February 2024

Cole crosses 1,000-point mark

An Aurora girls basketball player with a Barry County connection has crossed the 1,000-point mark in her prep career. Junior Kylee Cole was 14 points shy of 1,000 going into a Jan. 29 Warrior Classic contest against East Newton. Cole put up 28 points in the 55-24 victory, achieving the milestone in the process. Cole averages 22 points per game. She is the granddaughter of the late John Cole and Linda Cole, of Exeter, and Howard and Jackie Burns, also of Exeter. Her great-grandmother, Gwen Hilburn, lives in Seligman, and she has numerous aunts and uncles from both Barry County towns.
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Crowder nursing receives $60K grant for simulation lab

The nursing program at Crowder College Cassville Campus received a $60,000 boost in funding in January, given by the South Barry County Hospital District Board. Sandra Wilson, Crowder's director of nursing, said the college is happy to have such a strong partnership with the local board “Partnerships with clinical sites are significant to our nursing programs,” Wilson said.
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Hometown BBQ hero Joel Curren remembered

Friends and family of Joel Curren, pitmaster who founded and operated BBQ Station in Cassville for 15 years, gathered at his establishment on Sunday afternoon to celebrate his memory. Curren, who specialized in Texas-style hickory smoked barbeque, died on Jan. 17 after a battle with illness. Sharing stories of his friendliness and ownership of BBQ Station were his father Gil Curren, left, of Bentonville, Ark., and Jean Passley, of Cassville.
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Through the Years, Feb. 7

30 YEARS AGO: EAGLE VIEW — This is the view of an adult American Bald Eagle you can get in Barry County these days. The area has become host to the largest congregation of Eagles in Missouri according to Department of Conservation counts conducted shortly after the arrival of 1994. This photo, by Denny Goodnow of Eagle Rock, is one of the better efforts locally. Goodnow makes the photos available at Roaring River State Park and other outlets each season. The second photo in this series shows what can be seen without the aid of viewing equipment.
Read MoreThrough the Years, Feb. 7