Stories from Wednesday, September 30, 2020

James Edward Pierce, 91, of Pierce City, died Monday, Sept. 28, at the Mt. Vernon Veteran’s Home in Mt. Vernon. Graveside services, with military honors, will be held at 11:30 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 1, at Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery in Pulaskifield. Visitation will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, at Lakin Funeral Home in Pierce City...

Kenneth H. Pawlowski, 51, of Longwood, Fla., died at Wednesday, Sept. 23. Funeral services were held Monday, Sept. 28, at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.

Raymond “Leroy” Miller, 75, of Pierce City, died Sunday, Sept. 27. No services are planned at this time. Arrangements are under the direction of Lakin Funeral Home in Pierce City.

Donna Kay Frerichs, 56, of Mt. Vernon, died at 4:28 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25, at her home. Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Freistatt. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. Visitation will take place from 10 to 11 a.m. at the church, prior to the service...

Danny Lee Farwell, 74, of Eagle Rock died Thursday, Sept. 24. Graveside services were held Monday, Sept. 28, at Corinth Cemetery in Cassville, under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.

Janie A. Derby, 61, of Aurora, died Wednesday, Sept. 23, at Mercy Hospital in Springfield. A graveside service, under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home, in Aurora, will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Maple Park Cemetery in Aurora...

Donald Frank Corwin, 77, of Aurora, died Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Osage Beach Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Osage Beach. A graveside service, under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora will be held at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at the Maple Park Cemetery in Aurora...

Donald Robert Alksne, 69, of Pierce City, died Saturday, Sept. 26. No services are planned at this time. Arrangements are under the direction of Lakin Funeral Home in Pierce City.

Mary Elizabeth Milhollin, 93, of Monett, Mo., formerly of Columbia, Mo., died on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, while at Cox Monett Hospital. Mary was born on November 8, 1926, in Sturgeon, Mo. She was one of eleven children born to the late Leslie Austin and Nellie (Brown) Stephens. ...

Dora Elizabeth (Morris) Gaydou passed away on September 25, 2020, from injuries sustained in a fall on August 28, 2020. Dora was born in the Pierce City, Mo., area on April 11, 1930, to Clayton and Inez Morris. Dora graduated from Pierce City High School in 1948 and then married Neal Gaydou on July 4, 1948...

West East Pierce City at Marionville Cassville at Monett Nevada at Seneca McDonald County at East Newton Marshfield at Reeds Spring Springfield Catholic at Logan-Rogersville Lamar at Mt. Vernon Hollister at Aurora Lamar at Cassville, 40-20 Buffalo at Aurora, 35-36...

The football rivalry between Cassville and Monett plays second fiddle to no other gridiron matchup. Grandfathers, fathers and sons sit around and discuss playing in what has become one of the most heated events in the county. It is as intense a rivalry as can be found in not only southwest Missouri, but in the entire state...

If Cassville Coach Lance Parnell was a doctor, and his patients were asked to critique his bedside manner, he would likely receive low scores in one category – sugar coating the diagnosis. Parnell does not use flowery language. He knows one way to address situations, and that is head on and with honesty...

Gaining yards this season has not been a problem for the Monett football team. The Cubs (2-3) have racked up nearly 1,500 yards of offense but have struggled in the category that matters most — turning drives into points. “We have moved the ball, just not finished drives,” said Derrek Uhl, Monett coach. “We have got to find a way to finish.”...

Jacob, Missy, Brooklyn, Jackson, Race and Tripp would like to announce the engagement of their parents, Marissa Disabatino of Jane, and Matthew Freeman, of Purdy. The couple were engaged atop the beautiful Rocky Mountains in mid-September. The couple plan to marry next year in a private ceremony. Contributed photo...

Due to the current Covid-19 situation, the McDowell Gold Jubilee will not be opening on Oct. 3. Notice is hereby given that the Pierce City Fire Protection District will hold its monthly meeting on Monday Oct. 5, 2020 at 7:00 pm at the Pierce City fire station, 2543 Lawrence 2225, Pierce City, Mo. 65723. The public is invited to attend...

Two people were injured in a wreck at 7:40 p.m. on Highway 37, three miles south of Monett. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Jessica Trick, 33, of Monett, was driving a 2015 Kia Forte westbound when her vehicle pulled into the path of a southbound 2004 Oldsmobile Alero, being driven by Crystal Reed, 35, of Exeter...

Two people were injured Saturday in a wreck at 9:50 a.m. on Farm Road 1090, two miles south of Monett. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Nathan Pearson, 41, of Springfield, was driving a 2006 Honda motorcycle southbound when his vehicle struck a dog in the roadway and overturned, ejecting two occupants...

The Monett school district will continue to “beef up school lunches” through the Mo Beef Mo Kids Mo Fit (MoBKF) program of the Missouri Beef Industry Council. The program connects schools and their food service professionals to Missouri cattle farmers and ranchers to provide more beef, more often, on school lunch menus. Monett kicked off the program in 2019 and is looking forward to continued participation throughout the coming school year...

Hop aboard the banned book wagon for Banned Book Week, taking place this week, from Sept. 27 through Oct. 3. Banned Book Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and highlighting the importance of the First Amendment. It emphasizes the benefits of open access to information and draws attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted banning of books across the nation...

A group of six people who work at Roaring River State Park were recognized last week as state Employees of the Month after a dealing with a medical emergency and vehicle accident simultaneously, requiring life-saving measures. Sebastian Carter, Dustin Hall, Ranger Cpl. Steve Jabben, Aaron Stensrud, Park Manager Joel Topham and Timothy Wolfe, Division of State Parks employees at Roaring River State Park, have been selected as the department’s September 2020 Employees of the Month. ...

Pierce City School District patrons are demanding the integrity of the school’s grading system to determine school rankings be returned. Phillip Kleiboeker appeared before the board with complaints of how weighted classes, dual credit classes and policy changes made by the board are impacting students...

Verona school board members reviewed how school has progressed since its opening, including how the new gym has gone into use. Superintendent Tony Simmons reported all the fire alarm pull stations have been changed, including some that had been quite old. The new consolidated central alarm system now also calls the Lawrence County 911 center in case of an alarm...

Summer, for the most part is a relaxing time for kids to enjoy being out of school, hanging with friends and enjoying the heat of the season, and sometimes, that includes a cooling dip in the municipal pool. This season, the Pierce City Pool took in $3,806 in student and adult admissions, pool pass sales and pool party fees. However, the cost to run the pool, which included chemicals, electricity, payroll, taxes and workers compensation, totaled $15,982, which tallies a $12,176 loss...

For the fifth consecutive month, despite the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, sales tax revenues to bi-county cities and counties rose in September over receipts a year ago. The September comparison was challenged by the Missouri Department of Revenue a year ago, adding two distributions of interest to the monthly total, and none this year. Nonetheless municipal county totals edged over the 2019 sums even if county-wide taxes lagged...

A Barry County man is facing four felony charges for alleged sex crimes involving children under the age of 12. Berlan Crouch, 70, of rural Monett, is charged with two counts of first-degree sodomy (victim less than 12 years old) and two counts of incest...

Warm sunshine highlights the fall foliage and the October Calendar Girl, Natalie Turner.