News Briefs, May 27
The monthly Wheaton Road District Meeting will be held on June 2 at 5 p.m. at the Wheaton Road District barn on Highway A across from Holmes Farm Supply.
Staff View — Sheila Harris: Swallowing a horse-pill

It’s that time again. The Parks, Soil and Water (PSW) Sales Tax will appear on the Aug. 4 ballot this year as Amendment 1. The amendment, which appears on the ballot every 10 years, gives voters the chance to renew the one-tenth-of-one-percent sales tax that benefits Missouri State Parks and the Missouri Soil & Water Conservation Program.
Community Voices — Terry Held: Crossroads in rural educationl; Keeping opportunity close to home

“The Times Are A-Changin’.” Bob Dylan’s famous song of the 60’s became a cultural anthem with universal appeal. Today, it has become a phrase often heard in small towns when difficult decisions arrive quietly and without ceremony: Usually, those words are spoken with a shrug, a sigh, or a little disbelief. But behind them lies something larger, a recognition that institutions we once assumed would always remain steady are now being forced to adapt to realities few people fully see.
Letter to the Editor — Sarah and David Dalton: Kudos to local animal clinics
As animal lovers but career individuals, we want to give a huge hats off to Barry County Veterinary Clinic and their team.
Letter to the Editor — Kathy Casey: Sickened by social media posts
Every person is solely responsible for his own actions. Not father, mother, siblings, children, grandma, grandpa, friends or anyone who happens to enter his orbit for any reason. None of those people are responsible parties for his acts.
Through the Years, May 27

40 YEARS AGO: NAMES ON THE SIDEWALK — A tradition in Cassville, placing the senior class names on a section of sidewalk was in progress last week. Here, class representatives watch as Gary Youngblood, school maintenance force, prepares the surface. Class members then used letter imprints to put names of the 87-member class in the section.
Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week, May 27

Meet Luna Dipper! Luna is so so sweet. She really enjoys all people of all ages. Luna loves walking and does fantastic on a leash, and she does great in a fenced in yard.
Patrecia A. Chasteen

Patrecia A. Chasteen, born June 8, 1951, in Stone County, Missouri, passed away on May 15, 2026, in Springdale, Arkansas. She was one of six children of Claud and Virginia (Batson) Jones. Patrecia was a devoted mother of three and…
Cassville Education Fund grant awarded

Five grants totaling more than $5,000 from the Cassville Education Fund were awarded to Cassville teachers on May 7 at the Cassville Performing Arts Center.
Cassville grad earns Gilman Scholarship
Drury University undergraduates Avery Chappell, of Cassville, and Mackenzie Richardson, of Ozark, have been selected as finalists for the prestigious Gilman Scholarship for Study Abroad.



