Stories from Wednesday, October 8, 2014

The Cassville Senior Center, located at 1111 Fair Street, will host its monthly dance on Saturday from 7-10 p.m., with music provided by the Roaring River Sounds Band. There is a $4 cover charge at the door, with all proceeds going to support the Senior Center. Finger foods are welcomed. The dance for the month of November will return to the first Saturday of the month. For more information, people may call 417-846-5355 or 417-846-3024...

Michael Bernsen, center, a 14-year-old Life Scout with Boy Scout Troop 185 of Cassville, received Medal of Merit Saturday morning during the Merit Badge University at Crowder College Cassville Campus. His parents, Jerry and Kathy Bernsen, stood with him. The Boy Scouts of America awarded Bernsen, of Shell Knob, the medal for saving the life of another scout on June 18, 2013, at Camp Arrowhead in Marshfield. Jason Johnston reporter@cassville-democrat.com...

Mercy Hospital in Cassville donated $558.90 to the Cassville Community Food Pantry Sept. 30. The Mercy Hospital and the Mercy Clinic in Cassville donated more than 2,794 pounds of food to the pantry over a six-week period that ended Aug. 14, and the check amount equaled to 20 cents per pound of the food donation. ...

ABOVE: About 300 people attend a fish fry at the Jenkins Rural Fire Department Station 1 Saturday evening. The department raised $5,500 from the fish fry and the auction, which will be used for firefighter training and gear. BELOW: Ripplin Creek plays bluegrass music Saturday at the Jenkins Fire Department's fish fry. Jason Johnston reporter@cassville-democrat.com...

For 30 years, the nursing home on the hill at 812 Old Exeter Road has been called Red Rose Inn, then it was later renamed to Red Rose Health and Rehabilitation Center. Like everything else, change comes, and Red Rose is not exempt from the world of change...

Local veterinarian tests local bulls for breeding By Jason Johnston reporter@cassville-democrat.com Barry County Veterinary Services performed breeding soundness exams on 21 bulls on Oct. 1, which was the first of four bull soundness clinics supported by the University of Missouri Extension...

The Exeter FFA Booster Club will host its inaugural barbecue from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in Exeter City Park to raise money for scholarships. The club started in May to give scholarships to graduating seniors who are members of Exeter's Future Farmers of America and plan to major in agriculture in college, said Alisha Scott, club treasurer. The club's main goal this year is to raise enough funds for a $250 scholarship and a $500 scholarship...

Patrons of the Barry-Lawrence Regional Library checked out 467,974 items between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014. According to the library's annual report, the 45,452 registered cardholders checked out material 467,974 times, approximately $14 million worth of items, calculated by averaging the cost of checked out materials at $30 per items...

If schools, businesses and residents would like to know how to prepare for situations involving active shooters or violent intruders, they can attend the Run, Hide, Fight seminar from 9 a.m. and noon Oct. 31 at the Crowder College Cassville Campus. "I present Run, Hide, Fight just as a change from what we historically have done of shelter in place," said Eric Schroeder, who will be the speaker at the seminar. ...

Kelsey Roney and Chase Jackson were named Cassville Homecoming Queen and King during an assembly at the high school Friday afternoon.

A trailer and tools with a total estimated value of $11,619 were stolen between Sept. 26-28 at 11728 Farm Road 2060 in Monett, according to the Barry County Sheriff's Office. The 5-by-8-foot, one-axle box trailer has a white bottom and a silver top with a diamond tread plate covering the front and a swinging back door, said Sheriff Mick Epperly. The tools were in the trailer...

The Barry-Lawrence Regional Library has received a grant for equipment that will bring a new resource to the four largest branches in the system: Monett, Cassville, Aurora and Mt. Vernon. In an effort to promote teen literacy, the library received a grant for $2,000 from Dollar General to buy equipment that will enable the creation of animated movies. The process involves the use of an iPad Air tablet, a Read ANIMATOR tablet, and the computer apps 1StopMotion and Apple iMovie...

A Cassville man allegedly robbed the Plaza Pharmacy in Shell Knob on Monday morning, drawing a weapon and taking prescription medications. According to Barry County Sheriff Mick Epperly, deputies have arrested and booked 18-year-old Chance Henson, of Cassville, who has been charged with first-degree robbery, a class A felony, and armed criminal action, an unclassified felony. A bond has not been set...

Southwest Volleyball Coach Steve Voyak is a high-energy and a highly-motivated coach. He works just as hard as any of his players during the course of a match, rarely sitting down, and living and dying with every point. If asked about his coaching style, he talks about giving his team energy and feels it's his responsibility to coach as hard as the play he demands from his team...

It is amazing how winning can change the entire atmosphere of a program. For three weeks, Lance Parnell and his staff have pieced together lineups, coached kids up and tried to keep a team focused through three blowout losses. Through the first half of Friday's 35-20 win, the Wildcats were in danger of losing a fourth game that would have been crushing for the team and would have signaled a resignation to the season...

All the glitz and glamour on homecoming night tends to focus on seniors, such as homecoming king and running back Chase Jackson. On Friday, however, it was a sophomore that stole the show. Before Friday, sophomore River Phelps had only taken a handful of snaps at reining back. But due to injuries, such as Jackson's, Phelps was thrust into the backfield and made the most of the opportunity...