Stories from Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Muriel Lee (Campbell) Brunner, 77, of Shell Knob, passed away Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016, at Roaring River Health and Rehabilitation Center in Cassville. She was born Jan. 16, 1939, in Benedict, Kan., the daughter of Paul Prentice and Harriette Muriel (Anderson) Campbell. ...

Bob Conard, 87, of Cassville, passed away Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, at his home. He was born Feb. 28, 1929, in Lamar, Colo., the son of Iva Hazel (Henry) Conard and Jesse Frank Conard. He attended grade school through eighth grade at Lycan, Colo. He divided his time between Buckeye, Colo., where his mother owned the Buckeye Store and Granada, Colo., where his father was Mayor and barber. He married Dorothy Carter in Lamar in 1949...

Betty Pearl McCracken, 87, passed away on Wednesday, December 7, 2016. She was born in Reydon, Okla., on April 7, 1929, to Fred and Grace Moeller. She was united in marriage to Bill McCracken Aug. 23, 1947, in Exeter. He preceded her in death. She was also preceded in death by her son, Carl "Spud" McCracken; her parents, Fred and Grace Moeller; and two of her brothers, John and Wayne Moeller...

Gregory Joseph Meinhardt, 59 of Cassville, passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016, at his home. He was born Feb. 5, 1957, in Kansas City, the son of Charles W. and Betty (Johnson) Meinhardt. He was preceded in death by his parents. Survivors include: three daughters, Jennifer Meinhardt, Bridget Meinhardt and Melanie Meinhardt, all of Miami, Fla.; four brothers, Carl Meinhardt and Mark Meinhardt are both from the Kansas City area; Christopher Meinhardt, Newport Richie, Fla.; Stephen Meinhardt, Denver, Colo.; two sisters, Christina Meinhardt and Lizabeth Meinhardt are from the Kansas City area; and two grandsons.. ...

Apparently, the days of the cedar Christmas tree being cut out of a nearby field or boughs of the cedars being used for decorating are a thing of the past. There have quite possibly been as many changes in Christmas trees in recent years as anything else...

Cassville senior Rhandi Pendergraft signed to play volleyball at Cottey College in Nevada. She is the daughter of Russ and Jennifer Pendergraft of Cassville.

The Exeter girls basketball team has a busy schedule slated on the court this week. On Tuesday, the 2-4 squad traveled to McAuley, results were not available at press time. On Thursday, the Lady Tigers head to Sarcoxie before the open play in the 16-team Walnut Grove Holiday Classic that plays out over the next 13 days...

Cassville schools has reached and agreement to become the home of the Cassville Arrows, an independent team of college baseball players, for the summer of 2017. The Arrows, formerly known as the Springfield Arrows, played last season at Dodson Field on the campus of Southwest Baptist University and will play 10 games at the high school facility...

Two scoring runs, one to start the first period and one that encompassed the third period, set the stage for Cassville's 50-20 girls basketball win over Reeds Spring on Monday. The Lady Wildcats jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead and ended the first frame with a 16-6 advantage, then scored the first 23 points of the third quarter to open up a 50-17 advantage in the fourth period...

Dylan E. Anderson Cope, Cassville, fail to equip vehicle with adequate muffler, court costs plus $50 Granville T. Anderson, Holiday Island, Ark., fail to equip vehicle with adequate muffler Emily Aileen Barnes, Seligman, unlawful use of drug paraphernalia, $300...

Jerrod Wayne Archer, Washburn, fail to register vehicle, $50 Westen Barnes, Oklahoma City, Okla., speeding, $110.50 Heather M. Boyd, fail to register vehicle, $150 Sydney S. Burks, Holiday Island, Ark., fail to register vehicle, $50 Lonnie Horton, Seligman, equipment violation, $130.50...

Meet Kathie Lee, the Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week.

Cassville Intermediate School staff would like to recognize the following students for demonstrating positive 'Cattitude' and respect.

Cassville High School named candidates from each class for the 2017 Mr. & Mrs. Merry Christmas title.

Ralph and Charlene (Maxwell) Wofford celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on Dec. 2.

The Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce announced that the Exeter Corn Maze was the winner of the $1,000 Hutchens Construction Kids Choice float award.

The Cassville Soroptimist Club installed new members during their monthly business meeting on Thursday, Dec. 8.

Chuck Miner, assistant fire chief at the Cassville Fire Protection District for the last 30 years, is retiring from his post at the district.

The Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce helped At The River Consignment celebrated its opening with a ribbon-cutting on Nov. 30.

The Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce selected winners for the Christmas Lighting Contest. They are as follows: First place: Randy and Benni Stockton, Wildwood Estates Second place: Gary and Tess Elliott, 802 Old Exeter Road Third place: Cindy Carr, Chinquapin Estates...

The Cassville High School Concert and Jazz Bands will present a Christmas concert on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the CHS gymnasium. The public is invited to the free performance, which will include seasonal favorites such as 'We Need a Little Christmas,' 'A Christmas Festival,' 'Salvation is Created,' 'A Chili Pepper Christmas,' Swingin' and Jinglin',' and 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas...

Christmas lights can be seen everywhere as Barry Countians celebrate the Christmas season with holiday displays.

Siblings Sidney Row, 6, Demi Row, 3 and Hazel Row, of Washburn, and Dexter Beyer, 4, of Cassville, all got a turn sitting on Santa's lap to share what they wanted for Christmas.

Food was aplenty Friday at the annual Christmas Open House hosted by the Cassville school district.

Butterfield Firefighters and its auxiliary members helped make a Christmas toy drive a huge success.

Southwest High School students are learning some valuable skill sets in the "news room" as part of a journalism course offered at the school. Skills like researching information, staying organized, sharpening grammar, paying attention to detail, meeting deadlines and even increasing self-confidence are keys in the two classes offered at the district...

Preschool children in the Purdy school district presented their Christmas program on Thursday evening in the school cafeteria

The holiday season brings not only overeating, but overspending, as shoppers search for the perfect gifts, often stretching their dollars a little too far and creating a financial dilemma to deal with after the festivities are over. University of Missouri Extension Family Financial Education Specialist Nancy Lamers offered some fresh insights on the challenge of how to manage spending this holiday season...

Santa waved to the crowd Saturday from aboard a classic Wheaton Fire Department truck during the city's Christmas Parade

Purdy High School will cap its holiday celebration with the crowning of royalty on Friday Dec. 16. The 2016 Mister and Miss Merry Christmas will be named in a special ceremony at 6 p.m. on Dec. 16 in the high school gym, prior to the beginning of the evening's basketball games, Candidates will be presented to the student body for voting at a special assembly at 2:15 p.m. that afternoon...

A Rocky Comfort man is charged with a felony after allegedly leading Barry County deputies on a chase in Barry and McDonald counties. Theodore Peterson, 43, of Rocky Comfort, is charged with resisting arrest creating risk of injury. According to a probable cause statement filed by Bill Watkins, deputy with the Barry County Sheriff's Office, Peterson was on Farm Road 2187, asleep behind the wheel of a Dodge pickup hauling a tandem axle trailer...

The Purdy City Council has voted to join the state LAGERS retirement program, the first time the city has considered a retirement benefit for its employees. Mayor Steve Roden, who proposed participation, said the city would make contributions for 30 years, at approximately $15,500 a year. The city would pay $8,296 for its general employees and $7,224 for its two police officers. Over the 30 years, the city would also make actuary contributions of an additional $8,100...

An Exeter man has been charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor after the Ozark Drug Enforcement Team (ODET) and Barry County SWAT Team raided a home on Farm Road 200 in Exeter Friday. Carl Lincoln, 30, of Exeter, is charged with possession with intent to distribute, unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a defaced firearm...

Voters in Cassville in April 2017 will have a large bond issue to ponder, as the city of Cassville is preparing to put on the ballot a nearly $10.3 million bond proposal as it prepares to tackle sewer and water system projects in the coming years. The proposal, if approved by voters, would allow the city to seek revenue bonds for two projects geared toward cutting down inflow and infiltration issues with the city's pipes. ...

Cassville police and the Missouri Division of Fire Safety are investigating an alleged arson that destroyed the Law Office of Michael Riehn, located at 301 W. 8th St. in Cassville. According to the Cassville Police Department, first responders were dispatched to the building at 2:35 a.m. on Friday for the structure fire...