Stories from Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Years ago there were a couple of businesses in Cassville that were of particular interest to visitors that always amused the locals. They both presented an opportunity for big city youngsters to visit the town's square by themselves, and browse up and down the aisles of the two businesses...

The Purdy volleyball team defeated Verona in two sets by scores of 25-19 and 26-24 on Thursday for its first conference win. Purdy was led by Courtney White with 7 kills and 10 digs, Desi Ennes and Layne Skiles finished with 22 blocks each, and Skylar Lakey had 12 assists...

Southwest High School has made a commitment to its sports programs over the last few years. The district has completed work on a track, expanded its holiday basketball tournament and now has helped its baseball program with the addition of a fall season...

The message got through to the Wildcats, as they outplayed the Mustangs on both sides of the ball en route to a 35-0 win and a 2-0 conference record. Cassville feels the win has also got the team back on track after the week two loss to Mountain Grove...

In coach speak, the biggest game on the schedule is always the "next game." Most coaches use a "look forward" approach, and such is the case for Cassville this week. Already gone is the celebratory feel of Friday night's 35-0 win over McDonald County, and and the Wildcats (2-1, 2-0) have shifted their concentration for a bigger prize -- a win over Lamar...

Arvest Bank has announced it is expanding its agriculture loan products through the Federal Agriculture Mortgage Corporation, commonly known as Farmer Mac. These products are some of the best tools a farmer/rancher has in order to mitigate risks that have plagued the industry for the past few decades...

Carolyn Potter retired from Regal Friday, July 11. She began her employment at the local company in September of 1998. Potter preformed many roles in the production area over those years. She enjoys fishing and helping with the Farmers Market and has future plans to do more of both. She also looks forward to relaxing and spending time with her mother...

Judy Stockton retired from Regal at Cassville on July 31. Stockton began her employment with Regal in January 1994 and preformed many roles in the production area over those years. Stockton plans to enjoy tending her flowers, crocheting and helping out with her grandchildren and great-grand children. She is also ready for some weekend trips to flea markets...

Barry County Courthouse Jack Ray Bailey, Kimberling City, five years with the Missouri Department of Corrections for theft of services. Timothy L. Block, Purdy, five years supervised probation for second degree burglary. Michael Stephen Bohanan, Cassville, 120 days incarceration and five years supervised probation each count for two counts of theft of a controlled substance...

People may still register for Kornerstone's 5K, benefitting its Teen Mom program, on Saturday. The 5K begins and ends at the Cassville Aquatic Center and travels 3.1 miles along Sale Barn Road and through the country. The race begins at 9 a.m. Registration will be open the morning of the race...

Security Abstract and Title had a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 3 at 110 W. 7th Street.

The Rotary Club hosted a Demolition Derby in Cassville on Saturday.

Grandparents were invited to come see their grandchildren at the Cassville School District on Friday.

Patron use of the Barry-Lawrence Regional Library showed an increase in visitors and less materials circulated during the year ending on June 30. Director Gina Milburn noted several positive trends in her annual report. Circulation totals remained very comparable to the previous year, though down by a little over 4 percent. Items circulated totaled 467,974, compared to 489,577 in the previous year...

Area veterans can gather useful information from their local U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Agency or University of Missouri Extension. The Missouri AgrAbility Project has also set aside resources to work with veterans who have any disease, disability or disorder, said Karen Funkenbusch, the project director and an MU Extension health and safety specialist...

The Cassville School District is considering remodeling the Cassville High School library, as preliminary project ideas have been presented to the Cassville Board of Education. Proposals call for new desks, which have wheels and may be moved to create multi-desk collaboration stations, hoping to give the library a college-like atmosphere to help prepare students for their futures. ...

A foreign exchange student association that has grown into a lasting friendship took another step with a German family returning the favor and sending their daughter to spend four months in Purdy. The story began 26 years ago, when David Mareth, son of Bob and Marlene Mareth, now of Monett, spent a year as a foreign exchange student in Germany. ...

The Gene Taylor Outpatient Clinic in Mount Vernon, which serves 2,975 Barry County veterans, is trying to remain open in the Missouri Rehabilitation Center through 2017. "We are currently working with the University of Missouri and the city of Mount Vernon on an interim plan that would allow our operations to remain at the MRC facility through 2017 -- at which time the clinic will relocate to Springfield, Mo.," said Wanda Shull, a public affairs officer for the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks. ...

The Relay For Life of Barry County has combined this year's area Relays For Life into one event at Monett South Park, located at highways 37 and 60, from 3 to 11 p.m. on Sept. 20. Barry County previously had a Monett Relay and a Cassville Relay each year, said Courtney Furgerson, a Relay specialist for the High Plains Division -- which covers Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Her office is in Springfield...

Mandy Mattingly, kindergarten teacher and grant writer for the Exeter School District, celebrated her birthday on Sept. 2, and she received an unexpected gift when she was notified the district won a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant it applied for in June...

The Ozarks Food Harvest has called for residents across southwest Missouri to take action and raise awareness about hunger during September's Hunger Action Month. "This year's Hunger Action Month is especially meaningful to us, as our latest study of hunger in our region just revealed our member pantries and programs are serving more than 260,000 people each year," said Bart Brown, president and CEO of Ozarks Food Harvest. ...

Exeter Elementary Principal Tim Jordan challenged his 174 students to read 800 books over the summer, and the students came through with a total count of 962, an average of about 5-1/2 books each. For completing the challenge, Jordan dressed in an Exeter cheerleading outfit and let three students put pies in his face...

The city of Cassville renewed its health insurance policy, effective Nov. 1, but not without some controversy. Shwan Mayr, of Hollister-based Connell Insurance, came to the city with a recommendation for an Anthem insurance plan, and because of changes with the Affordable Care Act, the rates would climb about 25 percent...

Missouri State Parks has issued notice to the Army Corps of Engineers saying it is relinquishing the lease for the Viney Creek Recreational Area. Effective Sept. 15, the park will once again belong to the Corps, which had planned to close it earlier this year before the parks department stepped in...

With insurance policies through the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion taking effect on Jan. 1, local clinics have seen changes in the number of insured patients coming in for care. According to a Commonwealth Fund report in July, an additional 9.5 million people ages 19-64 had obtained health insurance, and Gallup has reported the uninsured rate among adults has dropped from 18 percent in the third quarter of 2013 to 13.4 percent in second quarter of 2014...

Beatrice Faye (Francisco) Land, 83, of Wheaton, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014. She was born Dec. 20, 1930, at Bethpage, daughter of Verna and Vesta (Lee) Francisco. She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Leroy Francisco; and one sister Betty (Corn) Brown...

Edna "Lucille" Williams, 93, of Cassville, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014, at Lacoba Nursing Home in Monett. She was born Aug. 24, 1921, in Barry County, the daughter of C.R. "Bob" and Luda (Corn) Sapp. On Dec. 14, 1941, she was united in marriage to Marion Williams, who preceded her in death on Nov. 1, 2002. Also preceding her in death were her parents; two brothers, Troy Sapp and L.E. "Lois" Sapp; and three sisters, Helen Sapp, Ruth Brendlinger and Amanda Cooper...

Mary Ellen Gouldsmith, 84, of Cassville, passed away Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014, in her home. She was born Nov. 10, 1929, in Toledo, Ohio, the daughter of Joseph Francis and Grace Etta (McKinney) Bellfy. On Aug. 23, 1947, in Toledo, she was united in marriage to Noel J. Gouldsmith, Jr., who survives...

Tinceoline Ziesman, 96, of Shell Knob, passed away Sept. 5, 2014. She was born on Jan. 23, 1918, at Belmond, Iowa to Byrd and Daisy Lawrence Silvey. She graduated with a teaching degree from Iowa State Teachers College. On June 22, 1944, she was united in marriage to Arthur Ziesman. She taught Sunday school and served in other areas of church work for many years at the First Baptist Church where she was a member...

Clay Wess Atkinson, 55, of Washburn, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014, in Cassville. He was born Dec. 31, 1958, in Garden City, Kan. Survivors include: his parents, James and Dolores (Carroll) Atkinson, of Washburn; his companion and friend, Diane Atkinson Baker, and her husband, Randy, of Seligman. He and Diane had three children, Sarah Elisabeth, James Elijah Clay, and Molly Diane Atkinson, who survive...

Major John M. "Mac" McGuire, U.S. Army, Retired, 88, of Shell Knob, passed away Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Mt. Vernon. He was born Aug. 20, 1926, in Paris, Texas, the son of Floyd Homer and Ruth (Crain) McGuire. On Oct. 3, 1948, in Kansas City, he was united in marriage to Shirley Mae Thomas, who survives...

Audell "Dell" Owen, 85 years, of Pineville, Missouri, was called to heaven on Sunday, September 7, 2014, at the Lacoba Home in Monett, Missouri. Dell was born on July 20, 1929 in Benton County, Arkansas to the late Norvel and Bertha Mae (Cash) Goff. ...

V. Louise Good passed away Sept.8, 2014, at Red Rose Inn, Cassville. She was born Nov. 1, 1923, in Cassville to Cora Ann and J. Kirk Douthitt, of Butterfield. Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers, Albert Douthitt, Frank Douthitt; sisters, Laveta Balmas, Beulah Utter, Opal Noble, Marjorie Hall, Ruby Roller, Ruth Porter, Mary Margaret Douthitt, and Mona Jeanne Ray; husbands, Johnny Dee Henley, Don Parsons and Al Good...