Stories from Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Filings for the April 3 election for city councils, school boards, ambulance district and road district seats closed on Tuesday, creating some unexpected races and opening doors to write-in votes for several positions. School board elections...

After four consecutive months of declining sales tax revenues, bi-county recipients received a surprising boost as the Missouri Department of Revenue, in an attempt to fully implement a new accounting system, made an unprecedented two distributions in December, boosting revenues by 28 percent, something unseen since January 2015, and thus painting a much more positive economic picture for the area...

In an unprecedented move, the Purdy City Council has created the new position of city manager, but plans to keep the position as part of additional duties handled by City Clerk Debbie Redshaw, while keeping her on a 32-hour schedule. Mayor Bo Prock said he needed a city manager “to help with reports and managerial stuff.” The push for additional help corresponds with the pending beginning of construction on the sewer pipeline to Monett, which will require detailed reporting to meet grant and loan requirements.. ...

Some of the best sledding conditions in years did not deter the brave who gathered on Monett South Park’s sledding hill on Monday to enjoy the quick trip down the slippery slope.

Whether or not feeding extra minerals to cattle or dairy cows serves a valuable function is an ongoing question for cattlemen and one raised by state beef specialist veterinarian Dr. Eric Bailey for the Barry County Soils and Crops Conference, held Jan. 9 in Cassville...

A bid opening has been scheduled for the afternoon on Thursday to open construction bids for constructing the sewer pipeline between the city of Purdy and Monett. The engineering firm of Allgeier, Martin and Associates in handling the bids. Mayor Bo Prock anticipated calling a special meeting, possibly before the end of the month, to award a contract. Construction on the $4.6 million undertaking is expected to take a year...

The Missouri Department of Conservation has found 15 cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in free-ranging Missouri deer across the state, none of which were found in Barry County or along the Missouri-Arkansas border. Out of the nearly 18,400 test results received so far for the season, the 15 new cases are:...

In an unusual move, Loaves and Fishes in Monett suspended deliveries of hot meals to shut-ins Monday and Tuesday. Mary K. Scott, vice president for volunteers, confirmed that the home delivery service suspended on Monday and Tuesday due to concerns about drivers navigating roads and sidewalks. The weather snap repeated concerns that stopped deliveries for three days following the January 2007 ice storm...

Dicamba, the herbicide at the center of a storm of criticism during the past year, is a valuable resource but one that could be lost to regulation if misused, reported Ben Fizette at the Barry County Soils and crops Conference, held in Cassville on Jan. 9...

Public works projects always offer a potential for mystery when digging in the ground.

A front-end loader pushed snow off the edges of Commercial Street in Pierce City Monday morning to keep the road clear and make room for deposits by MoDOT plows without clogging up the roadway.

A light agenda is planned for the Monett City Council's monthly meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Friday. Council members plan to amend terms of a site lease agreement with the Monett school district signed in October. Rental fees for the City Park Casino will be up for changes. A corporate resolution certification with Edward Jones Investments will also receive action...

A Purdy man was injured Sunday in a wreck at 3:15 p.m. on Route U in Butterfield. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Danny Murray, 60, of Purdy, was driving a 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer westbound when his vehicle slid on an ice-covered roadway and struck a 1965 Alco C-420 Missouri-Arkansas locomotive, being driven by Brian Cravens, 42, of West Fork, at a train crossing. The report said the horn and signal light were activated...

The Mt. Vernon Chamber of Commerce will hold its inaugural “The Taste,” a food tasting event from 6 to 8 p.m. on Jan. 18 at the Mt. Vernon Arts and Recreation Center, 822 W. Mt. Vernon Blvd., Cost is $10, $15 at the door. Tickets are limited to 300. Information is available at 417-466-7654...

After two gut-wrenching losses to Reeds Spring and McDonald County by a combined 8 points to begin the new year, there was some frustration mounting in the Monett basketball ranks. Coach Jeremy Land implored his team to stay the course and keep grinding, and he reminded them that it takes four quarters of grit to earn victories...

The Monett swimming and diving team will get a good look at where it stands when the Lady Cubs head to Glendale on Friday for meet action. Monett will face perennial state powers at Glendale with a chance to see how they stack up and where they need to improve...

  Bright spots for the Monett girls basketball team over the last seven years have been few and far between. Always looking forward, the team, under the leadership of three different coaches during that time (Derrek Uhl, Kelly George and Alyssa Kennedy), turned the focus to the most basic methods of fundamental growth...

Paul Dean Stephens, also known as Paul Bunyan, age 75, of Pierce City, Missouri, passed away on Friday, January 12, 2018, at Mercy Hospital in Joplin, Missouri. Mr. Stephens, son of Ivan and Thelma “Babe” (Nodine) Stephens, was born on December 14, 1942, in Washburn, Missouri...

Ruby Collins, 76, of Cassville, died Friday, January 12. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19 at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville. Burial will be at Oak Hill Cemetery in Cassville. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville...

Ka Ying Lee, 62, of Fairview, died Wednesday, Jan. 10. Services will be held from 8 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, through Monday, Jan. 29, at McQueen Funeral Home in Wheaton. Burial will be at 10 a.m. Jan. 29 at Dice Cemetery in Fairview.

Oleta Linder, 91, of Monett died Wednesday Jan. 10 at Cedars Health Care in Lakewood, Colo. Visitation will be on Saturday Jan. 20 from 9-10 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Monett. Funeral services will immediately follow at the church. Burial will be at the Monett I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Monett...

Delia “Maud” Lynch, 99, of Columbia, formerly of Mt. Vernon, died Tuesday, Jan. 9, at the Columbia Manor Care Center in Columbia. A graveside service, under the direction of the Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home, in Mt. Vernon, was held Monday, Jan. 15, at the Summit Cemetery, northeast of Mt. Vernon...

Edward Richard Murphy, 62, of Wheaton, died Friday Jan. 5 at Cox South Hospital in Springfield. Graveside funeral services were held on Tuesday Jan. 16, at the Missouri Veteran’s Cemetery in Springfield. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Bennett-Wormington Funeral Home in Monett...

Eugene Rose, 87, of Eureka Springs, Ark., died Wednesday, Jan. 10. Funeral services were held Sunday, Jan. 14, at OK Assembly of God Church in Washburn, under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville. Burial was at Seligman Cemetery in Seligman...

Ernest Thomas Spearman, Jr., 69, of Eureka Springs, Ark., died Tuesday, Jan. 9. A celebration of life was held Saturday, Jan. 13, at Faith Bible Church in Holiday Island, Ark. Service arrangements and cremation were under the direction of the White Funeral Home and Crematory, Cassville...