Stories from Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Gloria Beth Veith, 78, of Purdy, died Sunday morning, Nov. 22, at Cassville Health Care and Rehab. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25, at the Maplewood Cemetery, Exeter. Reverend Tony Martin will be officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her memory have been suggested to the First Baptist Church Food Pantry in care of the funeral home. Arrangements are under the personal care and direction of Buchanan Funeral Home, Monett...

Luanna Mae Urie, 85, of Shell Knob, died Wednesday, Nov. 18. No services are scheduled at this time. Cremation arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Shell Knob.

Geneva M. Probstfield, 92, of Verona, died Thursday, Nov. 19, at the Lacoba Nursing Home, in Monett. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28, at the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home, in Aurora. A private family burial will be held at the Lee Cemetery. Masking is requested...

William Caleb Powell, 71, of Washburn, died Saturday, Nov. 14. Services were held at Saturday, Nov. 21, at Washburn First Baptist Church in Washburn. Cremation arrangements were under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.

Tommie E. “Tom” Mitchell, 91, of Fairview, died Friday, Nov. 20. Funeral services were held Tuesday, Nov. 24, at McQueen Funeral Home in Wheaton. Burial was at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Butterfield.

Samuel Lewis Hall, 79, of Aurora, died on Sunday, Nov. 1. Memorial services will be held on Saturday, Nov. 28, at 1:30 p.m. at the Gunter Methodist Church in Butterfield. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Bennett-Wormington Funeral Home in Monett...

Phyllis Marie Goodman, 72, of Stotts City, died at 3:17 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, at her home. Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 27, at Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon. A private family burial will be held at the Summit Cemetery northeast of Mt. Vernon...

Kenneth Ray Chrisman, 83, of Exeter, died Wednesday, Nov. 18. Services will be held at a later date. Cremation arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.

Frederick Leon Carlson, 79, of Shell Knob, died Sunday, Nov. 15. Private family services will be held at Riverview Cemetery in Arkansas City, Kan., at a later date. Cremation arrangements were under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Shell Knob.

Jerry Wesley Bowers, 76, Mt. Vernon, died Nov. 19. No services are planned. Arrangements are under the direction of Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon.

Leon Sterling Ashley, 76, of Humansville, died Friday, Nov. 20, at the Citizen’s Memorial Hospital in Bolivar. Graveside services were held Tuesday, Nov. 24, at McCormick-St. John’s Cemetery, Monett. Arrangements were entrusted to Buchanan Funeral Home, Monett...

Monte Edward McCauley, 66, of Spring, Texas, died Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, at his home. He was born Sept. 14, 1954. in Monett, the son of Monte R. and Janette (Bean) McCauley. Monte graduated from Pierce City High School and attended college in Joplin. He was a painter...

The Monett volleyball team secured two Second Team spots on the Class 4, All-District 10 list. Natalie Tuner and Kylie Knight represented the Lady Cubs. The complete list is as follows: First Team Morgan LeBlanc, Branson Kaycee Factor, McDonald County...

A simple study of human characteristics often reveals amazing insights. For instance, a family that has four children, raised by the same parents who grow up in the same house and are taught the same values and principles, will still wind up with children who have their own distinct personalities...

Entering its third year of existence the Monett girls wrestling team is hoping that the foundation it has put down is solid enough to produce results at the state tournament. The Lady Cubs coaching staff expects its biggest group of wrestlers to date, with as many as a dozen potentially competing this year, led by returning starters Abby Jastal, Jenna Spencer and Jewelia Willoughby...

Purdy Elementary Principal Julie Dalton and Purdy Elementary Counselor Gary Jurgensen are pleased to present November Responsibility Medalists.

When Debbie Shelton, a teacher at Purdy School District, discovered that organizers would not be able to host its annual Fall Family Night due to COVID-19 restrictions she determined to find an alternative. “I knew we had to do something, and it had to be radically different,” Shelton said. “I asked Mrs. [Mindi] Gates and Mrs. [Julie] Dalton to turn me loose with it, and they did.”...

CRIMINAL • Jimmy L. Ash, take and possess bullfrogs or green frogs taken in closed season by fishing methods, misd. A, fined $500, fish/hunt/trap/retrieve wildlife from private land w/o permission, misd. B, fined $500. • Dolores Avila: DWI, misd. B...

Salvation Army red kettles will not be available in Monett this year. Because the Salvation Army gives 90 percent of its proceeds from these kettles to Crosslines in Monett, in lieu of placing money in a kettle, area residents are asked to consider making a financial gift to Crosslines by sending a check, payable to: “Crosslines” at 510 E. Cleveland Avenue, Monett, MO 65708...

The Angel Tree community group and the Pierce City FBLA club will be offering a joint Christmas Tree project this year to ensure that children in need in the community can enjoy a joyous Christmas morning. The program recognizes children from birth to 16 years old identified as in need will receive one toy in the $10-$20 range. Each family will receive a food basket...

The Monett Police Department’s annual Shop with a Cop program recently received a needed boost from the Barry-Lawrence Area United Fund, a local organization that supports programs that assist families and children in the bi-county area. Ken Dudzik, president of the Barry-Lawrence United Fund, presented a $1,000 check to Jay Jastal, of the Monett Police Department, to support the Shop with a Cop program. The monies will be divided among more than a dozen recipients...

Aldermen at Pierce City approved a contract with Clean Stream enterprises, owned by Bert Bond, to operate and manage the city’s wastewater treatment facility. The decision came at the Nov. 16 meeting of the council, when Bond advised aldermen that his schedule was now such that he could pick and choose projects, and that he would be happy to work for the city...

A change in contact tracing guidelines within schools is prompting local districts to reevaluate their masking requirements, as there are new possibilities to keep students and staff from being forced to quarantine for 14 days at home in the event of a school-related positive COVID-19 case...

Area residents needing to be tested for COVID-19 (coronavirus) may now do so at Old Town Pharmacy locations in both Monett and Pierce City. Two tests are available, an antigen test, which is completed by nasal swab, will yield results in about 20-30 minutes in Monett, and in 30-45 minutes in Pierce City. Employees will call or e-mail patients with the results. Positive test results will be reported to the Barry County Health department...

When the weather cools and the Halloween candy is finished, a change can be felt in the air. Grocery stores begin playing their Christmas playlist, and a slew of decor and gifts are proudly presented in every storefront window. But, between costumes and Claus, there is the holiday of Thanksgiving...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in Barry County has fallen closer to the 200 mark again, and hospitalizations and quarantines have also fallen ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 1,851 (+177) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...