Stories from Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Robert Wayne Woodson, 93, of Mt. Vernon, died at 12:45 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11, at Missouri Veterans Home in Mt. Vernon. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 15, at First Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon. Burial will follow at Summit Cemetery...

Marsha Lynn Simon, 67, of Cassville, died Monday, Jan. 13. No services are scheduled at this time. Cremation arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.

Billy Earl Moore, 90, of Shell Knob, died Friday, Jan. 10. Graveside services with military honors will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, Lake Park Memorial Gardens in Shell Knob, under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Shell Knob. Visitation will be held from 10-11:00 a.m. Wednesday, at Fohn Funeral Home in Shell Knob...

Timothy J. Hughes, 70, of Belton, died Saturday, Jan. 11, at Carnegie Village Rehabilitation and Health Center in Belton. Graveside services will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 17 at Van Buren Cemetery in Wentworth. Visitation will be held from noon to 2 p.m. at Lakin Funeral Home in Pierce City...

Ryan Hodgson, 43, of Wylie, Texas, died Monday, Jan. 6. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville. Burial will be at Monett IOOF Cemetery in Monett. Visitation will be held from 12-1:00 p.m. Saturday, at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville...

Dr. Orval Olen Copper, DDS, 94, of Monett, died Monday, Jan. 13, at Lacoba Homes in Monett. Visitation is being held on Wednesday, Jan. 15, from 6-8 p.m. at the Bennett-Wormington Funeral Home in Monett. Private family burial will be at a later time...

Harold Mettlach, 84, of Joplin, died Jan. 10 at Freeman Hospital in Joplin. Survivors include his wife, Loretta; son, Russell; daughter, Valerie (Robert) Duley; brother, Kenneth (Sue); three grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and many nieces and nephews...

On the morning of Dec 10, 2019, in Olympia, Washington, C.J. Olsen (Carol Buehler-Shepherd) went to be with the Lord after a four-year battle with cancer. She was 74 years old. C.J. was born in Mt Vernon, MO., to Leo and Virginia Buehler. At Mt Vernon High School, she was a drum majorette and social butterfly. She was married at age 19, and moved to Monett, MO. Over the course of 2 decades, she raised five kids that were her pride and joy...

Avenging an earlier season 48-39 defeat, the Monett girls basketball team roared to a 61-40 win over Springfield Catholic behind a season-high 24-point performance from Kaesha George. “They came out with a junk defense in the first half, and it was nice to see our other players step up,” said Zack Klein, Monett coach. “Natalie Turner was big for us early, hitting some shots and taking the pressure off Kaesha and opening up the offense.”...

The basketball season has not necessarily gone the way the Purdy girls basketball team has wanted. The Lady Eagles are off to a 1-6 start. On Friday, Purdy held a 5-point lead against Cassville but was unable to hang on, falling 43-41 in the contest...

With the midway point of the season now past for the Monett wrestling team, the Cubs’ coaches have taken time to see where they stand and where they believe they can go. They feel good about their prospects. “I think we are right where we need to be physically, weight-wise and conditioning-wise,” said Daryl Bradley, Monett coach. “We have competed in four tournaments in a short amount of time, and you can see things coming together.”...

• Timothy J. Larmer, failed to register vehicle, $77. • Kristi A. Chapman, defective equipment, $225. • Melanie G. Hernandez-Salas, speeding, $182. • Jason K. Klawreh, speeding, $182. • Dominic J. Ray, affray, $152. • Zachary T. Baxter, minor in possession of alcohol, $177...

American Red Cross recently awarded Ken Saloga, of Purdy, right, a plaque for reaching the 15-gallon blood donation milestone for the Monett Blood drive.

The American Red Cross recently awarded Lana Reavis, of Verona, a plaque for achieving the 10-gallon blood donation milestone for the Monett Blood drive.

American Red Cross recently awarded Michel Garman, of Pierce City, center, a plaque for reaching the 105-gallon blood donation milestone for the Monett Blood drive.

A total of 56 donors gave at the December American Red Cross blood drive, held Dec. 6, 2019, at Monett Community Church. “This was the largest donor numbers for 2019 for the Monett Community Drive,” said Donna Beckett, American Red Cross Bloodmobile chairman for Monett...

Dining for Diabetes 18th annual fundraiser is Jan. 25 at Monett High School. Cost is $25. Tickets may still be available by calling 417-354-1280. Live old-time music will be offered at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 17, at the Clio Community Center, Highways 37 and 248, next to the Clio Cemetery. Music is offered on an open mike basis so performers are welcome...

The 100+ Women Who Care in Monett and the surrounding area have awarded a grant of $5,000 to the Barry-Lawrence County Development Center, which, with a grant match, has grown to $7,800.

Monett City Administrator Dennis Pyle reviewed plans for the new city public works building with Brian Chartier project superintendent with Dalton-Killinger Construction, and architect Richard Werner during Tuesday’s walk-through.

Livestock profitability, how to read hay and fertilizing strategies will be the topics for the 91st annual Barry County Soils and Crops Conference, slated for 6 p.m. on Jan. 23 in Cassville. Reagan Bluel, conference organizer for the University of Missouri Extension, noted that an ongoing discussion among cattlemen for years has been whether or not it pays to sell cattle to a feed lot to reach finishing weight or to keep them on the farm and feed them locally to capture the highest price at market. ...

Purdy High School celebrates Homecoming this week with special activities and a basketball contest Friday against the Sparta Trojans. This year’s theme is “Kick Your Boots Off and Stay Awhile.” Special themed activities during the week include Camo Day, Pajama Day and Country/Western Day. Homecoming Week will conclude on Saturday with a semi-formal Homecoming Dance at 7 p.m., hosted by the Purdy High School Student Council...

Roaring River State Park Hatchery employees traveled to the Missouri Capitol on Thursday to receive the Governor’s Award for its First Hole program. Paul Spurgeon, Roaring River Hatchery manager, said the Governor’s Award was received for the programs quality and productivity in the innovation category...

A Monett man is facing three felonies and a misdemeanor in two separate cases after allegedly making a bomb threat, then forging a check to pay for a PS4 gaming system. Joshua Hendershot, 25, of Monett, is charged with possession of a controlled substance and making a false bomb report in one case, and he is charged with forgery and misdemeanor stealing in a second case...

In special session on Jan. 7, the Monett City Council approved demolition bids for the FEMA buyout of flood prone properties on Kelly Creek. Brandon Jenson, buyout project administrator with the Southwest Missouri Council of Governments, presented city council members with a bid package that included only two bidders for the demolition, and one bidder on the asbestos abatement. ...

Cox College in Springfield will unveil plans for two new campuses, including one at the Scott Regional Technology Center in Monett, on Jan. 30. Cox College will open satellite campuses with the goal of training additional nurses. The Monett move will be the most significant, coming to a new location. The other addition will come to the campus of Cox Medical Center in Branson...

The Monett school board has one more chance to meet Thursday and finalize a proposal for voters to consider before filings for issues on the April 7 ballot closes on Jan. 28. Superintendent Russ Moreland placed no construction plan before the board to consider at the December meeting. ...