Stories from Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Abraham Joseph Tannehill, 70, of Ash Grove, died Wednesday, Sept. 13. A private celebration of life will be held at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon.

Ruby Rogers, 82, of Purdy, died at Roaring River Heath and Rehab Center, Cassville, Sunday, Sept. 17. Under the direction of White Funeral Home and Crematory.

Michael Edward Rayburn, 58, of Carthage, died Sunday, Sept. 17. Cremation arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home, Cassville, Missouri.

Karla Ingrid Hoyt, 70, of Monett, died Tuesday, Sept. 19, at Lacoba Homes in Monett. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 22, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Monett. Interment will follow at King’s Prairie Cemetery...

Ethel Dora Gray, 79, of Joplin, died Saturday, Sept. 16, at her home. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon. Burial will be at the Springfield National Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 10-11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, in the funeral home chapel...

James Arthur, 69, of Cassville, died at his home on Friday, Sept. 15, 2017. Memorial services will be held Wednesday, Sept. 20, at White Funeral Home and Crematory, Cassville.

Lloyd Allen, 65, of Butterfield, passed away at his home on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. Memorial Services will be held Friday, Sept. 22, at White Funeral Home and Crematory, Cassville.

Maxine Akins, 92, of Exeter, died at Methodist Manor, Marionville, Sunday, Sept. 17. Under the direction of White Funeral Home and Crematory

Lavina Jean (Green) Hartman, 74, of Monett, went to be with her Lord in Heaven on Friday, September 15, 2017, while at Lacoba Homes in Monett. She was born in Monett, Missouri, on May 5, 1943, the daughter of the late Homer (Bus) and Thelma (Jackie) (West) Hinds. She was united in marriage to Donnie Green to this union three children were born. On November 11, 1983, she was united in marriage to Thomas Hartman; he preceded her in death on July 28, 1984...

Monett at Cassville Seneca at Aurora East Newton at Mt. Vernon McDonald County at Lamar Pierce City at Lockwood Aurora at Monett, 46-10 Cassville at St. James, 33-6 East Newton at Seneca, 36-6 Lamar – Idle Mt. Vernon at McDonald Co., 43-21 Pierce City at Miller, 42-14...

Perhaps overlooked in the madness of Friday night mayhem is one of the larger battles in Class 1, as No. 7 ranked Pierce City (5-0) travels to No. 10 Lockwood (5-0). The game will be the biggest test of the season for both squads with plenty on the line. The Eagles sit in second place in the district standings, just behind No. 1 seed Sarcoxie. No. 3 seed Thayer is nipping at the Eagles' heels...

The football rivalry between Cassville and Monett plays second fiddle to no other gridiron match-up. It is as intense a rivalry as can be found in not just southwest Missouri, but in the entire state. “The thing that really heats up the rivalry is the fact that the parents from both schools work together at many of the area factories,” said David Large, former Cassville coach. “One set of those parents is going to have bragging rights for an entire year.”...

One week after struggling to maintain focus in a loss to McDonald County, the Wildcats of Cassville bounced back with a 33-6 win over previously-unbeaten St. James. “I thought we finally put together four complete quarters,” said Lance Parnell, Cassville coach. “We scored in all three phases of the game and I thought we responded well [from the McDonald County loss].”...

While a three-game skid has damped the spirits of the defending Class 3 state champion, Monett (2-3) travels to Cassville on Friday with everything in the world to prove. The Wildcats (3-2) are fresh off a beatdown of St. James, 33-6, while the Cubs suffered their third consecutive loss in a row a 46-10 setback to Aurora...

The Lawrence County Baptist Association will hold its annual meet at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 24 at the Pierce City First Baptist Church on Highway 97. Tim Burgess will deliver the message. The Monett High School chapter of the National Honor Society will induct new members at 6 p.m. on Sept. 28 at the MHS Performing Arts Center. The public is welcome to attend...

Jared Decker, beef genetics specialist with the University of Missouri Extension, explained to beef producers during Field Day at the Southwest Research Center that a genome study of their cattle can provide pedigree and DNA-based information on cattle comparable to 10 progeny from that animal...

Brent McCauley and Trent Thompson sampled sweet paw-paws grown at the Southwest Research Center during Field Day.

Walk to School Week has been underway since Monday in Monett.

Marimba Caliente from Springfield provided some of the live music offered at the Hispanic Heritage Festival at Monett’s South Park on Sunday.

The Monett City Council plans to cover a wide range of busy when it meets at 9:30 a.m. today at Monett City Hall, ranging from a staffing change to financing the new aquatic center. Council members plan to appoint Lisa Crawford, the current deputy clerk for the city, as the new city clerk on Jan. 1, 2018. Janie Knight, the current clerk who has served since 1996, has announced her intention for retire at the end of the calendar year...

After delaying action for two months in hopes that issues would resolve themselves, the Purdy City Council changed directions and adopted a detailed new livestock ordinance in September. Mayor Bo Prock told aldermen the key question was whether or not the city would impose governance over livestock. Enforcement of restrictions had relaxed over time, resulting in reports of everything from chickens to a donkey living in and on the edges of town...

A fish pond may seem a bit daunting to a young child, but Israel Albious walked right up and dropped a ball directly into the waiting cup at the 7th annual Berean Christian Academy’s Fall Festival on Saturday.

The Southwest Research Center near Mt. Vernon is one of two places in the nation studying a new disease attacking vineyards. Dean Volenberg, with the plant sciences department at the University of Missouri, described that and a growing threat from pesticides during Field Day. ...

Revisions in the construction plan for the new FEMA shelter at the Purdy school district offered $100,000 in savings as school officials drew closer to awarding a construction contract. Superintendent Stephen Chancellor recently unveiled several revisions worked out with Paragon Architecture of Springfield that overcame issues raised in previous discussions...

Karla Ingrid (Johnson) Hoyt, 70, passed away on Tuesday, September 19, 2017, at Lacoba Homes in Monett. Born on November 7, 1946, in Sacramento, Calif., she was the daughter of Carl and Audrey Johnson. Karla graduated from Elk Grove High School in 1964. On April 19, 1968, she married Robert Hoyt in Oakland, Calif...

A Verona woman died of her injuries, and two others were hospitalized, following a wreck at 6:48 a.m. on Highway 60 at Farm Road 1100, east of Monett. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Daniel Gulley, 46, of Springfield, was driving a 2017 Freightliner box truck westbound and attempted to make a left turn in front of a 2001 Ford Explorer, being driven by Marvin Flores-Casimiro, 24, of Verona...