Stories from Wednesday, May 29, 2013

The Cassville Post #119 American Legion baseball team opened the 2013 campaign with an 8-2 loss to Monett Post #91 on May 23. Monett used a methodical scoring approach to earn the win, tallying single runs in five of their six at-bats and scoring three times in the fifth frame...

Cassville Wildcat Cody Frana won a silver medal in the 300 hurdles at the 2013 state track meet in Jefferson City this past weekend. After earning two eighth place medals in both hurdle events at the 2012 state meet, Frana had his sights set on another double but a mishap in the preliminary heat of the 110-meter high hurdles ended that goal as Frana failed to qualify in that event for Saturday's final...

The 12th annual Sertoma Grin Iron Football Classic, which will be held Friday, June 7 at JFK Stadium in Springfield, will have a decidedly local flavor. The 2013 game features 90 athletes and 16 coaches from southwest Missouri. Participants were selected by the Southwest Missouri High School Football Coaches Association...

Democrat Photo Commerce Bank and Commerce Bancshares Foundation presented the Cassville Senior Center with a donation on May 9. Mike McCracken, Commerce Bank president, and Debra Mitchell, Commerce Bank vice president, are pictured above with senior center representatives...

Beginning June 6, registration will open for the Barry Lawrence Regional Library's 2013 summer reading program, which is everyone from preschool age children to adults. The theme for the 2013 tots and children's reading programs is Dig Into Reading. Children 3 and under are invited to participate in the tots program and children ages 3 to 12 are invited to take part in the children's program...

The annual Walden family reunion will be held at Memorial Park on Highway 112 next to the American Legion Building in Cassville on Saturday, June 1. The event will offer music, family history and a picnic lunch at 12:30 p.m. Attendees should bring food to share. Plates, cups and ice will be provided...

The Linebarger reunion will be held at the Purdy Community Center on Sunday, June 9. The event will begin at 11:30 a.m., and a basket lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m. All relatives and friends are invited to attend.

Bill DeWeese, a staff registered technologist in radiology, has been named as Mercy Hospital Cassville's May Co-Worker of the Month. DeWeese has worked in the industry for 38 years and served at the Cassville facility for 20 years. He is a member of the American Registry of Radiological Technologist and the American Society of Radiological Technologists. ...

Danny Robert Mason, 52, of Stella, passed away Tuesday, May 21, 2013, in Freeman Hospital, Neosho. He was born April 22, 1961, in Stella, the son of Willie Ray and Joyce (McCracken) Mason. He married Sandy Giandalia and later married Sherry Boyd. On Sept. 21, 2006, he married Rebecca "Becky" Martz, who survives...

Belinda Gail Burks, 56, of Cassville, passed away Friday, May 24, 2013, at her home. She was born in Springdale, Ark., Feb. 18, 1957, the daughter of Melvin and Bonnie (Thomas) Murrell. On March 1, 1972, in Huntsville, Ark., she was united in marriage to Melvin Gerald Burks, who preceded her in death on April 7, 2012. She was also preceded in death by her parents and one son, Melvin Gerald Burks, Jr...

I have contemplated what to say in this final editorial for several weeks now. After reading my editorials over the last couple of months, I hope I have been able to make it clear just how much I love Barry County and enjoy serving the local community. ...

Democrat Photo/Lindsay Reed Several community members enjoyed a special luncheon catered by Jersey's Bar and Grill prior to the Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce's annual golf tournament on May 17. Mindi Artherton, chamber executive director, awarded two Cassville Cash door prizes during the lunch event...

Democrat Photo/Melonie Roberts Ozark Country Quilters hosted its May Airing on May 7, displaying a number of completed projects made by group members. Pictured above, from left, are: Helen Heffner, president; Charlotte Bull, charter member; and Kathleen Oritz, vice president. ...

By Lisa Craft Jacquie Howell from the Barry County Extension Center announced that Kids in the Kitchen would be held twice this summer at the Monett Area YMCA. Howell revealed plans at the Barry County Connections Coalition May meeting. Howell stated that a new garden spot is being created at the Y for the "Eating from the Garden." Approximately 30 children from the Y's summer program will have a two-by-two garden plot. The class will be held each Friday for five weeks...

SUPPORT GROUP: The Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) group of Cassville meets at 8 p.m. at 1308 Harold St. in Cassville. For more information, call 846-4044. SUPPORT GROUP: Anyone who is concerned about a friend's or loved one's drinking is invited to attend the Cassville Al-Anon Family Group, which meets at 8 p.m. at the United Methodist Church in Cassville...

Democrat Photo/Melonie Roberts Several Cassville Intermediate School students received two free books for summer reading from a newly established program, Books and Bandaids. The program came from a group of mothers who reached out to the community in an effort to bring in enough donations to provide books to students in second through fifth grades. ...

Reaching the end of his 27 years with Crowder College, Dr. Alan Marble will retire at the conclusion of the current academic year, effective June 30. Under Dr. Marble's leadership, Crowder became one of the swiftest growing colleges, nearly doubling enrollment within six years. ...

The Barry County Youth Camp, which will be held May 28 through May 31 at Camp Smokey in Roaring River State Park, will offer bus services in Cassville, Monett and Purdy. A bus will pick up camp participants at the Cassville United Methodist Church parking lot, which is located at Sixth and Gravel, at 9:30 a.m. on May 28. Campers should be at the stop by 9:15 a.m. The bus will return between 10:30 and 10:45 a.m. on May 31...

Purdy Middle School seventh grade student Amber Holm has been selected as a state finalist for the National American Miss pageant. Amber, who is the daughter of, Cindy Holm, of Purdy, and the late Gordon Holm, will compete in the pre-teen division at the pageant in Columbia Aug. 9 and 10...

Not everyone can say they plan to travel to the past over their summer vacation, but Wheaton history teacher Jason Navarro is going to do just that. Navarro, the newly named Teacher of the Year for the State of Missouri through the National History Day competition, is taking a step back in time to re-visit the Civil War by visiting historic sites in Vicksburg, Miss., Shiloh, Tenn., Gettysburg, Pa., Antietam, Md., Harper's Ferry, W. ...

The Barry County Council on Aging (BCCOA) will hold the election of board members at area senior centers from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 12. Senior citizens 60 years of age and older are encouraged to help decide who will represent them on the board. Elected board members, who are all volunteers, will serve two-year terms...

A Bentonville, Ark., man was fatally injured in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 37 two miles north of Washburn on Saturday. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the crash occurred when Buck A. Haynes, 32, of Bentonville, Ark., who was riding a 2000 Honda Shadow, stopped in traffic attempting to make a left turn. A 1987 Nissan pickup, driven by Austin C. Selee, 18, of Seligman, struck Haynes' vehicle from behind...

The third annual Monett Strawberry Festival will be held Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1 on Broadway in historic downtown Monett. The events and activities will be held throughout both days with craft booths, food booths, live music, children's inflatable rides, evening concerts and much more...

Democrat photo/Melonie Roberts Residents of Seligman will see a change to the familiar skyline when the water tower, erected in 1953, comes down this summer. According to Mayor Jerry Montgomery, the city has accepted a bid from Iseler Demolition, Inc., in the amount of $12,3000 to bring in a crane to dismantle the old tower, which was pulled out of service in 1999. ...

John Q. Hammons, one of the nation's most successful hotel and resort developers, died on Sunday, May 26 at the age of 94 in Springfield. Hammons, who was known for his business acumen and philanthropy, came from humble beginnings. He grew up in Fairview during the Great Depression and graduated from the high school there in 1937. He then attended Monett Junior College and Southwest Missouri State University where he earned his teaching certificate in 1939...

Local volunteers and landowners are needed for the Table Rock Lake Water Quality's (TRLWQ) inaugural snapshot sampling of Roaring River Watershed, which will be conducted on Saturday, June 15. "The Roaring River Watershed has excellent volunteers and partners to work with for this pilot project," Tammy Trantham, TRLWQ education and outreach director. "The goal of TRLWQ is to conduct other snapshot sampling events on other tributaries to Table Rock Lake with the success of this event."...

The South Barry County Relay For Life Committee invites all local cancer survivors and their caregivers to attend a special dinner that will be held at the Crowder College Cassville Campus Community Building at 7 p.m. on Saturday. "The dinner will be for survivors and caregivers only," said Tiffanie Holman, who is serving as chairman for this year's event. "We will have smoked meat and all of the fixing, followed by dessert."...

The Shell Knob Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting May 22 for the reopening of the Route 39 bridge that spans Table Rock Lake. The event was attended by State Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick (R), State Sen. David Sater (R), community leaders and officials with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT)...

Local marina owners credit three-day weekend as one of top 10 in recent years

Chuck Nickle Photos The Mary Beck School of Dance will host its annual recital at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 2 at Taylor Auditorium on the Missouri Southern State University in Joplin. A number of groups and soloists will perform. Pictured above is the "House Chores Stink" dance ensemble. ...