50 years ago

May 7, 1975

— FASCO PRODUCTION TARGET DATE LATTER PART OF JUNE

A tentative production date for FASCO Industries in their Cassville plant has been set for the latter half of June, according to an announcement this week by Morris Castleberry, plant manager. Castleberry further said the company plans to accept the turn-key job on their new 150,000 square foot building here by May 15. FASCO’s intentions are to ease into the manufacturing of “several types of motors” starting next month. By the end of June employment figures for the new Cassville industry should be between 30 and 50 people. Currently there are 12 employees at getting the offices set and production equipment in place. The sprawling plant in the southeast part of Cassville has been in construction for nearly 12 months since the groundbreaking May 28, 1974. FASCO announced intentions to locate the plant here April 1, 1974. Bringing the industry t Cassville was a $3 million industrial revenue bond issue and extensive utility expansions covered in bond issues. The project included a new city well and piping improvements in the south part of town. Castleberry said hiring in the initial production schedule would be slow. He said the company had in excess of 1,500 applications which were being reviewed. He stressed it would not be necessary for persons who have filed applications to make inquiry with the plant. Between now and the May 15 availability of office spaces at the plant, applications will continue to be through the Cassville Chamber of Commerce. Castleberry said interviews with persons called by the company would be conducted at the plant office within the next couple of weeks. The plant manager said the next four to six weeks would be critical for installation crews and supervisory personnel who are involved in spotting equipment on the production lines. Equipment for the manufacture of electric motors was either on the floor or due to arrive shortly. Company officials have stated several times in previous weeks that production schedules here would depend entirely on increase possibilities in the economy and electric motor market. Castleberry said only motor production was scheduled now in the new Cassville plant. Possibilities exist for a line of blowers being installed at the plant in the near future. Rather extensive parking lot and drive way installations are yet to be accomplished at the plant site on 40 acres provided by the Cassville Industrial Development Corp. just outside the city limits on the Sale Barn Road. Delays to the prime contractor, MECO Contractors of Springfield, have been experienced by weather conditions this winter and spring. Tests of utility lines also produced a couple of broken lines that flooded floors at the plant last week. Castleberry said crews used this opportunity to clean the production area floors. Rounding out his announcement, Castleberry said it would be a help to the company if persons previously having filed applications would wait until they hear from the personnel office. “During the weeks ahead, we are going to be extremely busy installing equipment in preparation for getting underway,” he said.

— SIXTH RS PAYMENT

The sixth payment of Federal Revenue Sharing received by Barry County amounts to $135,286, according to County Clerk Howard Bounous, and was received this week. Bounous noted the payment of federal funds for use by the County Court was considerably higher than the normal $93,000 allotted to the county.

40 years ago

May 8, 1985

— STRAWBERRIES WILL BE AVAILABLE NEXT WEEK

Even with strawberry growing on the increase in this area, there are about a total of six acres available in this immediate area for the coming season. Dennis Epperly, a grower in the Corinth community, says picking will start next week. The crop is expected to ripen about two weeks earlier this year and as of Tuesday the crop was about 10 days away from being in full production. Barry County once raised 100’s of acres of berries and shipped by the railroad carload from several locations. Epperly said earlier varieties would be ready next week, with weather conditions the rated the crop as good this year, but slightly under that of last season. In today’s market, berries are mostly custom picked, many purchases made on a reservation basis. Persons picking their own berries are permitted in some patches.

— STUDENTS RECEIVE ARMY SCHOLASTIC AWARD

Two students from Cassville high school have been selected to receive the U.S. Army Reserve National scholar and athlete award for school year 1984-85. They are David Auernheimer and Mary Langdon. The U. S. Army Reserve established the National Scholar/ Athlete Award as a commitment to the academic and physical achievements of the nation’s youth. It recognizes annually the top scholar/athletes in schools across the country. Both students excelled in athletics while maintaining high grade point averages (GPA). Auernheimer maintained a 3.5 GPA, and Langdon maintained a 3.0 GPA, both measured against a four-point scale. The ceremony honoring both students is scheduled to take place May 31 at the school.

30 years ago

April 26, 1995

— PROM CAME TO HIM…..

Thanks to the willingness of some of his classmates and interest from personnel at South Barry County Hospital, an Exeter high school junior didn’t miss his school prom Saturday night. Brandon Rose, 16, was about to miss this important part of his high school years due to a ruptured appendix which resulted in emergency surgery Thursday. He entered the hospital Wednesday evening and by 2 a.m. Thursday morning he was in a hospital bed and minus his appendix. Friday information reached hospital staffers and they became concerned about a young man missing the event so they started visiting with some of his classmates who dropped by to inquire about his welfare. That’s when the idea developed that spaces could be made available in the hospital for a private sort of prom that would give Brandon the opportunity to see his classmates and friends in their best bib and tucker. Just before 5 p.m. Saturday, with a downpour outside the hospital, the couples and some stag classmates began arriving. They were in the tuxedos and formals having made the effort to dress early and route by the hospital on their way to the Exeter campus where the real event was scheduled. A conference room at the hospital was designated Prom Room for the night, with Exeter students and hospital people getting their hands on some extra decorations. They provided recorded music for the event. The room was lit only by candles initially. At the appointed hour, Brandon, still obviously not feeling his best, was wheeled from his room on the pretense of getting him around to see the hospital. When the door to the conference room was opened, it was obvious there was something extra inside. When the light switch was flipped, there stood about two dozen of his classmates who had made the extra effort to make sure Brandon didn’t completely miss his junior-senior prom. Brandon, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Rose, didn’t have much to say, either by surprise or perhaps not completely recovered from the surgery. One thing is for sure, Brandon has some good friends that were willing to go an extra mile to make him feel better. And, there are some folks at SBCH that were willing to cooperate with the young people and their efforts. Hospital personnel assisting with the effort included Kristi Scott, Nancy Weber, Anita Weaver, Olivia Payne, Michelle Henry and Anita Anderson. Classmates in the prom effort, Shannon Antle, Stephanie Davis, Adam Gautney, Tina Bateman, Rokky England, Betsy Phillips, Lance Williams, Jennifer Rea, Tammy Howe, Justin Wilson, Stacey Roy, Luke Wilson, Kerry Senters, Bobby Noland, Shelly McCarthy, Heather Thorington, Christina Oxford, Wendy Usrey, Brandon Thornton, April Griffin, Jaime Bowman, Joey Coffey, Kellie Stephens and sponsor Mrs. Cynthia McCormack.

— CITY PLANS SPENDING $1.5 MILLION FISCAL ‘96

Cassville city council set a $1.5 million budget in session Monday night, producing revenues and expenditures for the 1996 fiscal year that will probably be amended in a few months, according to administrator Gregg Beavers. Mayor Dennis Fischer and four council members,RandyStockton, Richard Linebarger, Sue Brattin and Darrell Ledenham, set revenues and expenditures for the coming year. Approval of the budget came, for the first time in several years, without a public hearing specifically designated for review of the budget. City plans for seeking Community Development Block Grant funds from the state in the amount of $358,000 were approved by resolution. City funding $80,000 in cash and $10,500 in kind, Project would relocate water lines and realign a street and culvert at Townsend and 11th Streets. Beavers told council the project would not be appropriated until 1997 fiscal year, therefore did not appear in the current budget figures. Administrator authorized by council to seek bids to lease-purchase a loader and backhoe for city maintenance operations. This same subject was covered in a closed portion of the meeting. Same procedure authorized by council to obtain termite work in city hall. Further purchase will include a personal computer for data entry clerk, with existing system going on the market or back to point of purchase. Business in regard to municipal airport included inquiries about lease of area for pasture, use for hay and advising of a residence on west end of facility being burned as fire training. Plans are to paint West Seventh Street water towers, both on the inside and one on the exterior, depending on costs of bid proposals. Mayor Fischer advised council that two businesses on Horner Branch had made inquiry about flooding at their property. Advised the stream is not city property, therefore no funds would be available to make corrections. Beavers checking into other agency participation in the project. Linebarger discussed 13th Street flooding in area near Rocky Edmondson Memorial park that continues narrowing processes in street. Beavers and public works supervisor Ken Scheiler will investigate matter. Council advised that survey work was in progress on Flat Creek Greenway project. City plans to continue bush hog clearing this summer. City crews will use $2,600 for establishing two temporary ball fields at new city park land off Sale Barn Road. Fields will be pressed into service for expanding summer youth program. Portable fences will be installed. Minutes of clerk Vickie McCune show $16,339.60 general revenue bills and $642,444.33 in state revolving fund drawdown for the waste water plant improvement project. Fiscal year 1996 budget figures for departments, including revenue and expenditures in the Monday session included: A newly opened bridge on Roaring River between Muncie and Eagle Rock is impassable after approaches at both ends were washed in the flooding — EXETER’S 11,420-SQUARE-FOOT EXPANSION PLAN Exeter school district patrons can now get a designers-eye-view of what their 11,420 square foot school expansion plan is going to look like one of these days. Superintendent Marvin Spragg said the board of education had approved architectural drawings of the new addition. Structures will bring four large classrooms, including kindergarten spaces, art facilities, library, teacher workroom, offices, storage areas and rest rooms. Corridors of the facility just south of the existing buildings, will have access to both elementary and high school buildings. A courtyard will be at the west elevation between the high school and new construction. Main entrance of the project will be on the south end. Patrons interested in seeing the project can view elevation drawings at the school. Spragg said the board of education anticipates setting a bid date for the project, estimated in the $600,000 range, in their May 8 meeting.

— ANOTHER TRY AT POLICE DRUG DOG

Cassville city council Monday night approved a $3,500 expenditure for a Golden Retriever drug dog that is presently undergoing training. The animal is certified on marijuana finds and is in training for other drugs. Council minutes also show the costs will be increased by $500 for certification of the assigned dog handler in the police department. Administrator Gregg Beavers said a Branson firm would be notified of intentions to make the purchase, in this fiscal year. In an update of a former police dog, Toman, he’s on his way to Colorado. Former police chief Bob Ruggles, back in this area over the past weekend, saved the dog from being destroyed on the final day of grace. Ruggles reportedly returned the dog with him to Colorado Springs. Officer Chris Watson will probably be designated handler, according to lieutenant Gary Meek Gina, a female German Shepherd acquired from the Air Force at the same time as Toman, remains with the force.