Stories from Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Bessie Williams, 94, of Aurora, died Friday, Oct. 23, at the Mt. Vernon Place Care Center in Mt. Vernon. A graveside service, under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home, in Aurora will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the Zion Cemetery, north of Aurora on Highway 39...

John Rudolph Schnabel, 58, of Marionville, died Monday, Oct. 19, at the Cox South Hospital in Springfield. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora.

Betty Ann Gayer, 85, of Mt. Vernon, died at 3:10 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Mt. Vernon Place Care Center. Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29, at Shiloh Cemetery, northeast of Miller. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon...

Franklin “Mason” Colley, 82, of La Russell, died Thursday, Oct. 22, at his home. A visitation was held on Monday, Oct. 26, at the Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon. Burial was at Colley Cemetery.

Larry Duane Bright, 87, of Marionville, died Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Mercy Hospital in Springfield. A private burial will be held at the Maple Park Cemetery in Aurora, under the direction of the Williams Funeral Home in Marionville.

George Steele, 88, of Monett, went to be with the Lord in heaven on Saturday, October 24, 2020, while at his home in Monett. He was born on July 8, 1932, in Monett, the son of the late Asa and Bessie (Doty) Steele. He was united in marriage on January 29, 1954, to Betty Miller; she preceded him in death on June 2, 2009. He was later united in marriage to Delorce House...

West East Monett at Carl Junction Cassville Bye Mt. Vernon Ash Grove at Pierce City Hollister at Reeds Spring Seneca at Aurora West Plains Bye Marshfield at McDonald County Hillcrest at Logan-Rogersville Seneca at Monett, 6-27 McDonald County at Cassville, 21-44...

The Monett cross-country team had a solid showing at the Big 8 Conference meet. The Lady Cubs finished fourth in the 14-team league and combined to set six personal or season best records. “I am very proud of the way we competed at the Big 8 conference meet,” said Kelly George, Monett coach. “I know the kids had high expectations for themselves, and they ran very well.”...

The second season, as it is often referred to by coaches, begins on Friday with the football district playoffs getting underway. Pierce City will get a rematch with its Week 4 opponent, Ash Grove. The Eagles won the regular season matchup, 42-35, but had to hold on for dear life as the Pirates score 35 second-half points...

The Health Department divides food service code violations into two categories; Priority and Core items. Priority items are more likely than other violations to contribute to food contamination, or illness and/or injury. Core items although important to the overall hygiene of the establishment, do not necessarily present an immediate threat to food contamination or illness and/or injury...

The Caring People group for single mothers and their children has resumed on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church www.fumcmonett.org/moms The Monett Senior Center drive up menu for Wednesday, Oct. 28, includes beef and noodles, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, chocolate chunk brownies and homemade bread. ...

Les Mace, left, Region 3 Trustee for the Kiwanis, presented Judge Victor Head, newly named Lt. Governor of Division 12 Mo-Ark Kiwanis, a gift for the ‘mounds’ of work he does for the local club, a Mounds bar.

Sizing up the school year so far, the Vernon school board recently revised its 2020-2021 budget and heard reports on changes due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) on teaching operations. Among the changes around the school business this year, Superintendent Tony Simmons reported, was the postponement of the annual area Celebration of Schools, hosted by the Southwest Center for Educational Excellence. ...

It’s one of the most child-friendly holidays to be celebrated and it’s coming up soon. Halloween, which occurs Saturday, is traditionally observed on Oct. 31, the evening before All Saints’ (or All Hallows’) Day. The celebration marks the day before the Western Christian feast of All Saints and initiates the season of Allhallowtide. ...

The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic streak driving local sales tax receipts hit another milestone in October. For the first time since 2003, local cities and counties have topped the previous year’s monthly receipts for six consecutive months, topping the 2019 receipts to bi-county municipalities and county governments in double digits for the fifth time...

It started as a bit of sinus congestion and a sore throat, but before the week was out, Mike Hemphill, of Monett, was in a fight for his life against COVID-19 (coronavirus). “I don’t remember anything from [the time I was watching] ‘Wheel of Fortune’ to when I woke up in the hospital five weeks later,” he said...