Stories from Saturday, January 9, 2021

Mary Sue Wilks, 93, of Aurora, died Tuesday, Jan. 5, at Oak Pointe Senior Living in Monett. A memorial service will be held at a later date at the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora with burial to be held at the Maple Park Cemetery in Aurora.

Ledoris Maxine Swearingen, 80, of Aurora, died Saturday, Jan. 2, at the Aurora Nursing Center. Services were held Wednesday, Jan. 6, at the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora. Burial was at the Maple Park Cemetery in Aurora.

John Starchman, 73, of Cassville, died Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020. A viewing was held on Sat. Jan. 2 at Fohn Funeral Home, Cassville. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Kim Lorin Martin, 66, of Cassville, died Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date. Cremation arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.

Edward Holle, 67, of Joplin, died Jan. 1 at Freeman Hospital in Joplin. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 11, at Parker Mortuary in Joplin. Burial will be at Ozark Memorial Park Cemetery in Joplin. Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 10, at Parker Mortuary in Joplin...

Clarence Andrew Gwin, 84, of La Russell, died at 8:09 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 2, at Mercy Hospital in Aurora. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7, at Miller Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 6, at Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home in Miller...

John Brafford Jr., 93, of Mt. Vernon, died at 4:50 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 6, at his home. Private graveside services for immediate family will be held on Saturday, Jan. 9, at Maple Grove Cemetery, southwest of Mt. Vernon. Due to Covid 19, the family has requested for those attending the services to please wear a mask and to practice social distancing...

Asa F. Moss, 88, of Monett, Mo., passed away on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, while at Bentonview Health and Rehab Center in Monett. Asa was born on January 21, 1932, in rural Sarcoxie, Mo., son of the late Fird Henry Moss and Edith Augusta (Bryan) Moss. ...

This past week, my wife and I celebrated our delayed honeymoon in the Smoky Mountains, and while we enjoyed our time away, our drive home on Wednesday quickly threw us back into the real world where the smoke was not so beautiful. The events in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021 will live in infamy, as a fire stoked by the highest levels of our government grew out of control and resulted in the first breach of our nation’s Capitol since British forces burned the building during the war of 1812...

The Monett school district’s athletics department has joined a small club this school year, as it is one of four in the CoxHealth athletic trainer system to have two trainers at its disposal. Dan Schmutz, athletic training coordinator for CoxHealth Monett, said the district and CoxHealth agreed to the move in the summer of 2020, especially with how COVID-19 was affecting sports...

The Monett wrestling team struggled as the 2020 calendar year ended, dropping four duals in Carthage, but there was an upside. The Cubs fell to Hickman, 42-33; Carthage, 39-24; Nixa, 51-25; and Raymore-Peculiar, 45-33. Although the team had a tough go, two wrestlers fared well in their contests, as Ethan Umfleet and Harrison Merriman were undefeated on the day...

A strong schedule and gaining experience have been the pitfalls for the Monett girls basketball team this season, which is searching for its first win as the new year begins. The Lady Cubs fell to Nevada on Thursday, 51-31, but Head Coach Josh Kleine said there were some bright spots against the tough opponent...

Three Purdy High School Students received medals for their award-winning entries into the Southern Media Showcase, hosted by Missouri Southern State University and held before Christmas break.

Pierce City Senior Center will be closed in January and February due to COVID. The center will evaluate the situation at the end of February to consider opening for March. The Freedom Dream Center, 17044 Hwy. 39, north of Aurora, offers a support group for persons or families struggling with addiction. The support group meets at 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. every first and third Wednesday of the month. Additional information is available by calling 417-678-6909...

Lawrence County Clerk Tammy Riebe conducted swearing-in ceremonies for those county officials elected or re-elected in the Nov. 3 General Election.

Work has begun on the $4,980,112 water system project in Pierce City. Mike Shoemaker, project manager with Goins Enterprises, of Joplin, inspected the installation of two new water mains at the intersection of Walnut and Washington in Pierce City, which is part of the delivery system phase of the improvements plan...

Monett Police reported ringing in a quiet New Year's holiday weekend with little in the way of crime or disturbances. Monett Police Lt. Dennis Camp said officers made one arrest for driving while intoxicated on New Year's Eve, and the final police report of 2021 was a citation for someone driving on a suspended license...

COVID-19 has not dampened the spirits of the Monett Chamber of Commerce, as it is planning to celebrate it’s 75th anniversary with its traditional Chamber Banquet and awards ceremony. Chamber Director Jeff Meredith is seeking nominations to consider for the Chamber’s Community Service Award, Pride and Progress Award and Business of the Year award...

The city of Aurora and the city of Marionville’s fire and police departments are now consolidated into the county-wide dispatching system operated by the Monett-Lawrence County E911 system, resulting in all calls for emergency service being dispatched from one location...

The virtual events for Dining for Diabetes were a huge success this year, bringing in a record amount of donations. “This year, our net proceeds were $100,892.20, which is the most to date of which I am aware,” said Lisa Ramirez, with the Center for Health Improvement at Cox Monett Hospital. “We have a large family of generous sponsors, both local businesses and community members, that have continued their support this year, and we had a good showing at our virtual silent auction.”...

There was potential unrest in Monett Thursday evening as officers with the Monett Police Department responded to several calls of shots fired in the area of Rosewood and Ninth. The incident occurred at approximately 10:30 p.m., and according to Det. Jeff Martinson, several witnesses and neighbors were interviewed, and an investigation took place...

Donors to Cox Monett Hospital’s $7 million fundraising campaign to build a new hospital received a VIP tour at the new facility on Wednesday as construction moves into the final stages and moving begins on Jan. 21. Tours were offered throughout the day, some beginning at the main entrance in the center of the complex off Highway 60, others starting at the emergency room at the west end of the hospital. ...