News

Scott Cupps, Republican candidate in the Special Election for the Missouri State House District 158, cruised to a victory in Tuesday’s election by a wide margin. Unofficial results from Barry, Lawrence and Stone counties showed Cupps, of Shell Knob, garnered 1,950 total votes (82 percent) to Democratic opponent Lisa Kalp’s 419 votes (18 percent)...

About 425 people came to Cassville High School on Monday to support Scott Fitzpatrick as he officially kicked off his 2020 campaign for reelection as Missouri State Treasurer. The event, which brought together a number of conservative stars of the state, featured a dinner and speeches from five state officeholders, including Gov. ...

What does war do to a man, and how does building a family after spending years fighting for your life change things for a father? Wayne Speer, a WWII Pacific combat veteran, joined the U.S. Army Jan. 1, 1943, and served as First Sergeant until Feb. 6, 1946...

Veterans Day is a national holiday to remember the sacrifice, heroism and courage that men and women who fought for the freedom of the United States of America. Falling on Nov. 11 to acknowledge the signing the Armistice that ended WWI, Americans celebrate Veterans Day in recognition of the nation’s patriotism...

With the Christmas season quickly approaching, many local businesses are preparing for an open house event that will invite the community into their business to see what they have to offer. To help local businesses that do not have store fronts to host an open house in, Crowder College has offered space at the Cassville campus to have vendors set up and sell their products...

TREKK Engineering has placed a bid for the request for qualifications with the city of Washburn to perform a wastewater engineering study for $62,500. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will cover $50,000 of the cost, with a grant leaving the city responsible for $12,500...

An Exeter man is facing two felonies after an incident at a home in Monett where a person was allegedly raped. Seth Jones, 20, of Exeter, is charged with first-degree rape and second-degree domestic assault. According to a probable cause statement filed by Det. ...

As the temperature drops for the winter season and heaters are turned on in place of air conditioners, a very significant need is being noticed locally — children in need of winter coats to keep them warm. Lori Ewbank, realtor at Cappy Harris Realtors, said Cappy Harris Realtors decided to start a coat drive...

Bewitching Roaring River Health and Rehab resident Bibs Lowry handed out glow sticks to children like Ryker Cosper, 3 ,of Cassville, who attended the trunk or treat event on Halloween night.

The new post office in Purdy at Washington and Commercial streets officially opened its lobby for over the counter customer service on Monday.

Barry County Collector Skyler Bowman has announced that the 2019 Tax Statements were mailed to Barry County taxpayers on Monday. Anyone that does not receive a statement by Nov. 15 should call the collector’s office at 417-847-2113. The 2019 taxes become delinquent on Jan. ...

A quartet of statewide officeholders, including Gov. Mike Parson, will be coming to Cassville on Nov. 4 as special guests at the Campaign Kickoff for State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick. Parson, Lt. Govc. Mike Kehoe, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, Attorney General Eric Schmitt, and Missouri State House Speaker Elijah Haahr will be in attendance at the event, scheduled for 6 p.m. ...

Sales tax totals for Barry County and its cities in October showed positive trends. Sales tax to Barry County cities and county governments in October totaled $1,667,790.58, up .5 percent, or nearly $8,000, from a year ago. It was the first October gain in three years...

Last year, Jim Brasel member of the Knights of Columbus, started the program Coats for Kids in Cassville. Walking door to door, Brasel collected $7,750 in donations from local businesses, and the Knights of Columbus bought 410 coats for local children, which were handed out at the Cassville St. Edwards church last year...

The Purdy school district is continuing its work in keeping the community as involved as possible with school activities, news and updates, and the latest push will come to the community in the form of mailers. Susan Funkhouser, Purdy school public relations coordinator, said at the beginning of the school year, she put up a survey on Facebook to get more information from the community...

When people think of death, the thought of the cemetery that loved ones are buried in may come to mind. However, the words cemetery and death recently became intertwined with another word — tree. For more than two centuries, a large red oak tree has stood over the grounds of King Cemetery. As one of the oldest cemeteries in Barry County, King Cemetery rests high on a hill three miles northwest of Seligman...

Across the country, children are suiting up for a night of fright, candy and spooky fun. A number of local events are planned to help families celebrate the holiday safely. The Corinth Church, located at 11453 Hwy. AA in Cassville, is starting the festivities a little early, on Oct. 30 from 6-8 p.m...

Whitney Koenig got some dance help from some young trolls and emcee Drake Thomas Sunday as she sang “Can’t Stop the Feeling” from the Trolls movie.

Best Chili: Barry County Treatment Court Best Salsa: Arning Most Spirited: Barry County Treatment Court Best Decorated: Arning Best Chili: 1. First State Bank 2. Barry Electric 3. Freedom Bank Best Salsa: 1. Barry County Democrats 2. Barry Electric 3. Barry County Republicans...

A dance competition for all those in costume was part of the fun Sunday at the Trunk or Treat hosted by the United Methodist Church in Cassville.

As residents traveled along Main Street in the last week, they may have noticed the giant hole in the ground where Jump Stop’s gas pumps used to be.

The Cassville Democrat and The Monett Times newspapers recently made their annual donation to the CoxHealth Foundation for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick will host a Campaign Kickoff event on Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. at Cassville High School, located at 1825 Hwy. Y. Gov. Mike Parson, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and Speaker of the House Elijah Haahr will be in attendance. Food and refreshments will be provided. Fitzpatrick will speak and officially launch his 2020 campaign for State Treasurer. The event is paid for by Fitzpatrick for Missouri, Danny Buchanan, treasurer...

A Cassville man is facing six felony charges after allegedly shooting and injuring two men Sunday night in the 14000 area of Farm Road 2200, also known as Horner Road. Ronnie Adkins, 63, of Cassville, is charged with two counts of first-degree assault, two counts...

The American Legion building and 14 acres of land is now under new ownership, as local auctioneer Donnie Stumpff has purchased the property from the Legion Post. Stumpff said he has been considering the purchase for about a year, and the goal is to bring more events to the city of Cassville...

In the early morning hours on Oct. 7, a water main line broke in Seligman, affecting Frost Street, Rolling Hills, West View and some residents on North 37 highway. Brian Nichols, Seligman city clerk, said it was a four-inch main line with a split T-joint fitting, that ran to a fire hydrant...

A woman who recently moved to Seligman from Ohio is bringing her family business with her. Jeannie Hendricks, founder of History, Haunts and Legend Tours out of Hanoverton, Ohio, said she is looking to build a tour with history, haunts and legends locally in Seligman...

The on-again, off-again plans to move the Purdy City Hall into the Purdy Community Building appear to be on again. Mayor Bo Prock announced a new bid from a different contractor had submitted a bid for work that ran half of the earlier quote. Prock called for a special meeting at 6 p.m. ...

1. What would you support as a solution for aging highways and bridges in the state after the failure of the Proposition D (gas tax proposal) in 2018? This conversation is complicated. Roads and bridges are essential to every Missouri citizens, and a critical concern in Barry County is damage repair after every flooding event. ...

1. What would you support as a solution for aging highways and bridges in the state after the failure of the Proposition D (gas tax proposal) in 2018? The reality is we cannot neglect infrastructure. The harsher reality is that it isn’t cheap. But the harshest reality is that this question is skewed. ...

In January, the Wheaton school district and Access Medical started their conversations about bringing a mental health clinic into the school. An agreement between the two was finalized over the summer based on referrals and parent requests. Lance Massey, Wheaton superintendent, said the district is excited to have Access Health on campus...

The Seligman City Council voted to remove the recycling dumpsters from the intersection of West Roller Ridge and Frisco Street, largely due to the public not using them as intended. Brian Nichols, Seligman city clerk, said there were three dumpsters there for different recycling needs...

An Exeter man is being held in the Barry County jail after being charged with a sex crime involving a minor under the age of 18. Jody Miller, 54, of Exeter, is charged with first-degree sodomy. According to a probable cause statement filed by Det. Angela Cole, with the Barry County Sheriff’s Office, the alleged crime occurred at a home on Farm Road 2190 in Exeter on July 10 between the hours of 11 p.m. and 2:25 a.m...

Live music provided by Three Hits and A Miss at the Washburn Festival on Saturday had the crowd dancing to the classic country and rock and roll tunes.

Parents as Teachers in Cassville puts together an event for parents and children to get together every few weeks.

The American Red Cross hosted a blood drive at Cassville’s Arvest bank on Friday, and Penny Hall donated.

Firefighters from the Cassville Department recently went to Eunice Thomas Elementary School to talk with students about fire safety.

The Cassville United Methodist Church will host a Trunk or Treat from 4-5:30 p.m. on Sunday at the church parking lot, located at 6-1 Gravel St. Treats will be handed out from the trunks of vehicles in the safety of the parking lot, and children can enjoy games like gaga ball and hillbilly golf. There will be an informal costume contest and a horse drawn wagon and buggy. Hot dogs will also be available...

A Washburn girl was injured Thursday in a wreck at 4 p.m. on Miles Mountain Road, 6.5 miles west of Washburn. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, a 15-year-old girl, of Washburn, was driving a 2007 Honda TRX ATV southbound when her vehicle lost control on a gravel roadway, went off the roadway and struck a fence, ejecting the driver...

For the third consecutive month, Nadean Davis addressed the Cassville City Council, pleading for aldermen to take action regarding loose dogs in the city limits. “It has been 68 days since my daughter, [Cassville elementary school counselor Kristie Preddy], decided to walk down Main Street instead of at the football field track, and who knew it would be a near-death experience,” she said...

In the November 2018 election, there were three initiatives on the ballot regarding medical marijuana. Dr. Lisa Roark, owner of Roark Family Health and Medical Spa, was very outspoken and interested in educating the public about the differences of the three initiatives and why she supported Amendment 2...

Age: 34 Current Occupation: Manages cattle operation on family farm; former Ag teacher at Cassville High School 1. What can be done to increase tourism in our area? Tourism in our area is somewhat of a complex subject because we attract folks to the district for a such diverse range of reasons, and those folks come from all walks of life! It can be tricky when discussing how to increase that because a high percentage of the tourists that wind up visiting will point blank tell you that one of the biggest reasons they are attracted to this area is that it isn’t “too commercialized”, but that’s why it is essential to dive a bit deeper and understanding what tourists that come back to our district time and time again are actually looking for. ...

Age: 55 Current Occupation: Operates farm where she has goats and wild mustangs, does animal rescues; mother of two special needs children 1. What can be done to increase tourism in our area? The state parks and waterways in our area are the primary element to increase tourism. ...

At the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, Cassville school district administration drew four names, and each of the winners got a “Thank You Day,” where a member of the administration would take over their responsibilities for a whole day. Traci Mitchell, Cassville co-director of learning, said the idea came from Mindi Artherton, who brought the idea to Richard Asbill...

The Southwest school district decided to add five new courses to the 2019-2020 school year. The courses include: Phonics dance (pre-k to second grade), counseling class (5th grade), instructional technology class (grades 6-8), social media/journalism (grades 7-8) and advanced placement United States government (high school)...

A 2001 Purdy school district graduate is donating time back to his home town by helping the school build a new website. Susan Funkhouser, Purdy public relations coordinator, said the idea and process of rebuilding a website started when Steven Chancellor was still the Purdy superintendent...

Families raced their way to fun over the weekend at the Exeter Corn Maze’s go-kart track.

Over the weekend during a mini fall camp at Camp Barnabas, camper Chance Presley and missionary Faith Duensing had a smashing good time while smashing pumpkins.

Saturday, during the Paradise Valley Resort Fall Craft Fair at Roaring River, people enjoyed craft booths, a chili cook-off and a car show.

The Southwest High School Student Council, in cooperation with Community Blood Center of the Ozarks, will sponsor a blood drive Oct. 31. The event will be held at the high school gym from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. All participants are required to have photo identification and will receive a free T-shirt. To make an appointment, people may call 417-826-5413...