Stories from Saturday, April 25, 2020

Betty Ann Morrison, 82, of Cassville died Wednesday, April 22, at her home in Cassville. Memorial services are pending and will be released upon completion. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Bennett-Wormington Funeral Home in Monett...

Dennis Ray Knaust, 69, of Mt. Vernon, died at 9:40 p.m. on Monday, April 20, at Mercy Hospital in Springfield. A private family burial will be held at the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Freistatt. In light of the concerns and restrictions placed on group gatherings due to COVID-19, there will not be a formal visitation. There will be a viewing for friends and family from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Monday, April 27, in the funeral home chapel...

Henry Jones, 97, of Exeter, died Wednesday, April 22, 2020. Local arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.

Donna Sue Hutchens, 75, of Washburn, died Tuesday, April 21, 2020. Graveside services were held Friday, April 24, at Seligman Cemetery, under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.

Eustena M. Allman, 102, of Pierce City, died April 20 at Mercy Hospital in Joplin. A Celebration of Life service will be held at a later date.

William (Bill) George Roller, 82, died on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. He was born on February 10, 1938, to Don and Irene (Roden) Roller in Mobile, Alabama. Bill attended school at Monett through the 8th grade before moving to Purdy. He graduated from Purdy in 1956...

Dear Editor: We hear a lot of talk these days about “re-opening” the country and a “new normal.” Some might believe we will get back to things the way they were very soon. Others think it’s going to take a lot longer, and may never be the same. So in the midst of such uncertainty and waiting, I suggest we be very deliberate about something we can all be in charge of: our attitudes...

Dear Editor: Voting by mail can ensure the welfare of Missourians and make it easier to vote in our state. I disagree with the narrative that there is a higher potential for voter fraud with vote by mail compared with in precinct voting. Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Utah vote entirely by mail. ...

What’s there to do on a sunny spring morning during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic?

More than 140 student-athletes and 28 teams representing southwest Missouri high schools will be honored during the Sports Commission Awards on June 15, sponsored by Elliott Lodging and presented by Blevins Asphalt. Set for a 6 p.m. dinner at the Oasis Hotel and Convention Center in Springfield, the awards ceremony celebrates the Ozarks’ top athletes from the 2019-2020 academic year. ...

American Red Cross awarded Sam Helmkamp, of Granby, a plaque for reaching the 15-gallon donation milestone at the recent blood drive in Monett.

Monett City Utilities’ electric department has received national recognition for achieving exception electric reliability in 2019. The honor comes from the American Public Power Association, representing more than 2,000 community-owned electric utilities. Nationwide, the average public power customer experiences less than half the power outages compared to other types of utilities...

CoxHealth Systems is expanding virtual access to primary care and specialty providers, allowing many patients to be seen for a variety of health needs from the comfort of their homes. The services are an expansion of CoxHealth’s current Virtual Visits, through which patients can be seen on-demand for minor illnesses and injuries. ...

The Monett Special Road District commissioners will meet in regular session at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28, at the Road District Barn, 220 S. Eisenhower St., west of the wastewater treatment plant. The Lawrence County Health Department continues to urge residents to stay home and maintain social distancing. ...

A funny thing happened to Ryan McGee on his way home to Neosho on Thursday night.

These days of social distancing provide eagerly accepted opportunities for families to get out of the house and possibly even distance from each other.

With a decision Thursday that school lunch programs would extend to June 30 statewide, the Life360 crew setting up at Central Elementary School in Pierce City prepared Friday morning to distribute suppers and breakfasts.

An Aurora man died Thursday in a wreck at 3:30 p.m. on Farm Road 1010, four miles east of Sarcoxie. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, John Young, 55, of Aurora, was driving a 2003 Ford F250 southbound when his vehicle ran off the roadway, struck a bridge and came to rest overturned and submerged in water...

The Lawrence County Sheriff's Office has released the total list of traffic violations and calls for service for the month of March. Deputies made a total of 123 stops, resulting in 13 citations and 116 warnings issued. Topping the list of traffic violations was speeding, with 68 motorists clocked exceeding the limit, followed by 23 failure to register and 13 equipment violations. Three traffic stops were for investigative purposes and three resulted in warrant arrests...

Members of the Barry-Lawrence County Ambulance board approved the purchase of a MAX Gateway system in order to expedite the switch in dispatching services from Monett/Lawrence County 911 to Barry County E-911 system. The $4,465 price ticket includes installation and set-up of the system on the Monett communications tower...

Area law enforcement agencies have seen a noticeable dip in crime rates, which they have partially attributed to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) stay-at-home order. In Monett, two vehicles were recently reported missing, which were later returned with no charges filed...

The Monett school board has reviewed and approved the annual program evaluation for the Scott Regional Technology Center. Director David Miller, filing his last report prior to retirement, noted the Scott Tech mission statement is "Preparing students for an ever-changing world." Eight goals were described. These include:...

“Monett is Rockin’”, but perhaps not rollin’. For rock lovers, collectors, decorators and those with youngsters wanting to get out and about for a local adventure, there is now a “Monett is Rockin’” chapter, started by Ellie and Olivia Scritchfield, which encourages locals to seek out painted rocks that have been hidden on public property...

Plans are still in flux at Pierce City High School on just how graduation will “look” this year in the wake of restrictions put in place due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. “We are brainstorming multiple ideas, but we are waiting to see what the Governor announces once the current stay-at-home order expires on May 3,” said Dr. Kelli Alumbaugh, superintendent. “We will have a graduation. We will do everything they can to make sure [seniors] have some sort of closure.”...

Details have been announced for how Monett High School will bring the 2019-2020 school year to an end, calling for the first summer graduation in the school’s history. “Obviously, May 8 is not going to happen due to restrictions on public gatherings,” Superintendent Russ Moreland told Monett school board members last week. “We’re talking about June 12, or an alternative date of July 10. It looks less and less likely that June will be allowable.”...

While voices in some corners are getting louder to “reopen the economy,” the exact meaning of that term varying from person to person, people are continuing to show more frayed nerves and edginess. For some time now, we have received reports of COVID-19-positive employees at businesses in operation. It is not unusual for people to bring gripes to us. We take reports seriously, and we pass them to the appropriate health authorities to investigate...