April 2023
Cassville High School band, choir boast successful seasons
The Music program at Cassville High School has had a successful contest season and enjoyed marquee moments at local concerts. The 'Wildcat Jazz' band competed at the University of Central Missouri and Pittsburgh State's Jazz Festivals, earning a II+ rating (Excellent) at UCM and a 1 (Superior) rating at Pitt State.
Nathan Toon: A simple story
I would like to talk to you about seed. As we enter springtime and begin to plant our gardens this year, I find it most convenient to sow some seed here.
Jeremiah Buntin: No, the Courthouse did not burn
Frequently, here at the Barry County Museum we are asked the question “When did the Courthouse burn?” The simple answer to this question is that the Barry County Courthouse never burned down, but rather the old courthouse was torn down to make way for the new courthouse at the same location in 1913, and this same building remains to this day. However, no matter how many times we repeat this information, many people still enter the Barry County Museum each year under the assumption that at some point in history the Barry County Courthouse must have burnt.
Skip Easter: Add trees to celebrate Arbor Day in April
Trees add tremendous beauty, value, and environmental benefits to our natural and man-made landscapes. April is the month when Missouri and our Nation celebrate Arbor Day by planting trees.
Through the Years, April 19
Installation of fixtures to poles at the Cassville Park for new lights on one of the fields was being completed this week by crews of Barry Electric Cooperative. Bill Shiveley, Mike Gibson and Robert Moore were attaching fixtures in this photo. Going on high poles, four 60 feet long and four 70 feet tall, a total of 24 fixtures, each of 1500 watts, are the same type used in professional stadiums. Weather permitting, the eight poles on the oldest of the two fields, will be put into place this Thursday. The project, city funded from sales tax revenues, is the second such program provided entirely by local revenue through the city council.
Scoreboard, April 19
The Purdy baseball team (15-3) was on fire at the plate last week, scoring 57 runs in three games and earning wins in each. Purdy defeated Crane 20-0 on April 11 behind a four-inning no-hitter with 9 strikeouts from Ezequiel Garcia.
School records fall
School record-holders for the Cassville boys and girls track and field teams are on notice this spring, as two records have already fallen and more may as the squads race to the postseason. Senior Caleb Leach started the party, running a 10:04.69 in the 3200-meter run at the Ice Box Relays in Aurora on April 6.
City hopes use tax will net $150K
Voters in the city of Cassville passed a new use tax for online purchases on April 4, and the city hopes to see the measure net about $150,000 per year, if not more, to supplement the Cassville Police Department. Steve Walensky, Cassville city administrator, said that the ultimate annual revenue is a mystery due to the nature of the tax and no previous tracking.
Chicken waste refinery plan ditched
A prospective buyer of the former Justin Boot buildings had formulated a plan to make 3D-printed tiny homes in the main facility and a chicken waste refinery in the other, and the latter plan has shifted away from Cassville. Steve Walensky, Cassville city administrator, said possible buyer Steve Morrison had been working with the city for about the last year-and-a-half to two years.
Ricky Charles “Rick” Wallace
allace Ricky Charles “Rick” Wallace, 63, of Aurora, passed away Tuesday, April 4, 2023 at his home. He was born October 2, 1959 in Nevada, Mo, the son of Cecil and Gertrude (Beasley) Wallace, who preceded him in death.
