Dakoda Pettigrew: The meaning of the Declaration
The rain was falling with misty, unrelenting force as President Calvin Coolidge rose to deliver the greatest speech of his life. It was Monday, July 6, 1926, and the rain beat the president’s face as he stood before a crowd of 35,000 on the grounds of the Sesquicentennial Exposition in Philadelphia, the birthplace of American independence and constitutionalism. “Despite a fine drizzle, which became a heavy downpour,” The New York Times reported the next day, “the crowds patiently lined twenty miles of streets to pay their respects” to a man whose cool and quiet demeanor hid a patriotic intellect that could not be contained.
Patricia Sue “Patsy” Boyd

Patricia Sue “Patsy” Boyd, 83, of Purdy, Mo. passed away Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at her home.
Man charged in copper theft
A Cassville man is facing two felony charges for allegedly stealing thousands of feet of copper wire. Justin Youngblood, born in 1989, of Cassville, is charged with felony stealing of $25,000 or more and second-degree burglary.
Donnie Spears: Peace and comfort

This devotional and directory is made possible by these businesses who encourage all to attend worship services. The thing every one of us looks for in so many different places and different ways today: true peace.
Fly fishing group angles at Roaring River

Eight-year-old Harper Lester, left, of Cassville, accepts a bowl of chili from Sharon Yoker, fellowship coordinator for the Southwest Missouri Fly Fishers Club, at a club gathering at Roaring River State Park on Saturday.
Through the Years, Nov. 27

40 YEARS AGO: FIRST PLACE PARADE ENTRIES — The floats pictured above and below received first place recognition in Cassville’s Christmas parade here Saturday evening. Each received $150 first prize money from the sponsoring Chamber of Commerce.
Miss, Mr. Merry Christmas candidates announced

Cassville’s Miss and Mr. Merry Christmas candidates for 2024 have been announced. Front row, from left: freshman Samantha Baugus, daughter of Sam Baugus and Jessica Minor, of Cassville; junior Joei Blankenship, daughter of Clit and Bobbi Blankenship, of Jenkins; senior Lauren Sparkman, daughter of Gamon Sparkman and the Late Shelley Sparkman, of Cassville. Back row: freshman Will Finch, son of Mark and Paula Finch, of Cassville; sophomore Caleb Pyle, son of Joei Pyle and Christy Butler Pyle, of Cassville; junior Cash Gray Smith, son of Weslie and Jamie Johns, of Cassville; and senior Jonathan Cole Cash, son of Daniel Cash and Jona and Robert Anderson, of Cassville. Not pictured: sophomore Savannah-Lynn Connor. Candidates will be raising money to donate to the Barry County Neighborhood Center’s Share Your Christmas Program. Kyle Troutman/ktroutman@cassville- democrat.com
Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week

Gin is such a beauty. This sweet girl is about two years old and weighs in at 50 pounds.
News Briefs, Nov. 27
The Purdy Christmas Parade will be on Dec. 7 at 10 a.m., with line-up at the Purdy High School parking lot by 9:30 a.m.
Kyle Troutman: My double rainbow

As I left the office at about 4:50 p.m. Monday, a bright, orange haze had set in from the west following an afternoon of rainstorms.