McDonald County Press

News

Veterans Honored With Pineville Cemetery Memorial On a mild winter day, a strong wind straightens flying flags and a monument glistens in the sunlight as a tribute to all veterans. by Sally Carroll

Signs Continue To Welcome Visitors, Neighbors Attractive signs promoting an active McDonald County town continue to draw attention. Though the four signs have been up for a year and a half, the signs beckon neighbors and visitors to all the recreational activities Pineville has to offer. by Sally Carroll

Anderson Council Meets Samson On Tuesday evening, members of the Anderson City Council were introduced to the police department's newest deputy in-training, an 18-month-old German Shepherd named Samson. by Megan Davis McDonald County Press mdavis@nwadg.com

Goodman's Planning, Zoning Inaugeral Meeting Involves Annexation Request Goodman's newly formed planning and zoning committee entertained information from a businessman who wants to have his property annexed into Goodman. by Sally Carroll

Initiative Cracks Down On Illegal Drug Activity In Goodman Illegal drug activity in town has dropped by 87 percent in the last year and a half, Goodman City Council members learned Tuesday night. by Sally Carroll

Obituaries John Mickiel Hartgraves by Staff Reports

Board Increases Budget For Safe Room The McDonald County R-1 Board of Education, at its Jan. 10 meeting, voted to increase the budget for the FEMA safe room at Noel Primary School. by Rachel Dickerson McDonald County Press rdickerson@nwadg.com

Briefs American Legion Benefit Dinner by Staff Reports

Sports

McDonald County Youth Wrestling Results The Ozark Mountain Smackdown Trophy Tourney in Branson, Mo. by Staff Reports

Junior High Boys Open 2019 Season With Wins The McDonald County seventh- and eighth-grade boys' basketball teams both opened the 2019 season last week by winning their first three games of the year. by Rick Peck/Special to McDonald County Press

Duo Leads Indians Past Mustangs Brennen Yust and Preston Armstrong combined for 44 points to lead the Seneca Indians to a 59-52 win over the McDonald County Mustangs on Jan. 11 at MCHS. by Rick Peck/Special to McDonald County Press

Ortiz Falls In Branson Title Match In a rematch of 2018 state champions, Neosho's Cayden Auch made it 2-0 this season over McDonald County's Oscar Ortiz with a 7-6 decision to win the 126-pound division at the Branson High School Wrestling Tournament held Jan. 12 at Branson High School. by Rick Peck/Special to McDonald County Press

MCHS Girls Fall To Seneca After trailing 9-7 at the end of the first quarter, the Seneca Lady Indians scored the final five points of the first half for a 21-17 lead at intermission and then steadily pulled away in the second half for a 44-31 win over McDonald County on Jan. 11 at MCHS. by Rick Peck/Special to McDonald County Press

Homecoming Seniors Name: Bailey McAlister by Terri OByrne

Mustangs Defeat Houn' Dawgs With the help of a youth movement, the McDonald County High School boys' basketball team defeated the Aurora Houn' Dawgs, 48-39, on Jan. 4 at Aurora High School for the Mustangs' fourth win of the season against eight losses. by Rick Peck Special To McDonald County Press

Fouls Lead To Loss Fouls lead to free throws, and 27 fouls lead to a lot more free throws. by Rick Peck Special To McDonald County Press

Opinion

The Second Belle Starr The plan had been gone over once more the night before. As the trio sat alongside their campfire just outside of Pineville, everyone knew what they were to do the next day. As must be the case with any plan, there were risks. Some things cannot be anticipated and the unexpected must, in fact, be expected. But in the minds of the three cohorts, the risks were calculated and well-worth taking. by Stan Fine Columnist

Religion

Why Do We Feel So Torn? Why am I so Torn?=Why As we gathered to worship Sunday morning at Mill Creek Baptist Church, we were blessed to have several visitors. Special prayers were requested for Tom and Mildred Sharp, Misty Johnson, Eileen Hawkins, the Alvie Ritter family, Wayne and Becky, Angela, Jeanette Easter, Bob Bryan and Don Chaney's brother's family. Doug Cory opened our service with prayer. by Kitty Collingsworth Mill Creek Baptist Church

Jesus Christ, Our Light In the beginning, there was total darkness. Then the Creator God spoke, "Let there be light...." And there was light. And with the light, there came life. God is light -- bright, dazzling, radiant light! The Garden of Eden was a place of light -- for whenever and wherever God is present, there is light. Adam and Eve lived in a world of light and walked in the way of light. In Eden, there was no darkness, no evil, no sin, no suffering, no pain and no death -- only light. by Don Kuehle Columnist

Do you have a mission statement for life? In his second epistle (2 Peter 1:12-15), St. Peter wrote: "For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease." by Randy Moll

Christ, Our Joy We love to receive gifts -- at Christmastime and at other times. One of the greatest gifts we can receive is the gift of JOY. God loves to give us gifts; God offers the gift of JOY to every person on this earth. The Grinch (a.k.a. Satan), changes the gift from Joy to the gift of Happiness. To the untrained, and ungodly eye, these two gifts often look alike and feel alike. There is, however, a dramatic difference! So, let's unwrap the gift of Joy. by Don Kuehle Columnist

Jesus Has A Heart For The Lost Linda Abercrombie and Tina Smith were celebrating birthdays as we began the new year in worship Sunday morning at Mill Creek Baptist Church. We were greeted by Doug Cory and it was good to have Tom Sharp back with us. Special prayers were requested for Mertie Harmon, Wayne Johnson, Skip, Judy, Alesia, Mary Jean, Kevin Vancuren, the Boyd family, and the R.J. McCool family. Becky expressed thanks for the cards and prayers. The business meeting will be held at 6 p.m. by Kitty Collingsworth Mill Creek Baptist Church

Uncle Bert And Life The calendar has been replaced and most of us are writing 2019 instead of the year-old 2018. There will be many changes for most of us in the next 12 months: Some experiences will be happy, and some not so happy. That's life. Some of us will experience joyful advances, and some will have set-backs. That, also, is life. by Gene Linzey

How do you respond to Jesus' birth? "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him...." Matthew 2:1-2 (read verses 1-23) by Randy Moll