More bizarreness

Still working the fire near Marorionville, and the two-car head-on south of Aurora.

Now, a call of a burning tree falling into a house on highway 39.

What a weird night….

Fire & Accident

Marionville Rural Fire were called to a fire about 630pm outside Marionville. They called for mutual aid from Aurora Rural.

Then, about 700pm, a two-vehicle head-one crash was reported on 1210, about a mile south of Gary Wood Chrysler.  Aurora City Fire was called to help with that accident.  Two ambulances were called to the scene.

Developing……….

More on McDonalds incident

The Aurora Advertiser reports more details on the incident at McDonalds, mentioned earlier.

On February 21, Aurora officer’s were called to McDonald’s for an intoxicated male punching the equipment in the restaurant and then later assaulting a female at the scene. Damon Tate was arrested for domestic assault and property damage.

Incident in McDonald parking lot

Aurora Police were called to the parking lot at McDonalds in Aurora
Sunday night for what was described as a domestic dispute between a man
and woman.
Shortly thereafter, Rescue and Ambulance were called to the scene, with
the report that the man had been injured in the leg and woman in the
face. An eyewitness on the scene said that the man came out of the
restaurant, screaming obscenities, followed by the woman. They both
began yelling at each other as they went to the south side of the
building. The eyewitness did not see them assault each other, only yelling.
There was no indication from the scanner whether either the man or woman
was treated by the paramedics, or whether the police took any action
against them.

Reward offered for burglary at Murfin’s

The Tri-County Sentinel reports that a $1,000 reward has been offered for information regarding the burglary at Murfin’s Market in Marionville back at the end of January.

Click here to read the story

Aurora man sentenced for statuatory rape & sodomy

The Monett Times reports that an Aurora man has been sentenced on rape and sodomy charges.

Kevin D. Padgett was sentenced by Judge Alan Blankenship on eight counts of statutory rape and 25 counts of statutory sodomy. Padgett pleaded guilty to crimes involving an 11-year-old victim between September 2007 and August 2008. The sentences are to run concurrently by agreement with the victim's family.

Click here to read the full story

Robert George will run for judge

The Monett Times reports that Robert George will run for judge.

Lawrence County Prosecutor Robert E. George has announced his intention to file for the office of Lawrence County Associate Circuit Judge on the Republican ticket. George plans to seek the Division Two seat currently held by Judge Larry Meyer, who plans to retire at the end of his term on Dec. 31.

Click here to read the story

Aurora will fix swimming pool

The Aurora Advertiser reports that the Aurora City council has voted to fix the Aurora Swimming Pool

The board accepted a contract with A&E Solutions --Richard Werner for the repairs. The wastewater superintendent and one other employee will be the ones working on the pool with Werner.

Click here to read the story

Jerry Sumners may sue Aurora

The Tri-County Sentinel reports that Jerry Sumners may sue the city of Aurora.

In letters obtained by The Tri-County Sentinel, Sumners has made it known to Aurora City officials that he believes that the written agreement entered into by himself and the city for improvements made to Baldwin Park has been violated.

Read more at the Tri-County Sentinel

Link to story

Weekend burglary at Damar

Aurora police were called to Damar Worldwide in the Aurora industrial
park. Apparenlty, someone broke in over the weekend and stole cash.
Aurora detectives are investigating.

Tri-County Sentinel reports on area accidents

Two separate collisions in Lawrence County have sent people to area
hospitals.
The Missouri Highway Patrol says around 1:55 this morning, February 13,
23-year-old Zackery A. Dyer, of Monett was driving a 1974 Chevy pickup
along Highway 60, two miles east of Monett when he ran off the road and
struck a ditch. Dyer was taken by ambulance to Cox South in Springfield.
A family from Ash Grove was hurt Friday night, February 12, when a 2001
Dodge Ram pickup ran off Highway O, three miles west of Chesapeake.
Troopers say 39-year-old Donald R. Orosz was driving the vehicle when he
lost control while attempting to avoid another vehicle which had crossed
the center line. The pickup flipped over in the roadway and slid off
into a ditch.
All four people in the pickup were taken to St. John's in Springfield
for treatment. Donald Orosz sustained moderate injuries, while
passengers, 35-year-old Billie J. Orosz suffered serious injuries in the
crash. Two children, 10-year-old Dustie R. Orosz and 6-year-old Jesse V.
Orosz each sustained only minor injuries in the 5:10 p.m. crash.

KY3 reports changes at Aurora School system

AURORA, Mo. -- If you're looking for kids who love school <#>, you need
only look as far as the younger set.

"We have 5-year-olds and 8-year-olds. They come in with smiles," said
David Mais, assistant principal at Aurora's Pate Early Childhood Center.

Their teachers return the favor, but behind those smiles are some
nerves. The Aurora School District recently announced it's going to
have to cut 5 percent over this year, or $1 million, from next year's
spending.

"We cut the fat away last year, and so this year I'm afraid we're going
to have to get into the meat of it," said district Superintendent Dan
Decker.

In the past, the district received grants to start programs. To
maintain them, it's been spending into its reserves.

"Not only do we have to right the ship and stop spending into our
reserves, but we also have to build those reserves back," Decker said.

This time around, that comes at the cost of five teachers.

"No one wants to be told your position has been eliminated," said Mais.

That's exactly what he was told, however. Mais has already seen the
effects of these cuts. Last year, Pate lost teachers to attrition,
sending its student-to-teacher ratio in the kindergarten classrooms
from 15 to 1 to closer to 20 to 1.

"It's a bad deal, but it's the direction we have to go," said Decker.

As they await a legislative verdict on school funding <#> for next year,
Aurora's administrators will continue to evaluate its bottom line,
looking at everything from professional development to the electric bill.

"We're trying to look into the future and see what we can do to keep
from making these cuts in the future, and give our folks here some sense
of security," he said.

As district employees look forward, they're hoping for the same.

"God has a plan for me, and I'll be okay with wherever I land," said Mais.

In addition, the district is looking at contracting for custodial work
and transportation, and is also planning to make cuts to extracurricular
activities. It's eliminated freshman-specific teams, and
they're evaluating their programs with higher per-student expenses.

More on accident

Rescue is calling for extracation equipment for this accident.

Accident on I-44

820-pm
Mt. Vernon rescue & St. Johns ambulance responding to an accident call
at the 44 mile marker of I-44 for a roll over accident. Scanner reports
indicate the road is slick.

Barry & Lawrence county music therapy

The SPringfield News-Leader reports:

A Drury University professor has received a $122,640 grant to provide
music therapy to disables residents in Lawrence and Barry counties.

According to a press release from the university, this is the sixth
consecutive year that Michael Cassity, professor and director of music
therapy, has received such a grant.

The grant, from the Lawrence and Barry County Tax Boards for the
Developmentally Disabled, funds a music therapy clinic in Monett which
is a satellite of Drury's Center for Music Therapy and Wellness.

According to the release, music therapy is an established health care
profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to
address physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs of individuals.

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Aurora businessman Mike Zay dies

The Crafton Cantrell funeral home reports that longtime Aurora real
estate agent and businessman Mike Zay has died.
Check the funeral notices page for more information.