Stories from Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Maxine Smallwood, 92, of Purdy, died Saturday, Jan. 12. Graveside services were held Tuesday, Jan. 15, at Oak Hill Cemetery in Eureka Springs, Ark., under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.

Sidney Skelton, 76, of Seligman, died Friday, Jan. 11. Cremation arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.

James R. Ferdinand, 38, of Aurora, died Friday, Jan. 11, 2019, at Cox South Hospital in Springfield. A celebration of his life was held Monday, Jan. 14, at the Harvest Fellowship Church in Aurora. Arrangements were under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora...

Sue Verstraete, 82, of Monett, went to be with her Lord in Heaven on Sunday, January 13, 2019, while staying at Lacoba Homes in Monett. She was born in Lenexa, Kansas, on December 7, 1936; the daughter of the late William Conway and Dorothy (Halderman) England. She was united in marriage on June 5, 1954, in Lenexa to Clarence “Clem” Verstraete; he preceded her in death on November 25, 2017...

LeRoy Louis Jirik, 88, of Springfield, Mo., passed away Monday, Jan. 14, at Mercy Hospital following a long illness. He was born April 14, 1930, in Oran, Mo., to Simon and Philomena Schramm Jirik. He attended high school in Chaffee, Mo., graduating in 1949. ...

After a slow start, the Monett basketball team (7-7) rolled to a 61-48 win over Aurora (1-11) to thrill the Homecoming crowd on Friday. Monett led 12-9 after the first period of play, then outscored the Houn’ Dawgs, 15-4, in the second quarter to pull away and never look back...

One thing is guaranteed on Thursday, a team with a Wildcats mascot will reach the title game of the Spokane Invitational. The Verona and Cassville boys will meet at 6 p.m. in the semifinal after winning their opening round games. Verona topped Southwest, 70-40, on Monday, and Cassville staged a fourth quarter rally to hold off Reeds Spring to advance...

The Monett Area YMCA pool will be a filled to capacity and contain a fury of action on Tuesday, as it hosts the inaugural Big 8 Conference swimming and diving championship. With the expansion of the Big 8 to 14 teams, this championship was made possible...

With so many unknowns about the way girls wrestling was set up this season, schools were left scrambling to get matches for their newly formed teams. The biggest questions were centered on how many would come out and would enough teams be formed where wrestlers could compete without having to travel great distances...

Criminal • Joshua M. Norris, stealing, fel. D, SIS, five years supervised probation, 200 hours of community service. • Pamela Sue Parnosky, operating vehicle on highway without a valid license, fel. E, five years supervised probation, LERF $125. • Kyle David Todd, third degree assault, fel. E, SIS, five years supervised probation, 100 hours of community service...

The Cox Monett Hospital Dining for Diabetes fundraiser will be held at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 26, beginning with dinner at St. Mary’s Catholic School fellowship hall in Pierce City. The event has a circus theme. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 each. For details, people may call 417-354-1280...

Senior Katie Schmidt was crowned Rose Homecoming queen Friday.

Prospects are pointing at a big year for the University of Missouri’s Southwest Research Center near Mt. Vernon, Director David Cope reported at the annual Lawrence County Soils and Crops Conference. Cope said during the past year, more than 4,800 people visited the center for workshops and Field Day. Moved to a Thursday and held only on one day in 2018, Field Day will continue in that format on Sept. 12 this year...

Tickets are now on sale for the 17th annual Dining for Diabetes fundraising dinner supporting the diabetes education program through Cox Monett Hospital. This year's theme is “Cirque de Cox Monett,” and guests are invited to don their favorite carnival wear or dress as a favorite performer...

With a wet spring and a dry summer, local livestock producers wanted to hear forage options for their cattle, and that was the focus for the 95th annual Lawrence County Soils and Crops Conference at the University of Missouri’s Southwest Research Center this month...

Pierce City Mayor Kenny Smith is fed up with the antics of vandals and juvenile delinquents causing damage to city resources. “Our park is being overrun with vandals,” Smith said. “They’ve damaged or stolen the picnic tables. One is just gone, one is in the lake and one was just torn up. They’ve also thrown stuff into the pool...

On Saturday morning, Pierce City firefighters were called to the scene of a residential structure fire in the area of Farm Road 1000 and Farm Road 2190 in Lawrence County.

Scott Fitzpatrick was sworn in as Missouri’s 47th State Treasurer Monday in a ceremony officiated by Barry County Associate Judge Johnnie Cox. Following his swearing-in, Fitzpatrick reiterated his commitment to fiscal restraint as well as supporting small businesses and Missouri families...

With a new presiding commissioner and a year of generally conservative spending, county commissioners in Barry County appear poised for new priorities, but they still have to whittle down requests from office holders from a 12 percent increase in spending requested for 2019...