Nov. 5, 1975

— ROARING RIVER SEASON’S GAINS Operations have ceased for the season at Roaring River State Park with considerable gains in most departments. October 31 was the final day for operations according to Superintendent John Harlin. Harlin’s office this week released final statistics for the March through October season at the popular facility near Cassville. Included, with 1975 statistics first and last year’s second, were: Camping units, 22,453 and 23,984; camper numbers, 83,460 and 82,923; motel and cabin users, 19,717 and 17,873; visitor total use including day users, 523,540 and 950,851. Commenting on the big difference in visitor numbers, Harlin said a new system that shows actual usage at the park was being used. No longer are through-traffic numbers used. He said the park system rates this system as being more correct than previous traffic counters. Substantial gains were also noted in trout tag sales by Charles Curry, hatchery superintendent for the Missouri Conservation Commission. In this department, 76,210 daily permits were sold this year, compared to 68,649 last year. Curry said the hatchery crew released 171,730 trout in the tag area this year, compared to 157,385 during the 1974 season. In addition, 3,650 trout were released in the management area at the lower portion of the park each year. Accommodation concessionaire Jim Rogers said he was extremely proud of his increases. He had previously commended local interests who promoted the park during the season. Orville Smith, food and store concessionaire, has resigned his contract which extended through next year. The parks system will rebid this, horse and miniature golf contracts later this month in Jefferson City.

— ARMED ROBBER MADE ONE TOO MANY ATTEMPTS An armed robber made one too many stops in Barry County Monday night. A man giving a Cassville address, but thought to be out of northwest Arkansas, was arrested about 45 minutes after he hit the Pronto 7-11 on South Main. He was also identified as being the individual who held up Harold’s Package Store at Seligman Saturday night. Sheriff Vernon Still said the man gave his name as Edward Arthur Buckeley, 29, of Cassville. He was arrested at the home of Barbara Pickett, 30, who resides near Ash Cave north of Cassville on Flat Creek. Still and his officers flushed Buckeley from under Ms. Pickett’s bed when they went to the home to investigate the incident. The sheriff said the man had a revolver in his pocket and one in the car. He did not attempt using the weapon on his person. Both Harold Everetts, owner of the Seligman business, and Don McCracken, duty man at Pronto, identified the man as the burglar entering the businesses. There were five other witnesses to the Cassville robbery. Sheriff Still said Buckeley obtained something over $300 in the two robberies. It is also believed Ms. Pickett was with him at the time. Both were arraigned before Magistrate John Baty Tuesday with preliminaries set November 12. Both were returned to jail in lieu of $5,000 surety bond each. Both were charged with armed robbery first degree by Prosecuting Attorney Dale Burke. The pair allegedly were chased from the Seligman robbery by Everetts, but turned and fled to Arkansas. They apparently returned to this area too quickly for their second money grab. Law enforcement officers noted these were the first attempts of armed robbery in this county for some time. Sheriff Still credited efforts of witnesses and fast action by his department in bringing the pair into custody in such a short time after the Monday trip to Cassville.

— FFA AMERICA FOOD PROGRAM FOR GRADES The Cassville Chapter of Future Farmers of America held a “Food For America” project Monday through Wednesday, October 27-29. The project was sponsored by the National FFA Organization. The chapter went to the fourth and fifth grades and gave the farmers’ side of the story. The film told the story of the farmer and the production of food. The film was made for youngsters just for this program. Chairman of the Cassville “Food For America” project is Michelle Morris, who planned all of the activities. Members involved were Jerry Yarnall, Kenny Tucker, Mike Morris, Larry Craig, Mark Renfrow, David Samuel, Kevin Miekley, Rick Jagger, Royce Burke, Danny Preddy, Raymond Raine, Jeff Cooper and David Henbest. Dennis Epperly is chapter advisor.

Nov. 6, 1985

— SELIGMAN YES, COUNTY NO, TO SALES TAX ISSUES TUESDAY It was close but no win for Barry County sales tax propositions in voting Tuesday. On the other hand, Seligman voters approved a one-cent sales tax for that city to go into effect at the start of the year. Barry Countians turned down a pair of propositions that would have provided one-half cent each for general revenue, tax levy reduction and road and bridge improvements. The vote on proposition one was 1,181 in favor and 1,256 against. In proposition two, the vote was closer, 1,196 yes and 1,218 no. Proposition one was defeated by 75 votes, with proposition two going down by 22 votes. These figures were made available Tuesday night in the unofficial count announced by County Clerk Rex Stumpff. Total vote in the county represented about 15 percent of the 16,499 registered voters eligible to cast ballots in the election. In proposition one decisions, 10 voting precincts gave approval, but most by the slimmest of margins. For the road and bridge proposition, 11 voting areas had a majority of votes in the yes division. Seligman voters gave their proposition a 20-vote majority in the unofficial count. The yes vote was 54 with 34 negative votes cast. City administration called the vote in September, proposing revenue be used for street upkeep and other administrative needs, according to Mayor John Corn. Receipts are estimated at $10,000 to $12,000 annually for Seligman. Barry County officials would not comment on the possibility of presenting the issue another time. Prior to the election, it was voiced at the courthouse that budget time for 1986 in January would see some lean times for the county if additional revenue was not available. The county has borrowed over $200,000 this year against anticipated revenue that will start becoming available in current tax collection processes. In the county vote, the following is a polling place tabulation of Tuesday’s results and unofficial returns.

— C-2 ZONING FOR WAL-MART SITE Cassville zoning and planning commission Tuesday night recommended approval of a C-2 zoning classification for property on which a new Wal-Mart store will be built here. The commission recommendation will be forwarded to a city council meeting next Monday night for final approval. Making the request for the 6.9 acres at the intersection of Highway 37 and Old Exeter Road were Mr. and Mrs. Marlett Sanders of Stillwater, Oklahoma, from whom the Bentonville, Arkansas corporation is purchasing the land. Commission chairman Joe Ellis announced the unanimous vote of the commission after a rather lengthy discussion in city council chambers. Agreeing with the recommendation were members Marlee Edie, Carter Koon, John Anglum, Carl Fanning and Mayor Rolland Meador. The acreage, known as the old Ott Turner place, was annexed by the city in their October meeting. Representing Wal-Mart was engineer Mike Shupe of CEI Engineering Associates, Bentonville. He told about 12 people in the chambers the target date for MECCO Construction to finish the building is June 23. He said the 43,926-squarefoot building was classed “medium” in store size by the firm. Dirt work actually began two weeks ago, after the commission hearing was delayed. Wal-Mart has made their purchase of the property contingent on obtaining the necessary zoning classification, which is now up to full council for final approval. While the audience voiced no objections when called up by Ellis, there were questions directed at Shupe. He said access to the new business will be only off Old Exeter Road, with improvements in this area entirely on Wal-Mart property. Radius work on the highway intersection, approved by the Highway Department, will provide safer turnoff on the property side at owners’ expense. Water and sewer lines, eight-inch pipe for both, will be run under Highway 37 and installed at the site, all at owners’ expense. Shupe also said the store might be expected to generate $10 million gross business annually, producing revenue through sales taxes for the city. He also said employment would grow to 40 persons. Major concern by the commission was centered on traffic problems that might result from the store’s location, primarily on First Street and Old Exeter Road through residential areas. Provisions for future commercial growth in the area of Wal-Mart’s location were also discussed by the commission prior to giving their stamp of approval for the zoning classification.

30 years ago

Nov. 1, 1995

— CENSUS REPORT: COUNTY HAS SURPASSED 30,000 IN POPULATION Population estimates for 1994 show that Barry County has grown 10 percent in the last four years. The U.S. Census Bureau recently released figures that place the county population at 30,307. That total is 2,760 more people than accounted for in the official 1990 census. Every city in Barry County showed growth, ranging from 7 percent to 12 percent. Individual city population totals included those residents who live within the city limits. People who live in rural areas of the county were not included in city totals. Population statistics were also unavailable from the Golden, Eagle Rock and Shell Knob communities because these areas are unincorporated. City residents accounted for 13,140 of the county’s 30,307 people. Based on these estimates, it appears that over 17,000 of the county’s total residents live in the lake area or other rural areas outside of the cities. These population estimates come as no surprise to county officials. “You can drive out in the county anywhere and see new homes being built,” said Dayton Mackey, northern commissioner. “There’s also a lot more traffic wherever you go.” “The entire county is growing,” said Presiding Commissioner Cherry Warren. “Shell Knob and the lake area have had steady growth, and the southern part of the county is showing growth from the overflow from Arkansas into Missouri.” Based on the census figures, Seligman is the fastest growing city in the county with an almost 13 percent growth rate over the past four years. Glen Nicoll, Barry County assessor, said he thinks the lake area has contributed greatly to population numbers. “The growth there is phenomenal,” Nicoll said. “It is much more than we’ve seen in the past.” He said the area used to average about 25 to 30 new homes a year. This year there are about 100 houses under construction.

— COMPLAINTS PILE UP ON BARRY COUNTY TIRE DUMP A four-year-old tire dump on Highway 76/86 between Cassville and Exeter is attracting mosquitoes, rodents and a string of complaints from neighboring property owners. Neighbors say that during the summer they cannot sit outside because of the mosquitoes that breed in the piles of abandoned tires. Tom Atkinson said he cannot let his grandchildren play outside because they are swarmed and bitten by mosquitoes. Linda Johnson said that she and her husband, Jake, built a pool last summer and were unable to use it in the evenings because of the mosquitoes. Paul Mattingly, who lives directly east of the dump, said that he and his wife are worried about possible water contamination from tire runoff. Fire is another concern. “If the tires catch on fire, I’m dead,” said Atkinson, who lives on a dead-end road behind the dump site. “One man who came down to inspect the dump said that if it ever caught on fire, people from a mile around would feel the heat.” The controversy over the dump site dates back to 1991 when tires were first hauled there. Paul Henson of Cassville, who owns the property on which the tires sit, said that he and Leonard Puls, who now lives in Florida, were partners in a tire business that trucked in several thousand tires from New York. Henson claims that the tires he and Puls brought in were hauled off. According to DNR records, Henson and Puls received a firststage waste tire site permit in April 1991 by virtue of the fact that they submitted an application. Henson said he then leased his waste tire site to DWM of Mid-America, Inc., who then subleased it to Don Thomason of Re-Tire Recycle Co., who Henson said is responsible for bringing in the estimated 20,000 to 25,000 tires that are now sitting on his property. Some estimates on the number of tires on the property have reached as high as 50,000. Attempts to reach Thomason and DWM for comment were unsuccessful. The dump site has received numerous citations over the past four years from the Department of Natural Resources for violating the state’s solid waste management law. They received their first citation in March 1992. It is unclear what DNR intends to do about the problem. Legal action has been threatened but Henson contends that the responsibility to clean up the site lies with Thomason. “I don’t have the funds to haul them off, and it’s not my problem because I didn’t have anything to do with putting the tires there,” Henson said. “I got suckered into it.” Jim Bell, with the state’s Solid Waste Management Program in Jefferson City, said this particular tire site is one of about 1,000 statewide. He said that this tire dump was not on the state’s list of sites to be cleaned up in 1996, and he could not say whether the state would ever clean it up. The county has also said that it does not have funds available to pay the $1 per tire to have them hauled off. The Southwest Missouri Solid Waste Management District, county officials and area citizens plan to pursue a solution to the tire dump problem. Neighbors say they have fought this for four years and don’t intend to quit now. Jim Gross with DNR said that his department had been encouraging Henson to spray the tires for vector control. Neighbors said spraying does not seem to help.