Stories from Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Rethal Mae Williams, 87, of Cassville, died Thursday, Dec. 6. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Fohn Funeral Home, in Cassville.

William “Bill” Vance, 77, of Cassville, died Sunday, Dec. 9. Visitation will be held from 5-7:00 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville. Burial will be at a later date.

Amy Marie Estes, 74, of Stotts City, died Wednesday, Nov. 28, at the Cassville Health Care and Rehabilitation Center in Cassville. A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 5, at the American Legion in Miller. Burial will be held at a later date at the Misemer Cemetery...

J.C. “Blackie” Arnold, 84, of Washburn, died Thursday, Dec. 6. Funeral services were held Monday, Dec. 10, at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Washburn, under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville. Burial was at Maplewood Cemetery in Exeter.

John Lee Morgan, 68, of Miller, died Thursday, Dec. 6, at the Mercy Hospital in Joplin. A graveside service, under the direction of the Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home in Miller, was held Monday, Dec. 10, at the Miller Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Charles Russell “Russ” Neely, 65, went to be with the Lord on Dec. 5, 2018. He was the son of John and Anna Neely. He is survived by his wife Elaine; and his four children, Kathleen Neely, Alan Neely, Audrey and husband, Brandon Wormington, and Brett and wife, Sarah, Neely and grandchildren; two sisters Laura Pershouse and Cheryl Dronzek; one brother, Robert Neely; and three nephews...

Glen K. Heston, age 84, of Purdy, Missouri, passed away Friday, December 7, 2018, at Lacoba Nursing, Inc in Monett, Missouri. Glen was born to Glen E and Ruby (Manis) Heston on March 8, 1934 in St. Marys, Kansas. He was united in marriage to Shirley Ray of Denison, Kansas on May 6, 1956. ...

This season continues to be kind to the Monett wrestling team. The Cubs won a double dual with Diamond and Webb City on Thursday, then followed that performance up with a tournament championship on Saturday at the Carl Junction Classic. Monett also sent junior varsity wrestlers to Harrisonville, and the Lady Cubs competed in a girls tournament there as well...

It was a game that Cassville remembers well. A year ago, Purdy traveled down Highway 37 and ran the Wildcats out of the gym, pulling away in the second half for an 80-61 victory. “They didn’t beat us, they thumped us,” said Barrett Milleson, Cassville coach. ...

Brad Stewart, Verona boys basketball coach, sat on his bench Friday night and watched as a 14-point third quarter lead against Miller slowly began melting away. The Cardinals pinned their ears back and began taking advantage of nearly every Wildcat mistake...

If fans had wanted to watch the Monett basketball team this season, thus far, they would needed to fill up their car and drive a minimum of one hour away. The first six games of the season for the Cubs (4-2) have all been on the road and taken place in two tournaments...

The Arvest Bank Foundation has donated $10,000 to the Care to Learn Chapter in the Monett school district

The Ozark Festival Orchestra will offer its Christmas concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 16, at the Monett High School Performing Arts Center. This week choir members from Monett High School will sing carols around town this week. Director Rachel Murad said the high school choir concert will be at 6:30 p.m. ...

The Purdy band performed Saturday in the Wheaton Christmas Parade for locals who braved the freezing temperatures to attend the event.

A deer hunter in Lawrence County has received probation for his participation in a a multi-county operation with family members resulting in the illegal hunting and killing of hundreds of deer. Lawrence County Prosecutor Don Trotter announced that David Berry Jr., 29, from Brookline Station, was sentenced in Lawrence County Associate Court after pleading guilty to taking wildlife illegally on Oct. 11. The case dated back to 2015...

A Barry County man has been charged for failing to register as a sex offender after being released from prison more than 20 years ago. Charles Paternostro, 48, of Barry County, specific address unknown, is facing the class D felony and being held on a $15,000 bond...

  A former Barry County man has been sentenced in federal court for traveling from Missouri to Tennessee to engage in an illicit sexual relationship with a 15-year-old victim, who became pregnant and bore his child.  Michael Douglas Peterson, 35, of Morristown, Tenn., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Friday, Dec. 7, 2018, to 17 years in federal prison without parole...

Filings opened for the April 2, 2019, municipal and school board election on Tuesday, and several candidates took advantage of the first opportunity for throw their names into the hat for consideration on the first morning. One incumbent and one newcomer have filed to run for the Monett school board. One-term incumbent Brian Hunter signed up to run again. Yesenia Perez, who works as the SOMOS program coordinator for Drury University in Monett, is making her first bid for elected office...

A gala reception was held last week to celebrate 20 years of the Monett Community Foundation and to award grants for the second half of 2018. The event was held at the Monett Museum Events Center, attended by board members and local community leaders...

In a dramatic shift, Purdy High School leaders launched a new effort to boost ACT college entrance exam scores by students, using strategies new to the district designed to position graduates for better outcomes. “As a whole, there hasn’t been a big emphasis on ACT in Purdy,” said Principal Derek Banwart. “We’re getting that in the front of kids’ minds, to use practice as a jumping off point.”...

Monett’s annual Christmas parade on Saturday brought together a wide range of entertaining features and entertainers for crowds braving temperatures in the low 30s. After a 10-minute delay, with the participants lined up between Sixth and Seventh streets, the parade commenced, led by a Monett police car and a color guard. Santa Claus, usually riding on a Monett fire truck, made a novel entrance this year on a golf cart...

An announcement anticipated for 13 years came Monday as Cox Monett Hospital and CoxHealth Systems announced plans to build a new $42 million hospital in Monett, that will include a $7 million local fundraising campaign. Dr. Darren Bass, Cox Monett president, flanked by Cox officials, announced plans to build the new hospital as expected on the grounds of the former Bryce Oaks golf course, on Highway 60 north of Lowe's. ...