Stories from Saturday, November 12, 2016

Margarete J. Azbill, 79, of Granby, died Monday, Nov. 7. Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, at Stella United Methodist Church in Stella. Cremation arrangements are under direction of McQueen Funeral Home in Wheaton.

James Wesley Bunch, 67, of Steele, died Saturday, Nov. 5, at Bentonview Park Health and Rehab in Monett. Funeral services were held on Nov. 10 at the Assembly of God Church in Steele. Interment was at the Mitchell Number Eight Cemetery in Cooter. Local arrangements were by Buchanan Funeral Home in Monett...

Wayne Henry Dyer, 90, of Purdy, died Thursday, Nov. 10. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville. Burial will be at Arnhart Cemetery in Purdy.

Gary Clayton Marbut, 76, of Cassville, died Saturday, Nov. 5. Graveside services were held Thursday, Nov. 10, at Horner Cemetery in Cassville, under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville.

Bessie Evelyn Oldham, 99, of Aurora, died Tuesday, Nov. 8 at the Aurora Nursing Center. A visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11 at the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora. A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Maple Park Cemetery in Aurora...

Over the course of the long presidential election, one interesting story came out of Purdy. A longtime businessman in that town who runs a garage wrote a check to Donald Trump's campaign and mailed it. A few weeks later, he got a letter back from the campaign that included his check. The Trump people thanked him for the donation, but said their candidate was running to help small business people. Mr. Trump felt the donor needed the money more than he did, so he returned it...

The Ozarks Youth Basketball League is registering Monett youth in grades first through sixth. The cost is $30 for an individual player, discounts are available for multiple siblings with games set to begin in January. Registration fees as include a free T-shirt...

Ross Malone, author of more than a dozen books on Missouri including "The Monett Nine" and "Too Good To Pass By," will have a book signing from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 15 at the Scott Regional Technology Center, in advance of the Monett Historical Society meeting there at 7:30 p.m...

The Monett Area YMCA is currently enrolling youth in kindergarten through sixth grade in dance, cheer and basketball leagues. For more information, people may contact Jeremy Kee at 417-235-8213.

The Monett Soccer Club's under-15 team ended its fall season as the Four States Competitive Soccer League champions.

The Monett girls tennis team recently handed out its team awards. Head Coach Bob Crain awarded nine varsity letters to Tiffany Hull, Brooke Ogle, Kaylee Johnson, Samantha Salas, Ruby Vela, Melissa Hurtado, Stacy Hurtado, Diana Rodriguez and Patience Winsea...

Following a dream and continuing her career has led Purdy senior Rion Boyd to sign a national letter of intent to play softball next year for Missouri Southern State University in Joplin. Boyd was a two-year starter for the Lady Eagles and earned all-state, all-district and all-conference accolades each season...

Glen and Wilda Scott Sr. of McDowell will have an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. on Nov. 19 to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary.

Eldred "Elly" and Margaret Holle of Monett celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Sunday, Nov. 6 at Lacoba Homes.

Wheaton High School announced its October students of the month.

Officials at Wheaton School District have released the list of students named to the first quarter honor roll for the 2016-17 academic year. Students are listed by achievement and grade below.Seventh-grade A Honor Roll: Abbey Bowling, Zane Johnson, Zane Smith, Bentley Stephens, Pa Vang, Patti Vang and Donovan Xiong...

A total of 101 students achieved academic standards that earned them a place on the Purdy Middle School honor roll for the first quarter of the 2016-2017 school year. Principal Janet Boys named 41 students to the A honor roll: Fifth grade: Lily Anfinson, Trenton Breazzeal, Carson Burt, Darissa Ennes, Nora Gibson, Preston Hibbard, Bryce Ozbun and Dasia Schronk...

Natashia Garner's third grade class at Central Park Elementary School in Monett made a field trip on Thursday to the Veterans Home in Mt. Vernon.

Eighteen students from Monett High School have been inducted in the MHS National Honor Society Chapter on Tuesday at the Performing Arts Center. Inductees joined a similar number who received the honor last year for the ceremony. Susie Kinlock, chapter sponsor, offered opening comments...

The Barry-Lawrence Chapter of the Toastmasters Club will offer public speaking and leadership training through meetings offered in Monett. The club meets monthly at the Monett Chamber of Commerce community room at 200 E. Broadway. The next meeting will be held at noon on Nov. 16. Wally Long, who competed in the semi-final round of the World Championship of Public Speaking, will be the guest...

The Not So Square Arts Festival runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at the Mt. Vernon Arts and recreation Center (the MARC), 822 W. Mt. Vernon Blvd. There will be live entertainment, artisans working in jewelry, fiber, paint, pottery and photography, and patriotic art. Admission is free...

Dave Beckett, at right, was one of hundreds who loaded up on delectable delights at the 13th annual Festival of Flavors on Thursday.

Third graders from Central Park Elementary School in Monett presented a gala patriotic program on Thursday night at the Monett High School Performing Arts Center.

The Pierce City school district received good news for its 2016 fiscal year audit, receiving an unmodified opinion, which is good, according to superintendent Russ Moreland. "It was a good, clean audit," Moreland said. "Melissa [Younker, secretary to the superintendent,] and Debbie [Hogan, district bookkeeper,] make it such an easy process by having things prepared for the auditors."...

Operation Christmas Child, an international outreach program to children combining the Christmas holiday and giving with evangelism, will again be available in Monett. The First Freewill Baptist Church, located at 1112 N. Central Ave. in Monett, will be accepting shoeboxes of supplies for the effort from Nov. 14 through Nov. 21. Jan Parsons is the Monett drive coordinator...

An open house for the new Monett animal shelter has been scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, Nov. 19 at its new location, south of the Monett Justice Center. "It's a huge improvement. I'm very pleased," said Dennis Pyle, city administrator. "We will have better basic conditions and can provide better care. We will be able to adopt out more animals and hold them longer."...

Veterans from the Monett area received honor in music and word from Monett High School students during the assembly held for Veterans Day on Tuesday at the MHS Performing Arts Center. Several musical selections were interspersed between speeches and demonstrations making up the program. ...

Monett Main Street has advanced plans for the community events center planned for the former Jumping-Jacks shoe factory site at Fifth and Broadway, moving closer to the beginning of construction during the winter. According to Dennis Pyle, city administrator and Main Street officer, Main Street leaders have discussed designs at length with architect Richard Werner, who now has complete plans and specifications. ...

Bi-county residents held solidly to their Republican roots in local results from Tuesday's general election. Based on unofficial returns, Barry County had 14,830 votes cast, or almost 73 percent turnout. That compared to 13,937, or 65 percent, in the 2012 presidential election, and 14,769, or 71 percent, in 2008...

For the third time in the last five years, Monett has advanced to the Class 3 semifinal with a 48-20 win over Owensville on Saturday. The Cubs travel McCluer South-Berkeley in Ferguson at 1 p.m. Saturday for the state semifinal. In the quarterfinal, both teams brought high-powered offenses into the game and the first quarter's 27 combined points sent a quick message that the game could quickly evolve into a high-scoring shootout...

Cox Health Systems in Monett has begun a new sports walk-in sports medicine clinic to benefit the residents and athletes in the bi-county area. "We saw a need [for athletes] that the nearest walk-in clinics were an hour away from Monett," said Greg Gilmore, Cox Monett athletic training coordinator. "We wanted to provide a service that was at the same level, but could get athletes in and out quicker without that hour drive."...