Kyle Troutman
Lady ‘Cats compete in Christmas Clash
Winchell pins way to gold medal The Cassville girls wrestling team competed Dec. 20-21 at the Lady Mustangs Christmas Clash, with one Lady Wildcat rising to the top of the podium.
Wildcats win medals in Harrisonville
The Cassville boys wrestling team competed Dec. 20-21 at the Harrisonville Christmas Tournament, with 165-pounder Tristan Thompson earning the best overall placement.
$16K raised for Share Your Christmas
Jill LeCompte, left, accepts a check for $16,686.53 on behalf of Share Your Christmas, a service of the ozark Area Action Corporation’s Barry County Neighborhood Center. This year, Share your Christmas provided gifts to 100 families and 315 children. Joei Blankenship, right, and Will Finch, were named Miss and Mr. Merry Christmas at Cassville High School for raising the most donations to the cause.
Purdy schools adjusting start time
Purdy school board members approved a calendar for the coming school year at its Dec. 19 meeting.
Jon Horner: A new chapter awaits
Here we are at the end of 2024. Now, we are getting ready to open the next page of our lives to a new chapter called 2025.
Kyle Troutman: 2024 in review
I’ve been pondering this piece for a few days, and every time I do, I land at the same question — where do I even begin? To say this year has been a whirlwind is an understatement. We started 2024 with a gleam in our eyes, coming off our first year of ownership of the Democrat where we enjoyed incredible support and success.
Janet Mills: Thrive in 2025
Make a toast, sing Auld Lang Syne, and eat some black-eyed peas for good luck! The clock strikes twelve midnight on Dec. 31, and a fresh New Year is ushered in.
Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week, Jan. 1
Black Jack is a people loving boy who was found as a stray. His estimated date of birth is July 15, 2023, and his weight is 48 pounds.
Table Rock Lake Community Foundation continues SKITS support
Shell Knob in the Spotlight (SKITS) is proud to continue to provide Shell Knob and the surrounding area with high quality stage performances and fun entertainment since its first show, “A Hillbilly Christmas,” in 2013. While the audience gets to see the excitement on stage, and the actors open their hearts to dazzle them with their performance, there are other efforts and pouring out of hearts that make it possible to open those curtains, a press release said. SKITS is a non-profit organization and as such, relies partially on the benevolence of local donors and business sponsors, and the rest falls squarely to the support of several area grants. The Table Rock Lake Community Foundation (TRLCF) has been a huge supporter of SKITS and has partnered with the troupe for many years now, assisting with funding across several areas of the organization. The TRLCF has been integral in continuing to improve the level of production for SKITS shows, and this season in the storage of its stage and set pieces by providing the funds to purchase a shipping container. The TRLCF’s mission is “to enhance the quality of life in our region through resource development, community grantmaking, collaboration and public leadership.” “We strongly believe in what they are doing in our area and feel the impact of their contributions with every show we put on,” the SKITS press release said.
Barry County native collecting bits of history
Rural Purdy native David Keeling is sitting on a trove of local history, the result of a hobby he began a decade ago. “I’m a little embarrassed about the amount of stuff I’ve collected in just ten years,” said Keeling, whose hobby has led to a veritable museum of his own making.
