50 years ago

Nov. 19, 1975

— RECORD DEER HARVEST, 632 DOWNED IN FIRST TWO DAYS

Barry County is well on its way to establishing a new record for deer kills during the 1975 season. Conservation agents Charles Marrs and Ron Glover said by check sheets a total of 632 were killed on the first two days of hunting Saturday and Sunday. On the way to a new record, the county could double the number taken last season, 442, said the agents. The 1973 season had 565 downed. Deer will be more difficult to come by during the remaining days of the season that continues through November 23. The remaining season is bucks only with legal hunting hours 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check sheets furnished by the agents had 326 bucks and 306 doe taken during the first two days when any deer was legal. They noted an additional 50 deer killed in the county were checked at adjoining stations in Lawrence, Stone or McDonald counties. Check facilities are at Roaring River State Park hatchery and Fin, Feather ‘n Fur at Hilltop. Gerald W. Snowden, 18, of rural Monett was shot about 9 a.m. Saturday while hunting northwest of Pulaski-field. Hunting with two other youths near Highway 97, Snowden was struck in the back by a stray bullet. Companions, Doug Hunnell 15 and Harold Snowden 16, said they heard two shots in the area at the same time. The injured man suffered shoulder and arm injuries and was taken to a Springfield hospital for treatment. Deputy Bob Norman said the shooting was being termed accidental. A second party injured was reported Sunday when Tom Bowers, 19 of Walnut Grove, hunting with a party near Lohmer Tower area, shot himself in the foot with a 30-30 rifle. He was rushed to South Barry County Hospital for emergency treatment and later transferred to Springfield.

— CHAPLAIN RETIRES

Chaplain (Col.) Ersmond Swaffar, a native of Purdy, has retired from the U.S. Air Force at Plattsburgh AFB, N.Y. Chaplain Swaffar, who has more than 23 years military service, served in Vietnam and has among his decorations and awards the Legion of Merit, three awards of the Air Force Commendation Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal, First Class, Vietnam Air Force Honor Medal and the Republic of Vietnam Staff Service Medal, First Class. The chaplain, a 1937 graduate of Purdy High School, received a B.A. degree in sociology in 1945 from William Jewell College. He earned his B.D. degree in pastoral counseling in 1950 at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville.

40 years ago

Nov. 20, 1985

— SHELL KNOB RESORT AND BUSINESS SELLS

Sale of a Shell Knob resort, one of the first on Table Rock Lake in this area, and a publishing business in that area, were announced this week. The 21 unit Rod ‘n Reel Resort, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Steve Hutton, has been sold to Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Cockrell and son Joe of Douglas, Kansas. Possession of the property will change December 2. The Hutton family have been operating the popular resort facility 17 years. Hutton still owns the adjoining Hardman Hollow resort, consisting of 16 units, pool, dock and other facilities. Mr. and Mrs. Cockrell, formerly in the grocery business in Kansas, have also been involved in farming. He is a former mayor of Douglas. Their son, Joe, will be associated in the business. Baby Mine, Inc., a baby book publishing firm owned by Mr. and Mrs. Art Hegi, has been purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Mel Schlemmer and Mr. and Mrs. Bob Jones of Kimberling City. The firm will remain in Shell Knob for at least a year. Hutton said his resort sale would permit additional time being devoted to his interest in Shell Knob Real Estate.

— RAINS BOOST MOISTURE OFFICIAL YEAR TO DATE TOTAL TO 55 INCHES

Normal rainfall in this area for a 12 month period is 44 inches. To-date in 1985, the Cassville area has officially received 55 inches of rain. That’s the report of Chuck Miner, weather observer at the U.S. Forest Service in Cassville. Miner also commented the Cassville ranger district of Mark Twain National Forest was probably spared some recent heavy showers that visited other areas. Gauges read daily by Miner have recorded 6.25 inches for November, most of this falling since last Wednesday. Prior to that time, .03 inches had been measured at the station. There have been nearly two inches recorded on three different days since that time. Actually, heavy rains aren’t that unusual for November. Miner said records have six inches in 1982, seven inches in 1978, with an average of three to four inches for this month. Lowest moisture for the month in recent years was the .51 recorded in 1976. Weather observers said heavier rains probably fell this week in the Shell Knob area, where it was observed larger wash areas in ditches and roads. County officials said the rains and flooding conditions were not doing rural roads any good and had closed a number of bridges in creek and branch areas. Presiding Judge Lloyd Dilbeck said the county would have to wait until water went down to fully assess damage to crossings. The late-season tornado and flash flood warnings for the area kept most of Barry County on the watch throughout this week. Lightning that accompanied the storms as they rolled through the county caused considerable damage at residences and commercial businesses throughout the county. Miner said Tuesday, the 12 year average for rainfall in Cassville was at an even 44 inches. With the .51 caught in gauges just east of town Tuesday, there is 55 inches in the record books thus far for 1985. With just over 45 days remaining in the year, Miner said the year could easily produce a record. Table Rock Lake, which had been resting just below the 915 elevation top of the power pool, started up quickly this week. At 10:00 p.m. Tuesday night the lake had risen to about the 920 level for approximately a six foot rise. Chuck Edwards of Eagle Rock Landing said Army Corps of Engineers expected a crest Wednesday evening at around the 925 level. Adding to problems on the reservoir were high winds that accompanied the arrival of a cold front through the area. Temperatures dipped into the 20s Wednesday morning, but under partly cloudy skies.

— 740 DEER TAKEN IN FIRST TWO DAYS OF SEASON IN COUNTY

With “more hunters in the woods than evidenced in 10 years,” Charles Marrs, Barry County Conservation Commission agent says “740 deer were taken in the first two days of the 1985 season.” Included in the figure were 432 bucks and 308 doe. The season continues through 5:30 p.m. Sunday, November 24. Marrs, agents Bill Stimson and Bryant Ward, assisted by a number of other agents, are working the enforcement and checking phases of the season. Agents said this week Barry County produced one of the highest kills in the area for the opening two days Saturday and Sunday. They reported a number of big camps in the woods with groups of hunters setting up facilities. They got a good day for the opening Saturday, but were plagued with nearly constant rainfall and sometimes heavy showers Sunday. Some hunting areas were not accessible due to creeks and branches being out of their banks. One observer thought there were areas that had “one hunter to every tree.” Over onehalf the kills reported in the first two days were checked at Hilltop’s Ozark Sport Spot.

30 years ago

Nov. 15, 1995

— COWGIRL CAPTURES WORLD CHAMPION TEAM ROPING TITLE

Tamie Vaught recognized a dream two weekends ago when she claimed the world championship in team roping at the Professional Women’s Rodeo Association finals in Ft. Worth, Texas. The 34-year-old Cassville High School graduate was also named the association’s Rookie of the Year. The championship and rookie titles earned Vaught a place in the winner’s circle as well as prize money, a new saddle and a silver belt buckle. She was also interviewed by ESPN, who will air the piece this spring. “It was my childhood dream to go to a women’s all-girl rodeo, so I was pretty proud to win it,” said Tamie, who has been in the saddle since she was three. Gaining the championship was more than one weekend’s performance. Championships are given to the cowgirl who amasses the most points in one year. Tamie competed in a total of 28 rodeos, placing in at least 80 percent of the competitions and winning about 60 percent. To give her dream a chance, Tamie and her four-yearold quarterhorse, Sam, spent almost every weekend on the road. Tamie said she put over 40,000 miles on her truck in just one year. Tamie said the championship came down to the last day when she had to double hock the steer to win the title. J.J. Hampton, a cowgirl who Tamie roped with during the year, was her closest competition out of 30 cowgirls. Hampton ended up capturing the All-Around Cowgirl title for the second year in a row. Hampton’s title is one that Tamie is eyeing as she plans for next year’s competition. To put herself in the running for the all-around title, Tamie would have to compete in team roping, break-away, calf roping and barrel racing. To cut down on travel, Tamie will be moving to Weatherford, Texas on Nov. 20. The move will place Tamie closer to many of the PWRA events. Roping is an avocation shared by the Vaught family. Tamie team ropes with her dad, Lloyd, at local amateur events, and her brother David is a professional roper.

— TRI-COUNTY GROUP WORKING TO ESTABLISH HEALTH CARE CLINIC

A tri-county consortium has been established to develop a plan for the creation of a community- based health care clinic to serve the working poor in Barry, Newton and McDonald Counties. A request for a grant, which would cover costs to research the possibility of constructing such a clinic, was sent in today by the newly formed Ozark Tri-County Health Care. Pat Tichenor, Barry County Health Department administrator, said she has been working with health administrators from Newton and McDonald counties to come up with a solution to the growing need for additional healthcare services in rural areas of southwest Missouri. In their grant application, the tri-county group states that a clinic is needed because all three counties are located in a medically underserved area. McDonald County estimates that there is one physician for every 4,329 residents. In Barry County, that estimate has been set at one physician for every 3,078 people, and in Newton County that number drops to one physician per every 961 residents. All three counties report a growing number of working poor who do not qualify for Medicaid and can’t afford private insurance. There has also been an influx of migrant workers to the area. Currently, there are 544 migrant students enrolled in Barry County schools. Tichenor said more and more migrant families are coming into the health department, seeking medical care they cannot get elsewhere. A clinic would meet the needs of these people who are at risk of “falling through the cracks.” The first step in getting a clinic established is to apply for state grants, Tichenor said. The group is applying first for a $25,000 grant through Primary Care Initiative for Missouri (PRIMO). The PRIMO money would be used to hire a coordinator to assess the medical needs in the targeted area. Tichenor said this assessment would take about a year to complete. If need is established, then the second step of the project will be to apply for a $100,000 grant to be used towards construction of the actual clinic. Tichenor said building, equipping and staffing a clinic is at least three years away. A building site or location has not been determined at this time. Infant death rates, late prenatal care, teenage pregnancy rates, poverty levels and a physician shortage were all listed as significant medical needs in the three counties. Clinic referral areas would stretch beyond the tri-county area to include northwest Benton County in Arkansas and southeast Delaware County in Oklahoma. Tichenor has been working with Mary Anne Bradley from McDonald County, Jerrie L. Wise from Newton County and Dr. David Hill from Elk River Health Services, Inc. The group’s first meeting was held Oct. 30.

— COACH DUNCAN WILL SHOOT FIRST BASKET IN NEW CHS GYM

A Cassville man, known to many as “Coach,” has been chosen to make the first official basket in Cassville High School’s new gymnasium. J.C. Duncan will return to the hardwoods Thursday night to be honored during the annual preseason boys and girls basketball scrimmage. Duncan will be recognized for his outstanding 31-year coaching career at CHS. The 1952 Wheaton graduate started coaching at Cassville in the fall of 1956. He served as basketball coach and assisted with football and track. His starting salary was $3,500. After graduation, Duncan went to Tulsa University on a full scholarship. During his junior year at Tulsa, the Golden Hurricanes won the first Missouri Valley Championship in the school’s history. During his junior and senior year, Duncan was named the squad’s outstanding defensive player. Since retiring from coaching in 1987, Duncan has remained active at the school by serving as a fulltime bus driver. Thursday night’s recognition will take place at 7 p.m. before the varsity girls and boys scrimmage. The public is invited to attend both the recognition ceremony and the scrimmages. Freshmen and junior varsity squads will scrimmage, beginning at 5:30 p.m. During his tenure, Duncan coached three Class M regional championships and one Class 2A regional championship (1959, 1961, 1968 and 1975.) The Wildcats also placed second in regionals three other times under Duncan’s tutelage. Duncan said his overall winning percentage during his 20 years as varsity coach was about 65 percent. Duncan’s personal basketball history is also noteworthy. As a Wheaton Bulldog, Duncan was named to the all-state squad along with another player named Norm Stewart, who now coaches at the University of Missouri-Columbia.