Stories from Saturday, December 21, 2019

Andy Smith, 48, of Monett, died Monday, Dec. 16. Funeral services were held Friday, Dec. 20, at Buchanan Funeral Home with Pastor Tim Hampton officiating. Interment was at the I.O.O.F. Cemetery. Arrangements have been entrusted to Buchanan Funeral Home, Monett...

Joann Julia Schmidt, 83, of Mt. Vernon, died at 12:20 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, at Cox South Hospital in Springfield. Funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 20, at St. Susanne Catholic Church in Mt. Vernon. Burial will follow at 1:00 p.m. at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Springfield...

Geneva Mae Lindsey, 86, of Aurora, died on Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Aurora Nursing Center. A memorial service was held Friday, Dec. 20, at the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora.

Wayne B. Hamilton, 78, of Branson, died Wednesday, Dec. 18, at Bentonview Park Health and Rehab Center in Monett, Mo. A committal of ashes will be held at a later date at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Springfield, Mo. Arrangements are under the personal care of Buchanan Funeral Home, Monett...

Marvin Lavell Gardner, 83, of Mt. Vernon, died at 7:56 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 16, at Cox South Hospital in Springfield,. Visitation will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21, at Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon, with funeral services immediately following at 2 p.m...

The disheartening news that Loaves and Fishes will shut down operations at the end of the year, after 46 years, comes as a shock and surprise — but it shouldn’t have. The hot meal home delivery service to shut-ins has been in free fall for several years now. ...

This week is one of the most sacred weeks in all of the United States. On Wednesday, most families will assemble together, exchange gifts, eat a meal and enjoy Christmas. On Thursday, area basketball teams hit the hardwood for a ho-ho-whole lot of games...

Just one game into the season, Pierce City basketball Coach Matt Street was in a seeding conference for the annual Walnut Grove Holiday Tournament. Street’s Eagles were 1-0, but he had no idea where his team might be slotted. Due to a deep playoff run by the football team, Street had not even had a full week of practice with his squad...

With the award season winding down, the Monett football team is still collecting hardware for the lettermen jackets. Seven Cubs earned All-District designations in Ray Villalta, Wes Merriman, Christian Selvey, Brandon Majors, Ethan Umfleet, Karter Brink and Gunnar Bradley...

The Monett Young Professional Network (MYPN) had their annual Christmas toy meeting Wednesday, Dec. 6, to support the Linn Thornton Memorial Toy Drive at Cox Monett Hospital.

On Tuesday, Dec. 3, Cox Monett celebrated its No. 15 ranking on Modern Healthcare’s 2019 list of Best Places to Work in Healthcare.

The Monett High School Concert Band under the direction of Philip Soule was the last of six bands performing in the marathon winter band concert Dec. 10 at the MHS Performing Arts Center.

The local band Keltic Knot will present a Christmas concert at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 23, at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Highway 60 and Farm Road 1180 in Aurora. Admission is free, donations will be accepted. The First Baptist Church of Monett will go Christmas caroling from 6 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 22...

A very special guest dropped by to visit the children of the Barry-Lawrence County Development Center at the annual Miss Merry Christmas assembly, held at Monett High School.

Efforts are continuing in the 42nd annual Linn Thornton Memorial Christmas Toy Drive, and zeroing in for the 35th annual Christmas Day dinner in Monett. Earnie Thornton, son of the late Linn Thornton, said at mid-week he had delivered toys donated by individuals, businesses and organizations to 334 kids. He hoped to provide Christmas gifts for another 60 children...

Monett Police report two instances of graffiti found on city property this week, both in the vicinity of South Park. Police Lt. Dennis Camp reported graffiti in large red letters was found on the back of the Frisco picnic shelter at the south end of the Kiddieland playground. Camp said the message was political in nature, unlike the typical name tag, profanity or gibberish. This one said “Abolish ICE,” using the “Anarchy A” (an A with a circle around it and a forward slash crossing the letter)...

Freistatt trustees have agreed to conduct a survey over offering extended hours at the Freistatt Community Building and approved a bid for mowing services. Trustee Larry Howard raised the question of having Clerk Deborah Schoen spend more time at the city office at the October board meeting. Howard declared Schoen’s 15-year-old agreement under which she began serving as clerk was “null and void.”...

Pierce City aldermen approved hiring a new full-time patrol officer. Wesley Kissinger, who has four years of law enforcement experience, is a former employee of McDonald County Sheriffs Office. His wife is also in law enforcement, currently serving in Barry County...

The Monett school board has approved its annual audit and reviewed ongoing programs, including plans for the Sports Hall of Fame. The audit, covering the fiscal year ending on June 30, was conducted by the CPA Group and found no problems. The audit showed the district received revenues of $28.2 million for the year, which broke down to $6.5 million from property taxes, $2.7 million in sales tax, and $11.3 million from the state’s Foundation Formula (50.8 percent). ...

The Monett City Council has moved forward on demolition to spur housing development and authorized a lease for a section of Bridle Lane with EFCO Corporation. Council members approved a bid from Morris Ditching Service to remove structures at 1101 and 1103 Park, on the north side of the street between 11th and 12th streets. ...

Loaves and Fishes, the hot meal delivery service for shut-ins in Monett, has announced plans to cease operations at the end of December, ending 46 years of service. Clients received notification by letter last week. Churches were sent a letter this week, asking donations to cease...