Stories from Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Purdy has been busy in recent games making its case to be viewed as the hottest girls basketball team in southwest Missouri. The black and gold have ripped off four consecutive wins, claiming the Galena Lady Bears Tournament championship and receiving an invitation to play in the prestigious Pink and White tournament next year at Springfield...

Ask Cassville Coach Chris Shore who his team's most valuable player is, and he'll tell you it is senior Reaghan Blisard. Blisard serves as a calming influence on the floor, a steady ball handler and an outside scoring option. "Reaghan is a tough competitor and puts us into good position on the floor," Shore said. "When she is healthy we are at our best."...

Barry Electric warns of phone scam According to Bill Shiveley, general manager and CEO of the Barry Electric Cooperative, said customers of the cooperative have been receiving phone calls from someone claiming to represent a collection agency and working for Barry Electric, saying if patrons do not pay their bills right away, their power will be disconnected. ...

The Silver Leaf Benefit Club, a local organization with the international General Federation of Women's Clubs, displays its annual collection of cards Jan. 20. The cards benefit the St. Jude's Ranch for Children. Club members pictured include, front row, from left: Jean Marney, Pat Chapman, Sarah Marney, Sherry Johnson, Pauline Kowalski and Tracie Snodgrass. ...

Kara Fletcher, left, demonstrates how to build a snow plow out of Legos Saturday in the Eagle Rock Community Center. Working on the plow were, from right: Adam Scaggs, 10, of Golden; Levi Rex, 11, of Eagle Rock; Frank Osborn, 10, of Eagle Rock; and Timothy Waggs, 16, of Branson. Jason Johnston reporter@cassville-democrat.com...

Scott Frederickson, right, Cassville High School band director, leads the Cassville sixth-grade band during the winter concert in Cassville Middle School gym Friday. The sixth-grade band has 86 musicians. Jason Johnston reporter@cassville-democrat.com...

Cassville kindergarteners Alaya Dool, left, and Gracie Maher display their hula hoop skills at the 100-day celebrations in FEMA Event Center Friday. Jason Johnston reporter@cassville-democrat.com

Gov. Jay Nixon has proclaimed School Board Recognition Week statewide through Saturday to recognize the more than 3,600 men and women who serve as board members, according to the Missouri School Boards' Association. In January, Lance Massey, Wheaton superintendent, thanked each member for being on the Wheaton Board of Education, as well as presented each member with a certificate...

An Aurora man is facing three charges after being seriously injured Friday in a wreck on Route W, four miles west of Butterfield. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Robert Rockwell, 37, of Aurora, was driving a 2004 Ford F-350 westbound on Route W at about 7:30 p.m. when his vehicle traveled off the right side of the roadway, overturned and struck two fences...

PURDY -- A Purdy High School vocalist, who will perform at a state concert Saturday, reflected on her experience with the All-National Honor Choir in Nashville. "I didn't feel out of place at all," said Katherine Wise, a high school senior who sings soprano one for the Purdy choir. "We all had the same passion, which was really refreshing to get to know people who care about something as much as you do."...

The Purdy Renewal Project announced plans for a new playground addition in the city park in Purdy. Gerry Wass, Neal Wass and Robin Henderson, president of the Purdy Renewal Project, reported the organization has raised more than $10,000 in hopes of adding to the park, including $1,000 from the Spanish Club and its recycling project. ...

Seligman recently filled a west ward alderman position that was left vacant after the death of former Alderwoman Shirley Beaver on Dec. 6. Michael Avers, 50, who has lived in the Seligman area for more than 15 years, was sworn into the position in January...

Mid-January offered the first big test for the new construction at the Purdy School District. The basketball game against Pierce City brought in the largest crowd to a sporting event to date this season. The $1,045,000 project, altering the entrance to the gym by placing the ticket window indoors, moving the bathrooms beyond the gym and combining the concession stand with the cafeteria, faced public scrutiny...

Along with the arrival of February, next week will be a weather indicator for the region when Groundhog Day rolls around. The rodent that is sometimes the ruination of crop fields will tell us whether there will be six more weeks of winter after Feb. 1. If the Barry County species sees its shadow, that will find us headed for six more weeks of winter before we can expect spring-like temperatures...

Santa Claus works hard to fill every request of every child on Christmas. Sometimes, Jolly Ole Saint Nick goes above and beyond in spreading Christmas cheer. Such was the case for a Wheaton family after second-grader Rubi Castro broke from the mold and requested something a little different from Santa in her letter to him published by the Cassville Democrat...

For the Beagle family of Cassville, the verse Matthew 21: 22, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer," could not be any more true. The family turned to this verse numerous times while its middle child, Cole Beagle, was hospitalized. The family said Beagle's recovery is a testament to the power of prayer and to God's mystery...

Both open city council positions in the city of Cassville will see races for the April 7 municipal election, as incumbents Ann Hennigan and Jan Anthony are both being challenged. In the south ward, Anthony is being challenged by Cindy Carr, Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce board member and realtor with Four Season Realty...

The Cassville School District is reviewing its five federal title program budgets since the U.S. Education Department has reduced funding to the district by 50.3 percent over the last five years. The district received $1,241,218 in the 2009--2010 school year, but that funding dropped to $616,843.62 in the current school year, according to district records...