Stories from Saturday, November 30, 2019

Terry Chrisco, 67, of Cassville, died Monday, Nov. 25. No services are scheduled at this time. Cremation arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.

Ann Laura Richards, 88, of Pierce City, Mo., was called to her Heavenly home on Tuesday, November 26, 2019, while at Mercy Hospital in Joplin, Mo. Ann was born on October 27, 1931 in Stigler, Okla., daughter of the late Richard Edward Hays and Hazel E. ...

Mark Nelson raises some interesting questions in his interview in this issue about community service and why Monett has been so successful sustaining it. There are those rare individuals, like Linn Thornton, who can start a mighty thing, and others will jump in to help. Even Thornton had his first wife, Geraldine, at his side cooking that first community Christmas dinner. Thornton often spoke about how Monett offered the fertile ground that made his undertaking possible, not found just anywhere...

The annual Pierce City Invitational tips off on Monday, and this year’s field is loaded with talent. Greenwood, the defending state champion, earned the No. 1 overall seed. Pierce City returns all five starters from last season’s 19-win team and earned the No. 2 seed...

For the last four years, Verona fans could pencil in four names into the starting lineup long before they ever reached the gym. It was set in stone who would be starting, but as time has a way of doing, the Wildcats graduated a core group of players that were responsible for 90 percent of its scoring the last four season...

Seven Monett soccer players collected eight Big 8 All-Conference honors this season. Loger Rodriguez was name Co-Big 8 Player of the Year. Earning First Team honors for Monett were: Jony Perez and Loger Rodriguez. Second Team winners were: Joey Semerad, Gerardo Patino, Eduardo Rodriguez and Joshua Patino...

Russell and Shanna Chapman, owners of The T-Shirt Snob in Monett, have announced they are relocating to 300 S. Kyler in Monett, the Curves location, after Jan. 1, 2020.

The Lawrence County Emergency Planning Committee will meet at noon on Dec. 2 at the Monett Justice Center. Hobbs-Anderson American Legion Post No. 91 in Monett and its Ladies Auxiliary will have their annual Christmas dinner on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 6:30 p.m. Members are asked to bring a covered dish or dessert...

While severe storms rolling through the bi-county county area on Tuesday caused on severe damage in Monett, the partially collapsed historic Frisco Hotel at Fifth and Front Streets, long used as the VFW Post, incurred more damage.

The eighth annual Turkey Trot, hosted by the Monett First United Methodist Church, attracted around 140 participants for the early Thursday morning 5K, mile run and walk.

Eager diners lined up for plates heaping with turkey, dressing and all the fixings for Thanksgiving dinner hosted at midday on Thursday by the Tom Wolfe Memorial Post No. 4207, Veterans of Foreign Wars, at the Post on Highway 60, west of Monett.

Calendar Girl Alex Sparkman spent an afternoon visiting some of the displays at the Monett Chamber of Commerce’s annual Festival of Lights at South Park, soaking up the spirit of Christmas along with the late afternoon sunshine.

A Monett man was injured Wednesday in a wreck at 11:25 p.m. on Farm Road 1090, a quarter mile south of Monett. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Benjamin Oakley, 42, of Monett, was driving a 2000 Dodge Ram 2500 southbound when his vehicle traveled off the roadway, struck a fence and landed in a creek...

Officials at Crosslines are collecting food and gift items now for Christmas distribution on Dec. 21. “We have already had 100 kids adopted by one organization this year,” said MaLinda King, director. “We are blessed to have so many generous sponsors here in Monett.”...

Members of Decatur Lodge No. 400 in Pierce City have started a fundraising campaign and will be serving breakfast at the Lodge from 7 a.m. to noon on the first Saturday of each month from now through spring. The menu includes biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs and sausage, along with coffee, water and juice, at a cost of $5 per person...

Members of the Lawrence County Tax Board for the Developmentally Disabled (LCDD) have awarded six grant requests and allocated funding for several community projects. George Woodward, director, presented the 2020 proposed budget, reflecting minor changes in staff wages to reflect the federally mandated increase in minimum wage...

Pierce City aldermen recently approved a land donation from Ken and Lori Madison, who offered their property at 100 Gibbs Ave. The property is part of an old factory, and currently consists of a 200-by-235-foot concrete foundation slab that has been built up several feet. As of yet, there are no final plans on how the property will be utilized...

The coming month will provide many changes for Mark Nelson, vice president at Community National Bank who serves on numerous community boards. Nelson officially retires from CNB on Dec. 31, but will remain at the bank through two audits and a loan review in the third week of January. He and his wife, Cindy, purchased a house in Springfield and will be moving from Monett in mid-December, commuting in the meantime...

With the holiday shopping season rapidly approaching, local law enforcement officials are urging residents to be vigilant about their surroundings and people in close proximity. “It’s the gifting season,” said Jay Jastal, community education officer and school resource officer with the Monett Police Department. ...

Ann Aufdembrink, formerly of Monett, passed away on Nov. 27. Visitation will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church on Monday, Dec. 2, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Committal will be at the church cemetery at 10:30 a.m. followed by a Memorial Service in the church at 11 am...