Community News

Prestige Assisted Living LLC of Holiday Island, Ark., has continued its partnership with Central Crossing Senior Center of Shell Knob.

Cassville’s newest Champions of Trivia will be crowned on March 6 at the Cassville Education Fund Trivia Night fundraiser. The informal evening of fun and games begins at 7 p.m. at the Cassville High School commons. Now in its 10th year, Trivia Night is the annual fundraiser for the Cassville Education Fund...

Meet Chalupa, the Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week.

It is time to shop for a Valentine's Day present for my wife. As I write, I still have five days to purchase something. That should be plenty of time. But, alas, it is not enough time. No amount of time will be enough. I never have the foggiest idea of what to do when it comes to gift shopping for my honey. I intend to leave this essay, under a magnet on our refrigerator, where she will see it tonight, as she begins preparations for my dinner. That should help...

Jennifer Evans, Cassville city clerk and finance officer, has again received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. This recognition is from the Government Finance Officers Association of the U.S. and Canada or GFOA. It is for the City of Cassville’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the fiscal year 2018...

Anyone who is not registered to vote in Barry County must register by Feb. 12 to be eligible to vote in the Presidential Primary Election. People should notify the Barry County Clerk if they have moved and have not updated their address or had a name change...

Meet Ross Geller, the Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) encourages agricultural producers to enroll now in the Agriculture Risk Loss (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs. March 15, 2020 is the enrollment deadline for the 2019 crop year. Although more than 200,000 producers have enrolled to date, FSA anticipates 1.5 million producers will enroll for ARC and PLC. By enrolling soon, producers can beat the rush as the deadline nears...

Allow me to call her Allison. Busy moms will identify with her story. She had promised to bake a cake for the Church ladies' bake sale, but she forgot. At the last minute, she remembered. The morning of the bake sale Allison rummaged through her cabinets until she found an angel food cake mix. She quickly made it while drying her hair, dressing, and helping her son, Bill, pack up for Scout camp...

The Health Department divides food service code violations into two categories; Priority and Core items. Priority items are more likely than other violations to contribute to food contamination, or illness and/or injury. Core items although important to the overall hygiene of the establishment, do not necessarily present an immediate threat to food contamination or illness and/or injury...

Meet Ralphy, the Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week.

Isaiah 62:2 and Revelation 2:17 indicate that someday, believers will receive a new name, known only to them, and to God. The Bible is full of people who have had their names changed, usually as an indication of a change in their character. We had a Dachshund. That’s a dog, not a motorcycle. ...

The sea of native warm-season grass on Gene Cowherd’s Barry County farm is a reminder of a time when buffalo grazed tall prairie grasses. Cowherd’s first-year grasses stand more than 6 feet high, with thick, green undergrowth. The grasses are part of a diverse grazing system that also includes alfalfa, Bermuda grass, orchardgrass, red clover and novel fescue...

People may sign up on Jan. 24 for the Senior Commodities Food Box USDA Program. Program openings are available and applications for Free Senior Food Boxes through the USDA Commodity Supplemental Food Program will be accepted from 1:30-3 p.m. on Jan. 24 at Cassville United Methodist Church, located at 601 Gravel St. in Cassville. ...

The Cassville Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) held its annual meeting of stockholders on Jan. 16. During the meeting, Devan Scroggins was elected by stockholders to fill the expiring board seat held by Stu Gatley. Gatley declined to run again for the Board...

Central Crossing Senior Center’s volunteer Medicare counselors recently finished their work with area seniors again this year. Due to their efforts, 134 clients were counseled and saved $13,113.20. This represents a significant savings and is money that can be saved or spent locally. While not all seniors saved money, each could rest easy knowing they had the best Supplemental Health Care Plan available for them.  ...

Meet Wompus, the Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week.

All are invited to the Central Crossing Senior Center for a short program followed by lunch in Shell Knob on Jan. 31 at 11 a.m., during which State Sen. David Sater, R-Cassville, will be recognized for his support of seniors. During the last session of the Missouri State Legislature, Sater was instrumental in the passage of what has been referred to as the Growth and Development Bill. ...

eet Jax (and lots of friends), the Haven of the Ozarks Pets of the Week. People would usually think of spring as baby season, but apparently, no one told that to the Haven area’s stray animal population.

I once preached a week-long revival in a small Kansas town. I stayed in the home of an older couple who attended the church. Each night, after the revival service was finished, I sat at the dining room table in their home. Each night, the wife would take out scrapbooks, and I would look at them with her for an hour or so while her husband watched TV in the living room. ...

• Dianne Lynn Baum, Crane, failed to equip vehicle with adequate/properly attached muffler, infr., $60.50 and court costs. • Trey Garrett Davis, Springdale, Ark., failed to equip vehicle with adequate/properly attached muffler, infr., $100.50 and court costs...

“Have you got your winter wood laid by?” That important question was asked annually by the members of a small rural congregation that I once served. It was often their main topic of discussion. It is still a relevant question, considering the cold winter days we have been experiencing...

We had a New Year's Eve party at our house. Mary and I hosted four of our grandchildren. Isabelle is 6, Madeline is 5, and Alex and Lilly, our twins, are nearly 3. It was an over-nighter, and we had a lot of fun. But about 8 p.m. we could tell that we were running out of steam...

Mark Twain National Forest’s wildland firefighters on the Ava/Cassville/Willow Springs Ranger District (ACW RD) are continuing to accomplish field work in anticipation of prescribe burning. They are prepping planned prescribed burn units and getting equipment ready. ...

Meet Octavia, the Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week.

Meet Harvey, the Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week.

• Braxton Montana Dean Terry, Springdale, Ark., speeding, infr., $50.50 and court costs. • Heather Diane Thomas, Eagle Rock, seat belt violation, $10. • Jerry Wayne Tyler, Seligman, seat belt violation, $10 and court costs. • Harley Joe Wilkins, Fairview, no valid driver’s license, SIS, six months unsupervised probation and court costs...

The Health Department divides food service code violations into two categories; priority and core items. Priority items are more likely than other violations to contribute to food contamination, or illness and/or injury. Core items although important to the overall hygiene of the establishment, do not necessarily present an immediate threat to food contamination or illness and/or injury...

My mother could get her four children straightened out just one day each year.  “Straighten Up!” she would often snap, but only on New Year's Day would we do it. We would all line up so she could measure us. Mom would open the utility room door, back us against it, and straighten us out. ...

The hugely popular Lighting of the Tree and Star kicked off the Christmas Season in Shell Knob at the Central Crossing Senior Center on Dec. 6. The entire community was invited and the event was jam-packed with family fun. Upon entering the Center, everyone enjoyed complimentary soup, deserts and soft drinks provided by the Shell Knob Elementary School and Shell Knob Seniors, Inc. ...

State Auditor Nicole Galloway has released a regularly-scheduled audit of Barry County. The report included recommendations to improve accounting processes in the sheriff’s office and better protect the county’s electronic data. The audit recommended better checks and balances in the sheriff’s office to ensure proper oversight of financial transactions. ...

State Auditor Nicole Galloway has released an audit of the Barry County Collector. The report received an overall rating of good.  "During a transition, it's helpful to review the processes in place and identify any areas that need improvement," Galloway said. "I'm pleased to see the new collector appears to be making changes to address our findings."...

The Cassville Cruisers car club will celebrate its tenth year in the spring of 2020. The original group of car enthusiasts led by the late Bill Hill started meeting at Laminated Panels in the fall of 2009. The group’s mission was to bring cars to Cassville for both increased business and the simple enjoyment of viewing classic and specialty cars...

Meet Willie Cobblestone, the Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week. Willie is a wonderful 5-1/2-year-old kitty who has been at the Haven 216 days.

For years, each December, Mary and I have placed a brightly decorated Mail Box in front of our church. Children can drop their letters to Santa in that box, with the promise of receiving a return letter from Santa Claus. The letters are a delight to read and respond to.  Most of the letters are typical.  But some of them give us the opportunity to pray for families.  Children don't just ask favors for themselves, they are often concerned about others.  For example:...

When water sources freeze in the north, bald eagles migrate south to find food and water. Join Roaring River State Park staff at 3 p.m. Dec. 21 and Jan. 18 to watch for bald eagles along Roaring River. The park will present a movie about bald eagles, the U.S. ...

Meet Heathcliff, the Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week.

I enjoy hearing the old, but still popular, Christmas songs. There is a nostalgic feel to them. Today, I cherish them, but I cringe at how I have butchered some of those great old songs. As an elementary aged boy, my mind would never quite leave me alone. I longed to be noticed. So, when we would sing Christmas songs in music class, I would sing alternate words, which my teacher could not hear, but my choir-mates could. ...

Meet Susie, the Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week.

Runners from across the four-states area came together to support The Barry- Lawrence County Developmental Center on Sept. 7 at the Exeter Corn Maze.

It is now December, and I am thinking about my Grandpa, Henry Chandler. He was an old-timer, complete with gray stubble like mine. He fought in the trenches of France during World War I. There, he received a near-fatal dose of Mustard Gas. My Grandma said it altered his sense of taste and smell...

Les Jacobs Ford has been a proud Business Sponsor of the Central Crossing Senior Center in Shell Knob and is continuing their support again this year. Business Sponsors provide ongoing support to help the center provide programs and services to local seniors...

Meet Neko, the Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week.

Sophisticated technology has revealed the heavens in new ways. Astronomers have examined a solar system 25 light years away. The system's sun is called Fomalhaut, which is visible without the aid of a telescope. It is the 18th-brightest star in the sky. The Hubble Telescope has revealed at least three planets orbiting Formalhaut, one of which takes 785 years to complete a single orbit...

• Benjamin Wade Paine I, Joplin, two counts second degree domestic assault, fel. C, probation revoked, seven years DOC each count; felonious restraint, fel. C, probation revoked, seven years DOC; possession of a controlled substance except 35 grams of marijuana, fel. C, probation revoked, six years DOC; second degree burglary, fel. C, probation revoked, six years DOC; possession of marijuana/synthetic cannabinoid less than 35 grams, fel. D, seven years DOC and $46 CVCF...

The Seligman Chamber of Commerce and Arkansas & Missouri Railroad will host the Christmas train rides on Dec. 21 from Seligman city hall to Rogers, Ark., starting at 9 a.m., and again at 11 a.m. Then, on Dec. 22, the train will go from the Monett soccer fields to Exeter. Three round trips start at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m...

Meet Curly Bill, the Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week.

Meet the puppies, the Haven of the Ozarks Pets of the Week.

Tis' the season for making lists. Maybe you have been working on your Christmas lists. Some folks have a Christmas card list. There might be a Christmas Party invitation list. You probably have a couple of gift lists, of presents for others, and things you would like to receive...