Stories from Saturday, February 16, 2019

The Monett wrestling team opens the last day of the Class 2 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships on Saturday with a chance to claim its second team state title. In addition, the Cubs’ Karter Brink, Matthew Bahl and Joey Semerad will all battle for coveted state championships...

With a 13-1 wrestleback semifinal win by Wesley Merriman, the Monett wrestling team has scored enough points that no other team in Class 2 can mathematically can surpass them. Monett still has several matches left in Columbia, but the team’s placing is no longer in doubt...

Services are rescheduled for Glen Allen Wormington. Memorial visitation will be held from noon until 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 22, at Buchanan Funeral Home. Graveside services will immediately follow at I.O.O.F. Cemetery, Monett. Arrangements have been entrusted to Buchanan Funeral Home, Monett...

Gloria Jean Murphy, 78, of Marionville, died Thursday, Feb. 7, at the Mercy Hospital in Springfield. A funeral service was held Monday, Feb. 11, at the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora, with burial at the Marionville IOOF Cemetery.

Roy James “Rusty” McCool, III, 40, formerly of Pierce City, died Saturday, Feb. 9. A private family funeral service will be held later this week under the direction of Lakin Funeral Home, Pierce City.

Janice LaVerne Martin, 83, of Springfield, died Sunday, Feb. 10, at her home. A graveside service, under the direction of the Williams Funeral Home, in Marionville, was held Feb. 15, at the Marionville IOOF Cemetery.

Dale E. Jackson, 57, of Pierce City, died Wednesday, Feb. 13. Cremation arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.

Lloyd Daniel George, 57, of Monett, died Friday, Feb. 1, at Cox South Hospital in Springfield. A Celebration of Life service will be held from 2-5:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16, at the Monett South Park Casino. Arrangements have been entrusted to Buchanan Funeral Home, Monett...

Williametta Winfred Augustine, 55, of Aurora, died Thursday, Feb. 7, at her home. A visitation will be held from 10-11 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 18, at the Church of Christ in Mt. Vernon, with a celebration of life to follow at 11 a.m. at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora...

Dear Editor: I am in mourning. My friends are, also. A very good friend is dying, and I am so sad. Our library in Purdy is closing on March 1. Our library has been faithful and helpful throughout my life in Purdy. It offered story time for our children, computer use, newspapers and magazines to enrich our minds, and of course, reading pleasures for all...

Listening to the presentation on the Monett school district facilities planning this week, figuring out what to do next now looks much more difficult than it first appeared. One would like to think one big construction project will take care of business, but that doesn’t seem likely in this case. ...

Softballs were not the only thing the Monett softball team was hitting hard this season. On Tuesday, the Missouri softball coaches association released its 2018 Academic All-State teams and players list. The Lady Cubs dominated the field. With a team grade point average of 3.83, the Lady Cubs were third as a unit, just behind Centralia and School of the Osage, which recorded team GPAs of 3.88...

Sharing Happy Valentine wishes to friends at Bentonview and local nursing homes, “Al”, the hospice Compassus Yorkie, delivered Valentines on February 13

Local ministers met this week to finalize plans for the Wednesday Lenten luncheons which have been a part of the Monett community for many years.

The Monett Historical Society will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. on Feb. 19 in the Museum Events Center, 418 E. Broadway. Jeff Meredith and Dennis Pyle will speak about the work o Monett Main Street. The society will host an inside garage sale at the Events Center on Saturday, Feb. 23. Booth space may be secured by calling 235-5256...

Monett High School wrestlers and swim team athletes bound for state competition received a cheering send-off from the various campuses on Wednesday morning as they headed off to Columbia and St. Peters.

Crews for the Marion Company began erecting walls in earnest last week on the new 3,800-square-foot conference room at the University of Missouri’s Southwest Research Center, south of Mt. Vernon.

It was a very special Valentine’s Day for one young couple working at the Monett Area Extended Employment (Sheltered) Workshop. During the morning break, while others enjoyed celebratory cupcakes and snacks, Scotty McCracken asked his girlfriend, Veronica Gilliam, for her hand in marriage. The surprised Gilliam did not hesitate to say, “yes!” Contributed photos...

Young Artist Abigail Coates of Springfield will play the finale to Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 at the Ozark Festival Orchestra’s concert at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Children in Celia Ingle’s preschool class at Trinity Lutheran School in Freistatt built ornate boxes, some perhaps with a little help from parents, for their Valentines.

A Verona man was injured Tuesday in a wreck at 6:45 a.m. on Highway 39, two miles north of Jenkins. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, David Jenkins, 44, of Verona, was driving a 2008 Dodge pickup northbound when his vehicle crossed the center line and struck head-on a 1996 Peterbilt, being driven by Jason Huebner, 34, of Lockwood, causing Jenkins’ vehicle to go off the roadway and overturn, ejecting him...

An Exeter teenager was injured Thursday in a wreck at 7:35 p.m. on Farm Road 1072, five miles north of Exeter. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Michelle Goade, 16, of Exeter, was driving a 2014 Ford Fusion northbound when her vehicle left the roadway and struck a fence...

A Rogers, Ark., woman was injured Tuesday in a wreck at 1:20 a.m. at 16451 Highway 76 in Cassville. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Loretta Montgomery, 60, of Rogers, Ark., was driving a 1995 Cadillac DeVille eastbound when her vehicle drove into an embankment and caught on fire...

Monett-based Jack Henry and Associates has announced its board of directors has increased the quarterly cash dividend by 8 percent, raising it to 40 cents per share. Payment will be made on March 18 to all stockholders of record as of March 1. "The increase in our dividend reflects our ongoing commitment to provide a good return on their investment for our shareholders," said Kevin Williams, chief financial officer for Jack Henry. ...

Local cardiac patients will get some love this February through Heroes for Healthy Hearts, CoxHealth’s new program to raise funds for those who need it most. Throughout the month of February, CoxHealth employees will take pledges for $2 paper hearts, which will be displayed throughout hospital facilities. ...

Barry County Master Gardeners will host their third annual spring workshop from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, at Crowder College in Cassville. "Even though it is cold right now, we gardeners are already thinking about the growing season and making our to-do lists," said a group spokesperson. "This event may have just the information you need to help you prepare for your best year yet in the garden."...

A goal of $68,000 has been set for the 2019 annual campaign supporting the Monett Area YMCA, announced Dove Haney, interim director. Funds donated during the annual drive provide money to support the Y’s financial assistance program. “The money raised during the annual YMCA campaign enables us to offer financial assistance to needy kids and their families,” Haney said. ...

The Monett City Council has planned a busy agenda for its monthly meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, including a public hearing on an amendment to the zoning code relating to small wireless facilities, special use permits and public hearing notices...

Monett-based Jack Henry and Associates reported an 8 percent increase in revenue for the second quarter of the company’s fiscal year. Revenue for the quarter increased by approximately $29 million or 8 percent to reach $386.3 million. Revenue for for the six months ending December 31 rose by more than $60 million, also 8 percent...

Pierce City aldermen recently held public hearings on funding for the $4.7 million city-wide water system improvements project, approved by voters in August 2016, to replace the city’s aging water distribution system. Andy Novinger, of Anderson Engineering, reported on the environmental impact study for the project, which is required by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources...

Classes at Central Park Elementary in Monett held Valentine’s Day parties on Thursday, where parents were invited to participate.

The first public forum to help determine future construction needs for the Monett school district laid out shortcomings of the present five campuses and the search of solutions. On Tuesday, Superintendent Russ Moreland, accompanied by architects Pam Haldiman and Bonnie Crawford from Sapp Design Associates, reviewed physical campus layouts, capacity projections, comparisons for recommended spacial availability and specific issues already surfacing in present buildings. ...