Stories from Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Gayland Dale Burkett, 60, of Monett, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, at Cox Monett Hospital. He was born on Aug. 24, 1956, in Popular Buff, the son of Alvin Burkett and Edith (Smith) Burkett. He was united in marriage to Kathryn Cox on Feb. 15, 1992...

Robert E. Condray, 77, of Cassville, passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016, at Mercy Hospital in Springfield. He was born on Nov. 22, 1938, in Elsinore, son of Herbert and Helen (Mysinger) Condray. Following his graduation from Parkview High School in Springfield, he enlisted in the Army Reserves. Upon discharge from his military service, he became a tool and die maker. He was united in marriage to Mae R. Littrell on April 14, 1980, in Sharp County, Ark...

James Paul Oakley, 94, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016, at the Roaring River Health & Rehab Center in Cassville. He was born Feb. 9, 1922, son of George and Edna (Dawson) Oakley, in Washburn. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. He worked for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in California for 27 years, retiring in 1978...

With autumn here, the question of what is in front of us in relation to weather and activities are on the minds of a lot of people, including this writer. This question set in motion thoughts concerning what once went on in Cassville and what has passed out of the scene in today's world. Most of you would be surprised how many events and happenings once took place in this small town of ours...

McDonald County at Monett Aurora at Mt. Vernon Seneca at Cassville East Newton at El Dorado Springs Lamar at Valle Catholic Pierce City at Joplin (JV) Thursday Aurora at Seneca, 21-28 Cassville at Monett, 20-21 Mt. Vernon at East Newton, 42-6 Lamar at McDonald County, 0-56...

Cassville Middle School cross-country runner Brylee Wilson finished first in the girls division of Middle School Cross-Country meet at East Newton on Saturday.

Cassville's Jordan Campbell was the Lady Wildcats' top finisher at the East Newton Cross-Country Meet on Saturday.

The Cassville volleyball team is selling T-shirts to help the fight against breast cancer. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the team has launched a campaign to increase awareness of the disease. The Lady Wildcats are inviting the public to their Pink Out Night, on Oct. 6 against Lamar...

The Purdy golf team punched its ticket to the Class 1 section round with a second place finish in the Class 2, District 4 tournament at the par 72, Frank E. Peters Municipal Golf Course in Nevada on Monday. The Lady Eagles shot a combined 417 and finished behind first-place Greenwood, which shot a 398. Seneca took third with a 424 team score...

Monday practice came for the Cassville football team, and the Wildcats went back to work. The Black and Gold, despite coming up a point short on the scoreboard, felt good about their efforts at Monett. Cassville racked up 296 yards rushing and did not turn the ball over. The team also matched the Cubs physicality...

Meet Captain, the Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week.

Commerce Bank and Commerce Bancshares Foundation recently donated $100 to the Eagle Rock Community Association.

The Central Crossing Senior Center announced it has created a Pickleball court to introduce members to the sport. An organizational and informational meeting was held Sept. 26 to discuss plans and scheduling for the court. The center said Pickleball is a sport for all ages, which does not require a lot of moving around nor much skill, and is a good way to get exercise and meet people. ...

In the spirit of the 19th Century, when westward expansion began after Thomas Jefferson orchestrated the Louisiana Purchase to improve the nation's health, Cassville Middle School started the school year following in the footsteps of the earliest American pioneers by offering several innovative courses to keep the school moving forward--and staying healthy. ...

Shell Knob in the Spotlight is having rehearsals for its next production, "Jack and The Frankenbeanstalk," which mashesz the tales of "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Frankenstein." The play is Nov. 4 and 5 at 6:30 p.m., and Nov. 6 at 2 p.m. at the Central Crossing United Methodist Church in Shell Knob. ...

David Hunt and his band High Hope Bluegrass helped provide and coordinate entertainment during Frontier Days in Jenkins.

Several members of the business and medical community, and public attended Roaring River Health and Rehab's Open House event in Cassville.

Paxten Burns, 2, fed a monster-sized rainbow trout at Roaring River State Park over the weekend.

Numerous studies have established that women typically live longer than men, for a variety of reasons, and one of them is that men are less likely to be proactive about their health, including going to doctor appointments or getting preventative screenings...

In recent years, science has linked inflammation in the body to food choices and the incidence of chronic diseases, like arthritis, cancers and cardiovascular disease. Inflammation, which can be acute or chronic, is normally a carefully controlled part of the immune system when there is a threat to the body. But in the case of chronic inflammation, the process becomes out of control, wreaking havoc in the body...

Nominations for Barry County University of Missouri Extension Council members are being accepted for the 2017 public election and may be submitted in October for review by existing county council members. A ballot will be completed in December, and an election will occur approximately the third week of January. Currently, six council seats are available in the county...

Down to the blue badge sugar cookies representing law enforcement and officers everywhere who don the blue uniform to protect citizens, staff at Freedom Bank of Cassville thoughtfully planned out every detail to thank local law enforcement by hosting a picnic in their honor on Thursday...

Senior Life Solutions, a counseling program for seniors ages 65 and older at Mercy Cassville, recently hired new director, Susan Poehling, RN. Poehling is originally from Tiskilwa, Ill., and along with her nursing background, brings a wealth of expertise to the program, including certifications as an instructor and examiner for certified medication technician and certified nursing assistant, and a teaching certificate in vocational education through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.. ...

According to reports from residents of Southern Hills, a subdivision located in Cassville, a semi truck driving through the neighborhood accidentally pulled down power lines and broke two telephone poles, causing a power outage for three hours. The incident occurred Thursday at approximately 12:55 p.m. Southern Hills resident Billy McGuffey, who witnessed the incident, said he believed it occurred due to low-hanging cable lines...

Publisher's note: This article was written prior to the decision Tuesday morning by challenger Matt Cupps, R-Shell Knob, to suspend his campaign to be part of an agriculture-related startup company. -- JB Barry County Southern Commissioner Wayne Hendrix, D-Cassville, said considering where county funds were when he took office, he is satisfied with the current budget the county has set...

The special prosecutor leading the double murder case against Christopher Paschall has waived the right to seek the death penalty, instead seeking life in prison. In a filing in Barry County court on Sept. 19, Assistant Attorney General Darrell Moore, special prosecutor in the case assisting Barry County Prosecutor Amy Boxx, said the state will prosecute Paschall under the present charges of murder in the first degree, along with the other charges, but waives its right to seek the death penalty if successful on the merits on the murder charges, and no aggravating circumstances will be pursued.. ...

Barry County Ready Mix of Cassville has been busy in the creek lately, as Owner Corky Stehlik said about 6,000 cubic yards of gravel has now been removed from the Flat Creek basin in Cassville. The local contractor was awarded a contract of up to $50,000 by the city earlier this year for the first phase of a comprehensive project to remove large amounts of gravel from areas of Flat Creek deposited from last year's severe 
flooding episodes...

With the end of fiscal year for the Barry-Lawrence Regional Library, Director Gina Milburn reported activity remained strong for the bi-county service, though some shifts occurred in how patrons used the library. Overall, the library circulated 410,606 items to patrons for the year ending on June 30. ...

The zip line is one of many activities at the Exeter Corn Maze, along side a pumpkin cannon, corn cob shooter, trike racetrack, petting zoo and more.

The Republican nominee for Barry County Southern Commissioner is suspending his campaign, he told the Cassville Democrat in an email early Tuesday morning. Matt Cupps, R-Shell Knob, said he is withdrawing to become part of a startup company designing and testing small-field irrigation systems. Cupps was challenging incumbent Commissioner Wayne Hendrix, D-Cassville...

Both candidates for Barry County sheriff know whoever is elected, one thing is for certain, funding will be key to any new personnel or equipment. For that reason, both have been researching grant possibilities, with the Missouri Office of Public Safety's law enforcement block grants taking the majority of the attention, but they are not the only ones...

When Wesley Snipes stared in the movie "Passenger 57," one of the iconic lines from the film was, "Always bet on black." On Friday, the Wildcats (4-2, 2-2) rolled into Monett and for three quarters frustrated the No. 4 ranked Cubs (5-1, 3-1). With three minutes remaining and facing a fourth-and-12 at the Cubs' 45, Coach Lance Parnell elected to punt the ball back to Monett...