Amere 365 days ago, I sat my office full of anticipation and the weight of opportunity as Jordan and I were only days away from officially owning the Cassville Democrat.

And while there have been a few little bumps along the way, we feel we have sped through our first year of ownership with more success than we could have ever predicted.

We launched a number of new projects this year, including the Staycation and 15 Under 15 tabs, plus the new Through The Years: The Magazine, which will be hitting shelves throughout southern Barry County this week.

We have also over time revamped the paper to add things like a longer Through the Years section and our Kids’ Columns page.

As the year has gone one, we’ve had more and more people tell us they enjoy the paper more than ever now, and for a while, we’ve had a tough time pinpointing how much of it really changed that people enjoy.

On Tuesday, Jordan pulled out an old issue from July 2022 to create a legal affidavit someone needed, and the picture became much clearer.

Sometimes you don’t realize how much you are doing until you look at what the same thing used to be. That 2022 paper was only 10 pages and one section, and only two of those pages were in color.

With our additions and changes throughout the year, the Cassville Democrat averages about 16 pages per issue these days. We’ve had two sections all year long, and we’ve been full color since September.

I could not be more proud of the product we are putting out right now, and as much as I beam with each compliment, I equally take criticism and search for solutions to improve in any way we can.

This year has been a big win for us, but it is not by our hands alone.

No community newspaper can thrive without the support of its readers, and looking at the top 10 news stories of 2023 we put out this week, it’s been a winning year for Cassville in many ways.

The top three news stories were not entirely positive, depending on how you look at things, but positives have come out of those stories, especially in June when the community rallied together to support one another in the wake of so many tragic events in a two-week span.

While the news is not always as positive as we hope, the Cassville-area community’s commitment to supporting one another and fighting for positive change is inspiring.

Residents of the area and students at Cassville schools will greatly benefit from the positive news this year of a new jail and health department starting construction, as well as the school district breaking ground on the new performing arts center.

Given the state of the jail, which has led to escapes, and the confusing layout of the health department, which has Administrator Roger Brock excited to have a front door that is on the front of the building and a back door on the back, these facilities will help keep our slice of the Ozarks safer and healthier for years to come.

Maybe keeping us less healthy are all the new food options in town this year. The Rib reopened after decades of being shuttered, and Farmer’s Daughter has a new occupant, Weezer’s Sweet Chicken & Waffles. Food trucks have also popped up throughout town offering even greater options for widening a waistline.

Adding some fun to the food, Cassville also saw Sunshine Coffeehouse open its doors, and there’s a play area in town, Zone 4 Mini Golf & More, which offers activities all brand new to the area.

Speaking of fun, the city of Cassville also launched a new festival this year, Outdoor Days, which led off with a top-notch concert in the city’s South Park and further emphasized the collaborative efforts of many organizations to make three days worth of events possible in our small town.

Yes indeed, there’s a whole lot of winning going on in Cassville. We are incredibly happy to be a part of it, and we are excited for what 2024 will bring.

Happy New Year, and let’s make the next 365 days even greater than the last!

Kyle Troutman has served as the editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and became Publisher in 2023. He was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers in 2017, and he won a Golden Dozen Award from ISWINE in 2022. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville-
democrat.com.