50 years ago

July 23, 1975

— 135 YEARS ESTIMATED ON TREE CUT SUNDAY

The large American Elm tree in the southwest corner of the Barry County Court House lawn is gone. The controversial giant, fell to the chain saw Sunday by action of the county court which had ruled the partially dead tree was a hazard. Charles Vaughan, president of the Barry County Historical Society estimated the tree was approximately 135 years old by the rings in the trunk. Verification will be sought when a cleaner segment of the trunk is returned in a few weeks. This section will be retained for historical value. In the early spring, before leaves appeared, an initial court decision to remove the tree brought protests from various directions. Signs were placed at and on the tree requesting it be spared the “woodsman’s ax.” After full leaving had been accomplished, it was evident limbs overhanging sidewalks and streets were dead. The Sunday cutting was chosen to lessen the amount of traffic in the public square area when the tree was felled.

— LEVY REDUCTIONS RESULT OF TAX VALUE INCREASE

Some tax levies will be reduced and some are still in question in Barry County as a result of state ordered valuation increases and normal growth in various areas. This is the word from County Clerk Howard Bounous this week. Bounous explained that those levels of government whose valuation exceeded a 10% increase, including a stated ordered 7.39%, would have to take a look at their existing tax levy. State law requires situations such as these to lower their regular levy. In several instances, railroad and utility companies have started court action against a levy agency where decreases have not been followed. Road districts in the county needed to adjust because of the contributing increase factors include: Roaring River from 70c to 69c, Ash from 70c to 66c, White River from 70c to 69c, Shell Knob from 60c to 54c, Exeter from 70c to 68c, Jenkins from 70c to 68c and Ozarks from 55c to 54c. School districts finding themselves with percentage increases are as follows: Cassville 10.26 questionable for change, Exeter 9, Monett 9.14, Purdy 6.75, Southwest 6.78, Wheaton 10.97 questionable for change, Golden, levy reduced to $2.95 on 10.76 change, Jenkins, levy reduced to $3. 37 on 11.29 change and Shell Knob, levy reduced to $3.26 on 12.84 change. The county levy will probably remain at 50c according to Bounous. Other levies which will probably remain the same, because of either being under or only close to the 10% figure are: South Barry County Ambulance District 20c, Barry County Health Unit 10c, Barry-Lawrence Regional Library 20c and South Barry County Hospital District 15c. Bounous said some road and school districts had confirmed their intentions for the next tax period through this office. Others are still pending during final completions of tax books.

— COURT SALARIES UPPED

When Governor Kit Bond recently signed state pay increases, it means a $1,500 increase for members of the Barry County Court. The court annual salary for three members goes from $4,000 to $5,500. Expected valuation increases in Barry County will also increase other county officials by about $200 annually according to County Clerk Howard Bounous.

— SHELL KNOB INSURANCE MOVES Shell Knob Insurance, owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Howard McIlrath, has moved to new offices in the Bridgeway Plaza. The firm was formerly housed in Plaza offices of Shell Knob Real Estate. Expanded facilities to better serve customers was cited as the move need.

40 years ago

July 24, 1985

— EXETER DISTRICT NEW BUILDING IN PLANS; LEVY SET

Possibilities of building a new middle school structure, tentative setting of a new tax levy and pay increase for personnel was covered by the Exeter board of education in a meeting last week. Superintendent David Burns said planning for a new building would be through a Springfield architectural firm. District plans would include spaces for the sixth, seventh, eighth grades and special education. No bond issue would be re-quired, financing would be through local funds. A tentative levy of $1.77 per $100 valuation was talked by the board. The reassessment rollback will be completed in August. The new district levy was set at $2.70 from the old levy of $6.74. The $1.77 figure resulted from Proposition C sales tax rollback. Burns said adjustments will be completed when full reassessment figures are received from the county and state. Teachers in the district will receive a pay increase of $1,800 on the base, moving starting instructors to a $12,800 level for a bachelors degree. Teachers will receive paid medical insurance and 10 days sick leave a year, accumulating to 30. Noncertified personnel was granted a 10 percent pay increase. Further board action approved sale of a 1970 bus transportation unit and acceptance of the registration of a first grade instructor, Anne Spurrier. Burns said the district would begin the new school year on August 26 with two days of teacher’s meetings. Students will report August 28 for classes. Next meeting of the board of education is scheduled August 8.

— KREEGERS NEW OWNERS OF DELL’S CAFE HERE

Effective August 1, Mr. and Mrs. David Kreeger will be the new owners, operators of Dell’s Cafe in Cassville. A name change will be to Dave’s Cafe, for the business located in the Sands’ Building on Highway 248. Mr. and Mrs. Kreeger have been associated with the business. She was a waitress several years ago, he has been chef for the past three months. Mr. and Mrs. Dell, in retirement after 12 years of operation, will devote time to other interests. They have been associated with a daughter, Mrs. Patricia Conklin in the restaurant. Plans of the Kreegers include being open for Sunday service.

Their operation will be six days a week, closed on Saturday. Weekday opening will be 6:00 a.m.

30 years ago

July 19, 1995

— COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTS INCREASED CRIME CASE LOAD

Barry County is becoming more dangerous than it used to be, according to Sheriff Ralph Hendrix. He said the sheriff’s department is seeing a large increase in caseloads, which means more crimes are being committed. According to department records, there were 2,945 cases handled in 1992 as compared to 4,002 cases in 1994. As of July 18, the sheriff’s department has worked 2,932 cases. In the month of June alone, case loads have increased by 41 percent. Connie Collins, sheriff’s secretary/lieutenant, said that the department is handling an average of 14.72 new cases a day. This count does not include cases that require ongoing investigation. These cases are handled by tight full-time sheriff’s deputies, who are beginning to work more than eight hours a day. An increasing case load is also Straining an already cramped jail facility. Barry County Jail was built in the 1970s to house 16 prisoners. The jail includes eight cells with two bunks each. One of the cells is a holding cell and another is used to house female prisoners. The female cell is located behind a locked gate with the men’s cells. Jail trustees, who are inmates charged with a lesser crime, cook, clean and do laundry for the other prisoners. They are locked down at 9:00 p.m. each night. A dispatcher is at the jail 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Hendrix said that on many occasions, he has been forced to lock up 20 to 24 inmates at one time. “We had prisoners in the kitchen and living in hallways,” Hendrix said. To protect the county from liability, Hendrix is now farming prisoners out to Newton and Lawrence County jails. Prisoners are held at the Barry County Jail until they are arraigned, and then they are transferred to other facilities if the local jail is full. The county is charged a rate per day, per prisoner. The jail’s dispatch room and records room, which are one in the same, are also cramped. Dispatchers must answer calls on three phone lines, handle the radios and monitor surveillance cameras, while deputies and secretaries are in and out of the room. The jail also includes a small booking room, visitation room and lobby area. Hendrix said he appreciates the eight deputies he has but he said he needs more. “I’m getting calls that is taking us awhile before we respond,” Hendrix said. “That is because we’re tied up somewhere else. Our case load is just as bad as when we only had three officers.” Hendrix requested funding for four more deputies in the 1995 budget but that request was denied. Hendrix said he is concerned about rising crime in the county. “Barry County has a big problem,” Hendrix said. “There is more major crime being committed, more shootings, more gun violence. We have an increasing population, a more mobile society, and crimes are happening more and more.” Collins added that about 90 percent of the crimes committed in the county are drug or alcohol Sheriff’s deputies and department employees include: Mick Epperly, deputy, Shell Knob; M. Dwain McEntire, investigator- deputy, Monett; Randall D. Yarnall, sergeant, Cassville; James Smith, deputy, Shell Knob, J. Courtney Davidson, deputy, Cassville; Larry Nunley, deputy, Cassville; Brandon Barrett, deputy, Monett; Leonard Collins, deputy, Connie Collins, secretary-lieu-tenant, Seligman; Mark Gregory, deputy-jailer, Cassville; Kenneth Kennedy, dispatcher, Wheaton; Lisa McCool, dispatcher, Washburn; Barbara Moore, dis-patcher, Golden; Robert Bradford, dispatcher- jailer, Cassville; Oleta Corn, secretary- jailer, Seligman; Tylon Atkinson, jailer, Washburn; and Lelani Gregory, secretary, Cassville. Other deputies supported through contracts grants include: Dana Kammerlohr, deputy- DARE, Cassville; Dave Bowman, deputy Exeter community, Exeter; Steve Pendergraft, deputy- Seligman and Washburn, Washburn; Everett Hamilton, deputy- CORP, Eagle Rock; and Emmett Kreeger, deputy-forestry, Golden. Jack Lowe, deputy-bailiff, and O.B. Williams, deputy-transport, work for the sheriff’s department on a part-time basis.

Number Of County Cases And Arrests

1992 — 2,945

1993 — 3,179

1994 — 4,002

1995 — 2,932

1992 — 708

1993 — 826

1994 — 909

1995 — 581

1995 statistics are for period ending July 18, 1995

— NO AREA CODE CHANGE

Phone customers in the 417 area code won’t have to get a new area code for another 20 to 30 years, according to a spokesman for Southwestern Bell in Springfield. Phone numbers are assigned in blocks of 10,000 with all numbers having the same three-digit prefix. These blocks are called exchanges, and in the 417 area, fewer than half the exchanges have been assigned.

— WHITLEY EARNS RIDING AWARD

Garet Whitley of Cassville recently earned an award for logging 250 hours in the American Quarter Horse Association’s horseback riding program. Riders who reach the 250-hour level receive a belt buckle featuring the riding program logo. Whitley also received recognition patches and a halter for logging 50 and 100 hours. Garet is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Blake Whitley of Cassville.