Stories from Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Economic development department and director position eliminated

Cassville High School awarded diplomas to 122 seniors during commencement ceremonies, which were held in the high school gymnasium on Sunday. The CHS concert band, directed by Scott Frederickson, performed "Pomp and Circumstance" to begin the annual graduation ceremony. James Ogan gave the invocation, and the band performed the "Star Spangled Banner."...

Christopher Collings was sentenced to death on Friday morning for the November 2007 murder of 9-year-old Rowan Ford. Phelps County Circuit Court Judge Mary Sheffield pronounced Collings' sentence, marking the end of a four and a half year legal battle...

This fall, the Crowder College Cassville Campus will partner with Missouri State University to begin offering a bachelor's degree in elementary education. "We have been working on this for a long time," said Angela Seymour, Cassville Campus director. "It is very exciting and a huge benefit to our students and students in the area."...

It's once again time for the annual Kids' Fishing Day at Roaring River State Park, located on Highway 112 about seven miles south of Cassville. This year's event will be held from 6:30 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. on Saturday, May 19. Children age 15 and under will be able to pick up free trout tags at the hatchery office at any time on Friday, May 18 or on Saturday. Along with their free tags, youth will receive a free goodie bag...

On May 9, the United States Postal Service announced a new strategy designed to keep small post offices open by reducing retail hours. The proposed plan impacts five southern Barry County post offices. According to the U.S. Postal Service, the business hours at the Exeter, Golden, Eagle Rock and Seligman post offices would be reduced from eight to six hours each day. The proposed plan also reduces the retail hours at the Washburn Post Office from eight to four hours per day...

The Barry-Lawrence Regional Library, including the Cassville Branch Library, is hosting its annual summer reading program beginning June 7. The theme for this year's program is "Dream Big -- Read." Area residents interested in registering early for this summer's program can do so beginning on the Cassville R-4 School District's last day of school, which is May 17. ...

The Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce will host the fifth annual chamber golf tournament and luncheon at the Cassville Golf Course on Friday. The luncheon will begin at 11:30 a.m., and tee-time for the four-man scramble is 1 p.m. "We wanted to show our members some appreciation for being a part of the chamber," said Gary Whyte, chamber president. ...

The Barry County Council on Aging (BCCOA) is seeking people to serve on its board of directors. Members of the BCCOA are those 60 years of age or older and interested in improving the welfare of senior citizens. The board's goal is securing solutions to the in-home needs of senior citizens, helping them remain in their own homes as long as practical...

Sater is available to help residents Dear Editor: Most of us at one time or another have had some type of an issue that we needed help with. I am writing this just to inform the people of Barry County that we have someone that represents our district with a quick response and truly cares about our needs...

Today, I would like to congratulate the Class of 2012. As a 13-year senior of Cassville, I have witnessed you, my classmates, in a variety of clothing -- from the crazy dress of spirit week, to sports jerseys, to cheerleading uniforms, to styling our fashionable boxers on the final day of our senior year. Now, we have all come together for one last time sporting our caps and gowns for this special occasion...

After 33 years of service, Exeter High School business instructor Cathy Harter is retiring from the R-6 School District at the end of the 2011-12 school year. "I want to thank everybody for the kindness and support they have shown me," said Harter. "I have grown close to many of the students who I have taught."...

Avery Dawn Roller, of Purdy, a senior biology major at Hendrix College, received the Earle A. Spessard Biology Award and Hendrix College Leadership Scholar Award at the college's annual honors day convocation on April 26. The Earle Spessard Award is offered to a biology major whose performance in courses, comprehensive examinations and departmental contributions are of the highest quality...

The Barry County Sheriff's Office received 232 calls for service from April 30 through May 6. The following reports were filed for that time period: Cassville: burglary, property damage, stealing from a motor vehicle, driving while intoxicated, first degree tampering with a motor vehicle, third degree domestic assault, stealing, child abuse and endangering the welfare of a child...

The Environmental Services division of the Barry County Health Department inspected 18 food-service establishments during the month of April. Of that group, seven establishments had critical violations and four had no critical or non-critical violations...

SUPPORT GROUP: The Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) group of Cassville meets at 8 p.m. at 1308 Harold St. in Cassville. For more information, call 846-4044. SUPPORT GROUP: Anyone who is concerned about a friend's or loved one's drinking is invited to attend the Cassville Al-Anon Family Group, which meets at 8 p.m. at the United Methodist Church in Cassville...

Mercy Hospital Cassville hosted a Community Blood Center of the Ozarks blood drive on April 30. The following individuals participated in the blood drive: James Purvance, Kelly Catron, Mary Tillman, Fred Spencer, Jacquelyne Douglas, Dale Stewart, Evelyn Booth, Eric Booth, Frankie Stewart, Joanne Fehring, Deanna Privett, Larry Craig, Kevin Outhouse, Constance Craig, Anita Weaver, Debra Phelps and Jessica Quick...

The Ozark Festival Orchestra (OFO) will conclude its 32nd season with its Pops in the Park benefit concert on Sunday, May 20, at the Monett City Park Casino, located at Highways 37 and 60 in Monett. This will be a special farewell performance for the Monett City Park Casino, a popular gathering place since 1926. The casino will be torn down in August and rebuilt...

L B Jones, 64, of Wheaton, passed away Wednesday, May 9, 2012, in his home. He was born July 6, 1947, in Yellville, Ark., the son of George and Lona (Vickers) Jones. On March 7, 1966, at Bentonville, Ark., he was united in marriage to Shirley A. Brewer, who survives...

Markus Monroe Ritchie, 85, of Cassville, passed away Saturday, May 12, 2012, in his home. He was born April 26, 1927, in Norman, Okla., the son of Frank Oscar and Tina (Durham) Ritchie. On Sept. 17, 1947, in Elko, Nev., he was united in marriage to Ruth Eileen Hoffmann, who survives...

Larry A. Robbins, 65, passed away Saturday, May 12, 2012, at his home in Shell Knob. He was born on Oct. 20, 1946, son of Allen and Margaret Bates Robbins, in San Bernardino, Calif. At the age of 13, he and his family moved to Exeter where he graduated from Exeter High School in 1965. ...

Paula Jean Passley Pinkley, Webb City, Mo., passed away May 9, 2012, at 3:30 p.m. with Randy Harper from injuries occurred in a vehicle accident in Madisonville, Texas. She was born in Webb City, Mo., Feb. 23, 1962, to Larry Alan Passley and Sharon Lou Witt Passley. She attended school in Webb City, Mo...

The Garden Sass Farmers' Market's produce variety increases each month. In May, vendors will offer strawberries, radishes, lettuce, beets, turnips, bokchoi and Swiss chard. "The Garden Sass Farmers' Market Association and Brad Ruggles, in cooperation with Tractor Supply Company, will hold its first mega farmers' market this year," said John Potter, Garden Sass Farmers' Market president. "Look for our booths on the south side of the Tractor Supply Company parking lot...

Problem populations found in pastures, fields around Missouri

There are a variety of fun and educational 4-H camping opportunities available this year according to Karla Deaver, a 4-H youth development specialist with University of Missouri Extension. "Camps are being offered in specific project areas like beef, dairy and space camp. Teen 4-H Camp, Clover Kids Camp and member camps are also scheduled," said Deaver. "There really is a camp for every child."...

The Cassville Wildcats baseball season ended in extra inning as they fell 2-1 to the Reeds Spring Wolves in the Class 3, District 12 semi-finals at Mt. Vernon Monday night. "Baseball is a tough game," said Cassville coach Kyle Wood. "I told the boys that sometimes you lose a game even when you play well. It was a tough loss to a tough team."...

Both Cassville and Monett qualified a number of athletes to sectionals from the Class 3 District Track and Field Championships at Carl Junction on Saturday. The Wildcats finished fourth in the boys team race with 49 points, and the Cubs were 13th with 28. The Lady Wildcats placed ninth with 38 points, and the Monett girls finished 13th with 10...

Cassville senior Jaime Everett knew she wanted to play sports at the college level. She also knew she wanted to major in the medical field. Last Friday, both of Everett's dreams came true as she signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at the St. Louis School of Pharmacy in St. Louis...

The Southwest Trojans, the fifth seed in the Class 2, District 12 baseball tournament at Ash Grove, shocked fourth-seeded Diamond on Saturday, 5-4, and then electrocuted Purdy on Monday, 3-1, to advance to Tuesday's tournament final. The Purdy Eagles entered the tourney with a 19-4 record and were rewarded with the top seed. Pierce City received the second seed, followed by Miller and Diamond...

Cassville senior Klayten Holt has signed a national letter of intent to play soccer at Crowder College in Neosho next year. Holt has played organized soccer since the third grade and was a standout player for the Wildcats this past season. Holt anchored the defense and was a part of back-to-back Wildcats' district championships. ...

Wake up Jefferson City. Superman returns. Bubba Galvan swept all four of his individual events at the Class 1, Sectional 2 Track and Field Meet at Humansville, on Saturday, the same four events he won at last year's Class 1 state championships. In taking both horizontal jumps and both hurdle events, Galvan led the Bulldogs to a 62-point, fourth-place team finish...

The Cassville Junior Golf Camp will be held at the Cassville Golf Course from 8 to 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 22 through Thursday, May 24. "The Cassville Golf Camp is a fun way to learn the game of golf," said coach Lance Parnell. "Every player will receive individual and group instruction in all facets of the game...

The top-seeded Purdy Eagles baseball team advanced to the semi-finals of the Class 2, District 12 tournament on Saturday at Fair Grove with a 5-1 victory over the eighth-seeded College Heights Cougars. "We weren't as focused as I would have liked us to have been," said Purdy head coach Joshua Hughes. "College Heights let us hang around. We finally caught a break in the late innings."...

Southwest High School athletes shined at Saturday's Class 2 Sectional 3 Track and Field Meet at Fair Grove as area athletes strove to qualify for the state meet this weekend. The Trojans scored 13 points on the day, and the Lady Trojans scored 15. The Pierce City girls racked up 80 points to top the field...

This year, the Purdy Eagle Backers Booster Club will once again sponsor the Southwest Missouri Hoopfest to raise funds for 2012-13 school year activities. Hoopfest will begin with a boys varsity team camp on June 4. A girls varsity team camp will be held June 11, and for the second time a girls Junior High Hoopfest will be he held on June 9...

A question posed by Shell Knob kindergarten student Chevelle Johnson, "How do you make a road?" prompted a class field trip to Hutchens Quarry in Shell Knob. Kindergarten teacher Mary Benner and Superintendent Shelly Fransen thought the question offered the opportunity for hands-on learning...