Stories from Saturday, December 15, 2018

Wilma Dean Pennel-Serls, 71, of Monett died Wednesday, Dec. 12, at her home in Monett. Memorial service arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced upon completion. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Bennett-Wormington Funeral Home in Monett...

Rodney L. Pendergraft, 58, of Washburn, died Monday, Dec. 10. Funeral services were held Friday, Dec. 14, at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville. Burial will be at Roller Cemetery in Washburn

Jon C. Suit, 76, of Monett, Mo., went home to be with his Heavenly Father on Wednesday, December 12, 2018, while at Lacoba Homes in Monett. Jon was born on September 2, 1942, in Tulsa, Okla., the son of the late William C. Suit and Elma O. (McKinney) Suit...

The Monett girls hoops players have earned the trust of their coach and it showed in the form of a 75-52 win over Nesoho on Tuesday. The Lady Cubs hit 11 3-pointers in the game and did not hesitate to shoot the ball on the offensive end. “It was nice to see us shoot that well and for our kids to see the ball go through the net,” said Alyssa Kennedy, Monett coach. “I thought we played pretty good defense in the second half, and that led to some good things offensively.”...

Tuesday night was supposed to be a measuring stick of how far the Monett basketball team had grown this season. The Cubs (4-3) entered the game on the heels of a four-game winning streak and had district foe Neosho coming to town for their home opener...

Three different moments, with three different players stepping up, made all the difference for Verona (7-1) in a 72-60 win over Marionville on Thursday. In the first quarter, trailing by a point, senior Kolton Pinkly drilled consecutive 3-pointers to give the Wildcats a 20-15 edge...

In a busy week, the Monett wrestling team went 3-1 in dual action on the mat. The Cubs, currently the No. 1-ranked team in Class 2, defeated No. 6-ranked Bolivar, 47-24, and Diamond, 60-18. On Tuesday the Cubs defeated Marshfield, 46-24, before falling to perennial Class 3 state champion Neosho, 38-32, on Thursday...

When Jon Suit was asked to join the Monett City Council after the resignation of H C. Beckwith in 1995, he fit the mold of a council member though he had never held public office. He was retired, from the Army, with time on his hands, roots in town and interest in service. It seemed like a good fit...

Winner of the Downtown Ladies Night $1000 shopping giveaway, held Tuesday, Dec. 11 on Broadway, has been named.

Residents of the Mt. Vernon Veterans Nursing Home were recently treated to an afternoon of holiday shopping for their families.

The Ozark Festival Orchestra will offer its Christmas concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 16, at the Monett High School Performing Arts Center. The Monett Middle School Choir concert will be at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 18 at the MHS Performing Arts Center. The MHS Pizzazz Poms Dance Team will host its annual Lil’ Pizzazz dance clinics on Saturday, Dec. 15 from 1 to 5 p.m. in the high school gym...

The First Congregational Church in Pierce City hosted its annual community Christmas service, with pastors from seven churches participating.

Elementary school students at Berean Christian Academy in Monett entertained parents, family members and guests at their annual Christmas program.

Members of Monett High School Chamber and Concert choirs performed “Sing We All Noel,” under the direction of student conductor Bradden Smith, as part of the annual Winter Choir Concert.

Madelyn Lee, daughter of Matt and Julie Lee, was crowned by Jason Puente, senior soccer player, as Monett High School’s 2018 Miss Merrie Christmas.

Verona school board members continued discussion in November about the design of a new gym for consideration by voters on April 2. Superintendent Tony Simmons brought three floor plan drawings from the firm CTS suggesting different approaches to replacing the 1954 gym presently in place. The two gyms ran in opposite directions, providing different advantages...

Six of the eight Pierce City aldermen seats will be filled in the upcoming April 2, 2019, election, due to an unusual confluence of events. Matt Cantrell, who filled the Ward 1 seat vacated by Kenny Smith when he was elected mayor, has fulfilled the year-long appointment. The successful candidate will serve two years...

Dedication ceremonies and a ribbon cutting by the Monett Chamber of Commerce completed the work of creating the mural for the Monett High School Performing Arts Center. Principal David Williams announced the dedication concluded two years of work. The mural, located on the curved north wall in the lobby of the PAC, grew out of art teacher Lynn Morin commenting the space was “a big wall.” She saw in it a way to celebrate all the arts that would take place in the hall...

After 24 years, Barry County Presiding Commissioner Cherry Warren’s time at his post is coming to a close, and a reception was held in his honor Thursday recognizing him for the six terms of service. Warren received a plaque from Barry County officials, as well as resolutions from the Missouri House and Missouri Senate. About 75 people attended the event at the Barry County Courthouse...

A Monett business received a bomb threat with demands for a ransom in Bitcoin on Thursday. According to Monett Police Sgt. Dennis Camp, the Russell Cellular store in the Stonegate Plaza received an email declaring a bomb had been placed in the store. A ransom of $2,000 was demanded, including payment in Bitcoin...