Stories from Wednesday, September 6, 2017

A year ago on Aug. 31, Aurora Police Officer Weston Welch shot Thomas Eugene Sekscinski on a remote road in McDowell following a high speed chase. Sekscinski, 38, an Aurora resident, died of his wounds on Sept. 6. Barry County Prosecutor Amy Boxx declined to press charges against the officer...

A Monett family was saved from a house fire early Tuesday morning when the family dog alerted them to a blaze that started in the living room. The fire, called in at 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday, caused moderate damage to the home owned by Rick Wormington at 1400 Hemingway Drive in Monett...

Following adjustments made during the annual property tax levy, the Purdy school district will be in a position to float a no-tax-increase bond issue for further improvements in the 2019-2020 school year. The school board adopted a tax levy of $3.5286 on $100 of assessed property for the 2017 tax cycle. ...

A full 53-foot Tyson Foods trailer had the final local donations loaded on board Tuesday morning to help with relief efforts in Texas from Hurricane Harvey. For Amanda Lee, who coordinated the outreach through First State Bank of Purdy in Monett, it was an emotional moment...

Students in Amy Dierker’s preschool class at St. Lawrence Catholic School in Monett have a balance beam to help students practice coordination during their recess time.

Advocates for the elderly and disabled in Missouri are pushing legislators and Gov. Eric Greitens for another special legislative session this month to address a controversial rule change in state funding primarily targeting the ailing and elderly. The Missouri Assisted Living Association and the Missouri Health Care Association are among those pushing to have a special session of the Missouri General Assembly called to coincide with the annual veto session, slated for Sept. ...

A Monett man is charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor after allegedly accosting a victim outside a laundromat while naked and intoxicated. Carlos Rueda, 21, of Monett, is charged with first-degree attempted sexual abuse, resisting arrest and misdemeanor first-degree sexual misconduct...

Sales tax disbursements to bi-county cities and county governments dropped in August, almost predictably after a double digit spike in July, though for the third time this year receipts in the two counties have veered in opposite directions. Monett was largely responsible for the dip in numbers. ...

A Monett man is charged with three felonies for allegedly enticing a minor for sex and possessing child pornography after text messages revealed the relationship with he and the victim. Matthew Peetz, 55, of Monett, is charged with statutory sodomy, enticement of a child and possession of child pornography...

Visitors to the Cherokee Heritage Center in Tahlequah, Okla., last weekend, open free of charge during the National Holiday of the Cherokee Nation celebration, toured the Trail of Tears exhibit which takes up half of the museum’s exhibit space.

Purdy Elementary School Grandparents’ Day Celebration for students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade is Friday, Sept. 8, from 9 to 10 a.m. Auditions will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Sept 11 and 12 for the Bernard Slade play “Tribute,” the next production by the Mt. ...

Fresh off their first defeat in the last 14 games, the Monett football team (2-1, 0-1) will look to right the ship on Friday. The only problem is six-time defending state champion Lamar (3-0, 2-0) and its 38-game winning streak. Still, to hear Tigers Coach Scott Bailey talk, fans would believe that they are the underdog...

Call it an adventure into the great unknown, call it a unique experience or call it whatever you will, but for the Pierce City football team, Friday night’s game is going to be fun. For the first time anyone can remember, the Eagles (3-0) are leaving the state of Missouri to play a varsity football game. They invade the state of Arkansas to play Green Forest (0-1) who opened the season with a 27-3 loss to Huntsville (Ark.)...

32.5: The Monett defense has made 24.5 tackles this season that resulted in negative yardage, as well as 8 sacks. 118: The total number of points the Lamar football team has scored this season on three games — 28, 63, 30. 6: The total number of points the Tigers have surrendered this season — 0, 0, 6...

Jean McGown, 93, of Aurora, died Saturday, Sept. 2, at the Lacoba Nursing Home in Monett. A funeral service under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora was held Wednesday, Sept. 6, at the United Methodist Church of Aurora. Burial was at the Maple Park Cemetery in Aurora...

Lolita D. Gourley, 79, of Monett, died Sunday, Sept. 3, at her residence. No formal services are planned at this time. Arrangements have been entrusted to Buchanan Funeral Home, Monett.

Elnora Jean Estes, 84, of Miller, died Saturday, Sept. 2 at her residence. A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7 at the Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home in Miller. Burial will be at the Misemer Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 6 in the funeral home chapel...