation Fund, LERF is Law Enforcement Restitution Fund. ...

The Barry-Lawrence Ambulance District board will meet at 6:30 p.m. on July 11 at 307 Dairy St. in Monett. The next Lawrence County Gospel Sing will be held at 2 p.m. on July 23 at the Buck Prairie Baptist Church, south of Marionville on Farm Road 1230. Singers and musicians ar welcome. Lonnie Lawson will be the master of ceremonies...

The Monett City Council has approved a reduction in the tax lien on 526 Logan in an effort to aid Habitat for Humanity. City Administrator Dennis Pyle requested the change. Pyle said the city demolished the house at the address and tacked the cost of the demolition, hauling off the debris and abated subsequent nuisances by mowing, adding that cost. Total expense put into the property by the city has been $6,146 ...

Members Only lead singer Brent Thornton got the crowd involved while singing multiple 1980’s rock hits during the Angus Branch Steakhouse’s Parking Lot Party on Saturday night.

The Barry-Lawrence Ambulance board is considering putting a time limit on hours that crews will accept transfers to mental health facilities. Operations Director Valerie Wilson reported that during the past month, crews took patients on mental health transfers to facilities in St. Joseph and Kennett. The long trips commit crews for an extended period. Paramedic Jody Wooten said a crew leaving for Kennett at 8:30 p.m. would not return until 10 a.m...