News

Members of Tom Wolfe Memorial Post No. 4207 gathered at sunset on Friday at Monett’s IOOF Cemetery for National POW/MIA Day, hosting a remembrance ceremony for prisoners of war and soldiers declared missing in action. The POW/MIA recognition was held at the gravesite of Tom Wolfe, for whom the Post is named. Wolfe’s U.S. Air Force plane was shot down in Laos in 1966 during the Vietnam War. His remains have yet to be recovered...

Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Barry Lawrence County Developmental Center are set to take place at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 4 at the new center’s building site at Chapell Drive and Park Street in Monett. The Monett-based non-profit, which provides early intervention services to developmentally disabled children 5 and younger in both Barry and Lawrence counties...

The Pierce City Police Department is breaking even on the number of full time officers employed, with Officer Amber Patrick, who tendered her resignation at the first of the month, replaced by Officer Chris Hudson, who has returned to Pierce City as a full time patrolman...

Members of the Monett Kiwanis Club hosted Lt. Col. (R) Brennan Cook to discuss the need for an obstacle course for the JROTC program at Scott Regional Technology Center in Monett. “Instead of requesting a rappelling tower, we have requested an obstacle course,” Brennan said. “It will be much more beneficial to students.”...

The Monett Kiwanis Club will host its annual golf tournament fundraiser starting at. 1p.m. on Friday, Oct. 1, at Windmill Ridge Golf Course in Monett. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Barry County Youth Camp. Entry fees for the three-person scramble are $50 per person or $150 per team, carts not included. The event will feature two to three flights, depending on the number of teams entered. Three places will be paid a cash payout per flight...

The Pierce City Senior Citizens is open Tuesdays and Thursdays serving lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m. The cost is $5 for those ages 55 and older and $6 for those under 55. Anyone who wishes to purchase a carry-out meal can call 417-476-5006 before 10:30 a.m. and pick their meal up between 11:30 a.m. and noon. Also, on the first Thursday of each month, Nell’s Nails will be serving seniors for a nominal fee at about 9 a.m...

Barry County’s positive COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases and number of total quarantines both took dips in the last week. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,377 (+57 from Sept. 22) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Cox Monett is working with Monett residents who have expressed an interest in developing a walking trail on property owned by Cox located north of the new Cox Monett Hospital. Volunteers who are helping to develop plans for the trail hosted a public meeting on Aug. 27 to discuss preliminary plans and hear input from interested community members...

A Monett man is facing two felony charges for multiple alleged incidents involving sexual contact with a child under the age of 10. Dakota Campbell, 30, of Monett, is charged with first-degree sodomy and second-degree child molestation. According to a probable cause statement filed by Brian Brown, with the Monett Police Department, the incidents occurred in 2019 and 2020, and the investigation began when the victim’s mother reported Campbell had allegedly molested her child while he was babysitting at a home on Bond Street in Monett.. ...

Scam artists are targeting area residents claiming to be representatives of CoxHealth. Scam callers have managed to “spoof” phone numbers associated with the CoxHealth network, making it appear that calls are coming from within the CoxHealth system...

A Rocky Comfort man is facing four felony charges relating to a chase and striking a police cruiser on Sept. 13 in Monett. Timothy Sharp, 29, of Rocky Comfort, is charged with two counts of second-degree assault, resisting arrest and first-degree property damage...

Freistatt welcomed its new city attorney Darlene Parrigon this month and helped to get her up to speed on some of the village’s latest issues. Parrigon serves as city attorney for a number of local municipalities and helped guide the village leaders on legal practices regarding when discussions should be held in closed session...

Marionville residents had the opportunity to enjoy a full day of activities, food and rides during the annual Apple Fest celebration, which took place Saturday on the square.

The Arlise troupe demonstrated daring feats of balance during the Culpepper and Merriweather Circus in Monett.

Work on the Pierce City water tower was recently completed, with the tower at Linzee Boulevard undergoing interior cleaning and sanitizing.

The Pierce City Senior Citizens is open Tuesdays and Thursdays serving lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m. The cost is $5 for those ages 55 and older and $6 for those under 55. Anyone who wishes to purchase a carry-out meal can call 417-476-5006 before 10:30 a.m. and pick their meal up between 11:30 a.m. and noon. Also, on the first Thursday of each month, Nell’s Nails will be serving seniors for a nominal fee at about 9 a.m...

One downtown building in Monett is getting a facelift after a recent purchase by BH Broadway Properties LLC. The U.S. National Bank Building, also known as the First National Bank, is the former home of Life 360 on Broadway. The building had been owned by Monett Main Street for the past three years. ...

A Marionville man is dead and another in jail following an incident that occurred Sept. 14. In the statement of probable cause, Cpl. M. Fowler, with the Aurora Police Department, reported he responded to a call to 406 S. Central Street in Marionville, where Jeffrey Downs, who resided at the home, alleged his roommate, 50-year-old Jess Davis, was dead and that Jamie [Lee] Godfrey had killed him...

In response to flooding throughout the region earlier this year, the Aurora Rural Fire District is hoping to form a swift water rescue team to help Purdy firefighers deal with dangerous flood situations. To kick start the effort to create a swift water rescue team, Verona businesses Kemin Nutrisurance and Balchem Corporation, donated a combined $6,650 to the Rural Fire Department for the purchase of swift water rescue equipment, including life jackets, dry suits and ropes...

Who done it? Was it Professor Plum in the library? Or perhaps Col. Mustard in the kitchen? Area residents will have to play to find out. The Southwest Coalition of Charities is hosting a Clue Mystery Dinner fundraiser starting at 6 p.m. On Oct. 23, at the former Cox Monett Hospital site, 801 N. Lincoln Ave. in Monett...

Homecoming Week festivities will get underway Monday at Monett High School, with a Spirit Week of themed events taking place. Following the theme “Night at the Cinema,” on Monday, students are urged to participate in Harry Potter (color day) activities, wearing their favorite HP regalia. ...

Homecoming Week festivities will get underway Monday at Pierce City High School, with a Spirit Week of Wild West-themed events taking place. On Tuesday, students are urged to participate an kick up their heels with boots and western hats. On Wednesday, students can channel their inner white or black hats by dressing as sheriffs or bandits. ...

The Pierce City Senior Citizens is open Tuesdays and Thursdays serving lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m. The cost is $5 for those ages 55 and older and $6 for those under 55. Anyone who wishes to purchase a carry-out meal can call 417-476-5006 before 10:30 a.m. and pick their meal up between 11:30 a.m. and noon. Also, on the first Thursday of each month, Nell’s Nails will be serving seniors for a nominal fee at about 9 a.m...

Barry County’s positive COVID-19 (coronavirus) have held steady this week, with only six more active than last week. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,320 (+77 from Sept. 15) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Habitat for Humanity is breaking ground on a new home for a local resident on Eisenhower Street and celebrating the final loan payment from another homeowner. Robert McGuire, who along with Vicky McGuire and Shelly Enloe, have been working for more than a year to find a qualified family to build house No. 13 on South Eisenhower Street...

Members of the Barry-Lawrence County Ambulance District approved awarding a 2011 unit to the Purdy Fire Protection District after receiving a letter outlining their plans for the unit and the $100 for the devaluated cost of the vehicle. The unit, which is 10 years old and has racked up more than 300,000 miles and has been experiencing excessive maintenance costs, has been deemed to be “outside its service life” for ambulance use and rotated out of the fleet. ...

A Springfield man has been sentenced after being found guilty of first-degree robbery and felony resisting arrest for events that took place in Mt. Vernon on March 2, 2020. A Lawrence County jury found Christopher Ford, 43, guilty on June 10 following two hours of deliberation...

The 12th annual Pierce City Arts Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 25 at South Park in Pierce City, next to Clear Creek and north of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and admission is free. Attendees can start their holiday shopping early. ...

An Aurora man faces life in prison after being found guilty of first-degree sodomy. Kevin Hausmann, 68, was found guilty Friday by a Barry County jury following a three-day trial in Cassville. Hausmann is accused of sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl in 2019. The girl first disclosed the matter to her mother, who informed police. The child told investigators during an interview that Hausmann had touched her inappropriately 40-50 times...

The Monett Kiwanis Club will again host a visit to town of the Culpepper and Merriweather Circus, which will give shows at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on both Sept. 18 and 19 at Monett's South Park behind the Monett Area YMCA. Billed as "America's favorite old-fashioned big top circus," the Culpepper and Merriweather Circus has animal acts, clowns, aerialists and unicycle artists in a 90-minute show...

Rick and Soshia Wertz, of Aurora, sell their unique carvings at the Purdy Craft Fair Saturday.

Roy Obermann, of Freistatt, pulled for a total of 208.75 feet during the Freistatt Fire Department’s Tractor Pull Friday night.

The Monett Chamber of Commerce hosted the Monett Regional Career Fair Thursday at the Monett Park Casino.

The Pierce City Senior Citizens is open Tuesdays and Thursdays serving lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m. The cost is $5 for those ages 55 and older and $6 for those under 55. Anyone who wishes to purchase a carry-out meal can call 417-476-5006 before 10:30 a.m. and pick their meal up between 11:30 a.m. and noon. Also, on the first Thursday of each month, Nell’s Nails will be serving seniors for a nominal fee at about 9 a.m...

In 2001, life for many of us in our smaller communities was very different. In Monett, we still had Jack Frost on the “Sunny Side of the Street,” next to Brownsbergers across from The Trunk, and we actually still had a Radio Shack. Spradling Motors was doing business where O’Reilly’s is located now, and we had Taco Palace where Big Baldys currently resides...

Many things have changed in the world since Sept. 11, 2001. After terrorists hijacked four planes, crashing two into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, one into the The Pentagon, and the other crashed in a Pennsylvania field, passengers must now be screened for weapons and/or explosives prior to boarding an aircraft. ...

On this 20th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York, one former Freistatt resident recalls his harrowing experiences as the saga unfolded across the street from where he was attending a conference. David Pennington, cousin to Monett residents Mark Pennington and Firefighter Brandon Pennington, was attending a global leadership conference and staying at a hotel on Vesey Street near NY Hwy. 9A, catty-corner from the World Trade Center, when the attacks began...

The Pierce City Senior Citizens is open Tuesdays and Thursdays serving lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m. The cost is $5 for those ages 55 and older and $6 for those under 55. Anyone who wishes to purchase a carry-out meal can call 417-476-5006 before 10:30 a.m. and pick their meal up between 11:30 a.m. and noon. Also, on the first Thursday of each month, Nell’s Nails will be serving seniors for a nominal fee at about 9 a.m...

Barry County’s positive COVID-19 (coronavirus) dipped below 100 again in the last week, and one new death was reported. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,243 (+65 from Sept. 1) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Editor’s Note: This story was written after Murray Bishoff, currently retired contributor to the Cassville Democrat, visited the 9/11 Memorial Museum not long after it was opened to the public. This is an edited version of the story that was published in the September 2015 Connection Magazine...

New Monett City Administrator Chris Weiner has been on the job for only a couple of weeks, but he is excited to be in Monett and continue the forward-thinking ideals that are a hallmark of the community. Weiner, who has served as city manager for Garnett, Kan., and Girard, Kan., and as city clerk and assistant city manager for Cherryvale, Kan., has worked in the field since September 2013, and brings a wealth of experience to Monett...

Verona is considering hiring a dedicated code enforcement officer to work five hours a week. Verona Mayor Joseph Heck said the city’s current code enforcement officer, Jeff Burleson, also serves as the city building inspector. “For the past month I’ve been doing code enforcement, and I think that’s a bit of a conflict,” Heck said, explaining that Burleson has been over-booked with building inspector duties...

Good food, unique crafts and fine arts will be on hand in Purdy this weekend for the seventh annual Purdy Craft and Vendor Fair scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. This year, organizer Julie Terry said the show is going to be bigger than ever with more than 90 vendors coming from all over the region...

The 32nd annual Marionville fall festival will be held on September 17 and 18. The theme this year is “Helping Hands Build Community.” The Applefest Pageant will be held at 4 p.m. on Sept. 11 at the Marionville First Baptist Church. Applefest festivities begin at noon on Sept. ...

A Monett educator has received a Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program award. The award is granted through the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Amy Sampson will join other educators from the United States in working to bring an international perspective to their schools through targeted training, experience abroad, and global collaboration. ...

Thirteen U.S. service personnel were killed in Afghanistan on Aug. 26 and community members in Monett gathered Friday to honor their lives and their sacrifice.

The Pierce City Senior Citizens is open Tuesdays and Thursdays serving lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m. The cost is $5 for those ages 55 and older and $6 for those under 55. Anyone who wishes to purchase a carry-out meal can call 417-476-5006 before 10:30 a.m. and pick their meal up between 11:30 a.m. and noon. Also, on the first Thursday of each month, Nell’s Nails will be serving seniors for a nominal fee at about 9 a.m...

A group of Monett School District patrons gathered at the Jerry D. Hall Memorial Pavilion on Monday to discuss arguments to present to the school board to support their opposition to the COVID masking mandate. While active COVID cases have increased since the start of school two weeks ago, the Monett District opted to buck the trend among other districts that made masking optional. ...

Monett resident Tara Carroll, 29, was arrested Tuesday evening following a check for felony warrants by Monett Police Officer Kristin Butterworth. According to Monett Police Lt. Dennis Camp, Carroll was stopped at 310 Kyler Street at approximately 6:50 p.m. for three outstanding warrants – two for probation violations and one for first degree property damage...

Monett’s School Resource Officers (SROs) have been eager to get back to the classroom and begin fostering a good rapport with students and building on those relationships. “We want to focus on helping kids make good decisions,” said Jay Jastal, who works primarily at the high school level. ...