Stories from Wednesday, February 7, 2018

There is no substitute for experience, and on Saturday, it was the more experienced Purdy girls basketball team that handled Monett in the championship game of the Seneca Tournament, 58-44. With a team that had played for a district title last year and fought through two tough tournaments already this season, the Lady Eagles were never really threatened until Monett cut the lead to 10 points with 68 seconds left in regulation...

Deadlocked after two and a half years in seeking annexation of Farm Road 1080 and Highway 37, Purdy Mayor Bo Prock sat down with the Barry County Commission on Thursday to ask bluntly why the commissioners would not act on the request after the Missouri Department of Transportation had already blessed...

Another snow day on Monday has pushed area school districts into backup plans for making up class days lost due to inclement weather. In the Monett school district, Monday’s loss of class time will be made up on May 23. The four days taken, counting Monday, will be made up on Feb. 16, May 21, 22 and 23. The district still has May 24 and 25, filling out the third week in May, before eating into the April break around Easter...

Sales tax receipts for the bi-county area took a sharp drop in January, prompting statewide debate over whether the economy was slowing down or whether the Missouri Department of Revenue's two distributions in December simply deducted funds that would have been circulated later...

County treasurers openly speculated at their regional meeting at the beginning of the year that the second December disbursement was bluntly subtracted from what should have come in January. Reports surfaced at budget hearings for both Barry and Lawrence counties, but the Missouri Department of Revenue disputes that assessment...

A Verona man is charged with four felonies after allegedly sexually abusing two minors over a 10-year period. Glenn Tully, 70, of Verona, is charged with two counts of first-degree child molestation and two counts of first-degree statutory sodomy. According to a probable cause statement filed by Det. Angela Cole, with the Barry County Sheriff's Office, the two victims are under 16 years of age, and one was under 6 years of age when the abuse began...

Purdy High School is celebrating homecoming this week, with activities building up to the basketball showdown with the McAuley Warriors on Friday. Theme for homecoming is the Disney film "Moana," a tribute to Polynesia. Special dress-up days are planned, such as Disney Day, Beach Day, School Spirit Day and Traffic Light Day, where students wear colors representing their relationship status: Red for Taken; Yellow for It’s Complicated and Green for Available...

Students at Monett Elementary School are engaging in a variety of Valentine’s Day related activities leading up to the big day next week.

Barry County Clerk Gary Youngblood has announced to those who wish to file for a county office that the first day to file will be Feb. 27. For the first day only, a random number will be selected to determine placement on the primary ballot, per 115.395.2 RSMo Supp. ...

The Ozark Festival Orchestra continues its 38th season with its Young Artist/Soloist Showcase concert at 3 p.m. on Feb. 18 at the Monett High School Performing Arts Center. Under the baton of Music Director Todd Borgmann, the OFO will perform feature two soloists. ...

A Verona man was injured Monday in a wreck at 8:20 a.m. on Highway 39, two miles north of Jenkins. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Robert McMillan, 36, of Verona, was driving a 2004 Ford Ranger northbound when his vehicle lost control on the ice-covered roadway, skidding off the road and overturning...

The Monett Pizzazz Poms held an instructional clinic Saturday for students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grades.

Reading can be fun, and school can be informal and relaxing, just like home, as these kindergarteners found on Tuesday in Georgia Miner’s class at Monett Elementary School.

Close to 600 people attended the three performances of the Monett Artists’ Guild’s production of “Cheaper By The Dozen” last weekend at the Monett High School Performing Arts Center.

The Monett Ministerial Association will begin its annual series of Lenten services and luncheons on Feb. 14. The first service will be held at the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Fourth and Wishart. Brian Smith will be the speaker. The service will begin at 12:05 p.m., conclude by 12:30, and be followed by a light luncheon provided by the church...

With six wrestlers expected to receive No. 1 seeds for the district tournament in Clinton this weekend, Monett is the early odds-on favorite to repeat as district champions. According to Monett Coach Daryl Bradley, the tournament championship is a two team race...

You did not need to ask Jeremy Land, Monett boys basketball coach, if a 50-38 loss to Mt. Vernon was painful. The Cubs played excellent defense, fought and tied the game at 31-31 with five minutes left in regulation, only to see the Mountaineers finish the contest on a 19-7 surge and send Monett to 7-13 on the season...

One by one, the Monett girls basketball team filed out of the locker room at Seneca, mostly red faced, and despite their best efforts, the evidence of bloodshot eyes told the story that tears had recently flowed after a 58-44 loss to Purdy in the championship game of the Seneca Tournament on Saturday...

It was too little, too late for the Pierce City girls in a heartbreaking 54-52 loss to Sarcoxie on Monday. The Lady Eagles rallied from an 8-point deficit in the final four minutes of the game to pull within one point, missing a shot at the buzzer that would have sent the game to overtime...

Active and retired members of the military will be honored at the Feb. 15 basketball games between Pierce City and Miller. Military members will receive free admission to the game and will also be part of a special recognition between the varsity contests...

Evan Lane White, 24, of Cassville, died Saturday, Feb. 3. Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7 at Corinth Cemetery in Cassville, under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville. Visitation will be held from 5-7:00 p.m. Tuesday at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville...

Kameron Van Sandt, 19, of Branson, died Thursday, Feb. 1. Memorial services will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 9, at the White Funeral Home and Crematory, with Pastor Benji Morgan officiating; a visitation will follow after the service. A private family burial will be held at the Arnhart Cemetery in Purdy at a later date...

Marjorie Ann Ryder, 85, of Cassville, died Saturday, Jan. 6, at her home. Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10, at the White Funeral Home and Crematory, Cassville. Service arrangements and cremation are under the direction of the White Funeral Home and Crematory, Cassville...

Joe Dean Myers, 56, of Shell Knob, formerly of Mt. Vernon, died Thursday, Feb. 1, at his home. A celebration of life was held Tuesday, Feb. 6, at the Church in Action, in Mt. Vernon. Arrangements were under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora...

Acquilla Doris Murray, 88, of Mt. Vernon, died Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Mt. Vernon Place Care Center. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8, at the Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon. Burial will follow at the Mt. Vernon City Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 10-11:00 a.m. on Thursday in the funeral home chapel...

Shirley Jean Harris, 68, of Monett, died Friday, Feb. 2. Visitation was held on Monday, Feb. 5, at the Bennett-Wormington Funeral Chapel in Monett. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at the Bennett-Wormington Funeral Home in Monett. Burial was held at the Monett I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Monett...

James F. “Jim” Dent, 83, of Purdy, died Sunday, Feb. 4. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8, at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville. Burial will be at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Butterfield. Visitation will be held from 5-7:00 p.m. Wednesday, at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville...

Thad Pearce, of Berryville, Ark., formerly of Monett, was born Nov. 18, 1988, in Cassville, son of Jason Lee Murray and Mary Jo Whitaker. He departed this life Wednesday, Jan. 31, in Springfield, at the age of 29 years. Thad loved nature and climbing trees. He enjoyed watching Dragon Ball Z, loved turtles and the color green. He was the type of person to always lend a helping hand to others. His family and friends will miss his contagious smile and happy personality...

Gordon Kurtz Knight, 94, of Monett entered into eternal rest on Monday, February 5, 2018, while staying at Lacoba Home in Monett, Missouri. He was born in Gooding, Idaho, on February 5, 1924, the son of the late Myron and Matilda (Colson) Knight. He was united in marriage on July 15, 1944, in Washington, D.C., to his first wife Arvilla Zelch; she preceded him in death on November 10, 1992. He was then united in marriage on August 9, 1993, to Marion Young; she survives...

Teddy Ray Hutchison, 72, of Monett, entered into eternal rest on Monday, February 5, 2018, while at Barry County Health and Rehab. He was born in Aurora, Missouri, on April 18, 1945, the son of the late Fred Eugene and Flossie (Coker) Hutchison. He was a handyman, veteran of the United States Air Force, and a member of the American Legion...