News

A vehicle crashed into Cassville High School at about 9:20 p.m. on Sept. 11, leaving a hole in the building before catching fire in the grass across the circle drive. One female, a juvenile, was transported by ambulance from the scene to Mercy Cassville Hospital with moderate injuries. Firefighters arrived within minutes and put out the smoking vehicle, a 2009 Pontiac G6, which was traveling on Highway Y into the city of Cassville before going off the left side of the roadway and down the hill, hitting the building...

The Cassville school district has implemented a new program — Jobs for American Graduates (JAG) — to its curriculum, which aims to allow for a more in-depth focus on post-high school education preparedness. Nathan Fortner, Cassville JAG teacher and wrestling coach, said he has been attending conferences throughout the summer to gather information for the program...

As part of a new program in the Cassville school district, administrators are aiming to find out exactly what it is like for a student in the district. “Be a student for a day” is something new this year, and if administrators feel they are learning more through the activity, they will continue to do it. The first administrator to take on the task was Jeff Swadley, intermediate principal...

Purdy City Council members are considering joining the Missouri Clean Energy District and are talking about plans to move city hall. The Clean Energy District ordinance, a templated document to take advantage of the Property Assessed Clean Energy Act, would enable Purdy residents to pursue grant money for installing solar panels on their homes. ...

Summer days and car shows went hand-in-hand, and during Saturday’s Shakin’ in the Shell Fest, dozens of cars were on display for the public to admire.

The Lives Under Construction (LUC) Boys Ranch in Lampe has offered a place for young men to go and to hopefully turn their lives around as they are guided to make better life choices and plan for their futures. Ken Ortman, founder and owner of LUC, and his wife, opened the boys ranch in 1982 and has an Open House scheduled for Oct. 5...

For eight years, Eagle Rock has presented its community with the annual car and craft show. However, the events were not always hosted together. Two years ago, the coordinator of the craft show and the coordinator of the car show decided to work together and make one big event that offers fun to everyone on the same day...

Members of the community gathered at a home in Cassville on Wednesday to remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Clint Danforth takes a swing at the ball while playing for the law enforcement team at the softball tournament organized to support the family of Tonya Bailey, who died on Sept. 1 of brain cancer.

The Cassville Youth Advisory Board hosted a Carnival on Saturday at the Family Life Center.

The graduating class of 1995 from Cassville High School, along with family and friends of Tonya Bailey, are hosting benefit a breakfast on Saturday. Bailey died from brain cancer on Sept. 1. She and her husband, John, have lived the majority of their lives in Barry County and have two teenage children. ...

Two people were injured Sunday in a wreck at 12:27 p.m. on Highway 86, one mile east of Eagle Rock. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Nathan Carter, 34, of Cassville, was driving a 2009 Honda Pilot westbound when a westbound 1972 AMC Javelin, driver unknown, attempted to pass Carter’s vehicle and, in the process, struck the Honda in the rear, causing the Javelin to roll into the ditch. the driver then allegedly fled on foot...

An Arkansas woman was injured Sunday in a wreck at 12:20 p.m. on Farm Road 2275, three miles west of Eagle Rock. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Jamie Tibbetts, 36, of Berryville, Ark., was driving a 1995 Chevrolet pickup eastbound when a westbound 1994 Ford F150 crossed the center of the roadway and struck her vehicle head-on. The occupants of the Ford allegedly fled on foot and have yet to be located...

Three people were injured Thursday in a wreck at 5:45 p.m. on Highway 112, four miles south of Cassville. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Dazthil Sibrian, 31, of Cave Springs, Ark., was driving northbound in a 1997 Mitsubishi Montero and was manipulating his GPS on his phone, crossing the center line and striking head-on a southbound 2007 Cadillac DTS, being driven by Michael Burke, 66, of Shell Knob...

Two people were injured Wednesday in a wreck at 8 p.m. on Highway 86 at Overlook Lane, one mile east of Eagle Rock. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Jerry Titus, 79, of Cassville, was driving a 2008 Chrysler Town and Country westbound and pulled into the path of an eastbound 2003 Ford Mustang, being driven by Heather Thomas, 27, of Eagle Rock...

On Sept. 11, 2001, the entire nation morned the death of nearly 3,000 people during the attacks on the World Trade Center buildings in New York City and the Pentagon. The United States of America stood together as the tragedy that unfolded hit over and over again, and each state sent crews and supplies to assist those in need...

The Purdy school district had the largest influx to enrollment this year, and although the district sees that as a positive, it does bring some issues into light that the district had to work out the first few weeks of school. Mindi Gates, Purdy superintendent, said the district is looking at the enrollment numbers for this year, and the transportation director has been creating lists and looking at the numbers in the morning versus the afternoon...

An Eagle Rock man is facing five felonies after allegedly firing a gun at two people in a vehicle, grazing the arm of one victim and causing a large laceration. Mark Crosby, 41, of Eagle Rock, is charged with unlawful use of a weapon, two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action...

On the morning of Aug. 4, the Washburn Fire Department was called in for a fire at the Washburn lagoon. James Libertus, Washburn maintenance supervisor, said at about 7:30 a.m., he received a call from the fire department, which was already on scene...

With a heavy heart, the community is coming together to celebrate a life that was lost much too soon. Tonya Bailey died on Sept. 1 at 42 years old. She leaves behind a husband, two children and a community of friends and family. Bailey was born in Iowa but moved to Cassville, graduating in 1995, then marrying her high school sweetheart in 2001 and having two children...

A Purdy man is facing three felonies after allegedly firing a .22-caliber rifle into a home near Purdy, where a child was inside, and being in possession of methamphetamine. Benjamin Paine II, 25, of Purdy, is charged with possession of a controlled substance, unlawful use of a weapon and endangering the welfare of a child...

The Cassville Democrat would like to recognize all those men and women from Barry County who served in the Armed Forces of the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force or Coast Guard during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, Desert Shield, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, the Global War on Terrorism or who has served in any other capacity in a foreign conflict...

An enormous crowd flocked to Bill Hailey Arena Saturday for the annual Demolition Derby, sponsored by the Cassville Rotary Club.

The fifth annual Purdy Craft Fair was bigger and better this year, with 82 booths, double the number from last year, when it was cold, rainy and windy.

Many people showed up Saturday for the Autism walk/run at the Exeter Corn Maze, which aimed to raise funds for the Barry-Lawrence County Development Center.

Seeing a grandmother and grandchild smiling together is probably the best thing in the world, and 5-year-old Mackenna Russell and grandmother Joan Russell got to play and laugh together on Friday at Cassville schools’ Grandparents Day.

Grayson Harris, 2, of Rogers, Ark., joined his dad, Derek Harris, on Beebe’s Water Slide in Roaring River on Labor Day.

By law, every two years, the Barry County Clerk’s Office is required to canvass the voters before a general election for federal office. This is for the purpose of updating the Office’s records with correct addresses and names. The Barry County Clerk’s Office will be sending each registered voter a new Voter Registration ID Card. ...

An Eagle Rock man is facing five felonies after allegedly firing a gun at two people in a vehicle, grazing the arm of one victim and causing a large laceration. Mark Crosby, 41, of Eagle Rock, is charged with unlawful use of a weapon, two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action...

The Crowder Cassville campus has been building up to celebrate its 20th anniversary, and staff, students and the community are all excited to share the joy. Angela Seymour, director of the Crowder Cassville campus, said she started working Crowder Cassville in 1999, when it first introduced classes to the community...

For the second consecutive month, most sales tax receipts to Barry County cities and the county dropped. Barry County’s two half-cent sales taxes each produced $171,349, a drop of more than $6,800 from a year ago. That set the 2019 sums under last year’s pace by about $35,000...

Walmart is a huge part of many small towns, and with Cassville less than an hour away from where the company began, there are more local ties than some may think. People can visit the Barry County Museum and find a display of memorabilia dedicated to Sam Walton donated by Jerry Marple...

“There’s an app for that” can be said about nearly anything in today’s world, and recently, the Ozarks Regional YMCA launched a new app that allows members to track workouts, nutrition, schedules and progress all in the same place. The Ozarks Regional YMCA app that can be found in the app store for any smart device...

For the fifth year, Purdy is hosting it annual craft and vendor fair for the community, and the event aims to bring locals and out-of-towners together in Purdy for the festivities. Julie Terry, event coordinator, said the event will be on Sept. 7, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and right now there are already 71 booths reserved...

The University of Missouri’s Southwest Research Center will open its doors to the public to share information about the latest agricultural research and innovations at the research farm on its annual Field Day, slated for 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 12. The farm is located at 14548 Highway H, east of the Mt. Vernon airport...

Driving along Main street, people can see the construction at the Roark Family Health and Medical Spa, with workers adding on 3,000 square feet to the building to accommodate more space for new doctors and nursing staff that Dr. Lisa Roark has hired...

Chloe Million, 7 months, of Cassville, took some time to chill out on Thursday at the Cassville schools PAT water party event.

Patriotism was on display Saturday at the finale of the FFA Ranch Rodeo, held at Bill Hailey Arena.

The Football Friday and Chamber Conversations event Friday served as an open house for the new concession stand at Wildcat Stadium.

The community gather to wish farewell to Leonard Collins on Thursday, after 30 years of service in law enforcement in the area.

The graduating class of 1995 from Cassville High School, along with family and friends of Tonya Bailey, are hosting a 5K/1M Fun Run on Sept. 21. Bailey was diagnosed with brain cancer mid spring of this year. She is seeking treatment through the Mayo Clinic. ...

There is a company/person from Illinois calling businesses in the local area claiming to be getting ready to publish Trout Times and stating that they saw their ad in the past Trout Times magazine and asking if they want to place the ad again. This company is NOT affiliated with us in any way and does not have anything to do with our Trout Times. ...

The Cassville Democrat would like to recognize all those men and women from Barry County who served in the Armed Forces of the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force or Coast Guard during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm or Desert Shield...

The beginning of the school year is always a hectic time with parents and students getting back into a routine and teachers and staff reacquainting themselves with students, and unforeseen issues can rear their heads just as everyone is getting settled...

Area residents are being asked to take particular notice if someone or something seems out of the ordinary on local parking lots. Kevin Litchfield, president of the Barry-Lawrence Chapter of Crime Stoppers, reported being in a vehicle on the parking lot of a local retail business waiting for his wife to finish shopping when he observed some suspicious activity by two men on bicycles...

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will raise the prices of its annual trout permits and daily trout tags starting in 2020. According to MDC, the price increases are needed to better cover its costs of running hatcheries and providing more than 1.7 million trout each year for public fishing. The prices have not been raised since 1999...

The city of Seligman faces similar concerns as other communities in the area when it come to irrigation. Brian Nichols, Seligman city clerk, said the levels have been too high a few time this year already. “Part of that is due to the amount of rainfall,” he said. “Another part is some irrigation complications we have come across.”...

Members of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and Barry County Emergency Management will be conducting a Public Assistance (PA) grant applicant briefing from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29, at the Monett Park Casino...

The first week of school has wrapped up and in Wheaton, with the students getting a lesson in oral hygiene as they get back into the routine of school. Lance Massey, Wheaton superintendent, said the school district and Access Family Care have entered into a partnership this year to offer more to students. The partnership was based on the interest in offering students with on-site staffing and a telemedicine platform that will help with students’ mental health issues...

The Barry-Lawrence Area United Fund has announced that Rosa Villeda has joined its board of directors. “Her experience with Cox Hospital, Huffmaster Insurance and currently Office Manager for St. Lawrence Church gives her the experience needed by the BLAUF,” said Ken Dudzik, president...