Stories from Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Danny D. Booton, 72, of Lampe, passed away Friday, May 4, 2018, at VA Medical Center in Fayetteville, Ark. He was born March 8, 1946, in Berryville, Ark., the son of William Martindale and Ethel (McCarter) Booton. On May 1, 1993, he was united in marriage to Patricia Hall, who survives. ...

Carolyn Sue (Rayburn) Bowers, 52, of Exeter, passed away Wednesday, May 2, 2018, at her home. She was born June 25, 1965, in Dexter, the daughter of Bobby and Bessie (Payne) Rayburn. On July 13, 1996, in Kirkwood, she was united in marriage to Rick Bowers, who survives...

Ira Jay “Jake” Brock, 84, of Cassville, passed away Saturday, May 5, 2018, at his home. He was born July 9, 1933, in Seminole, Okla., the son of Ernest and Jessie (Wishman) Brock. On July 24, 1950, he was united in marriage to Dottie Russell, who survives. Also surviving are two sons, Jay Lynn Brock and his wife Ranae of Lee’s Summit, and Russell Ernest Brock and his wife Sheree of Branson; one brother, Don Brock of Shell Knob; four grandchildren; and four great grandchildren...

Larry Richard “Richie” Daniels Jr., 51 of Bentonville, Ark., passed away Wednesday, May 2, 2018, in Bentonville, Ark. He was born Jan. 31, 1967, in Rogers, Ark., the son of Larry Richard Daniels Sr. and Shirley Louise Beck. He was retired from the Army after serving 20 years...

Wanna Jean “Jeanie” Decocq, 73, of Wheaton, passed away Saturday, May 5, 2018. She was born Oct. 3, 1944, in Stella, the daughter of Louie and Lora (Brattin) Decocq. She is survived by her sister, Dr. Rebecca Burrell of Springfield. She graduated from Wheaton High School, spent most of her years of employment in manufacturing, retiring in 2011 after working at Miracle Playground in Monett...

Roger Dale Fletcher, 54, of Seligman, passed away Sunday, April 29, 2018, at Cassville Health Care and Rehabilitation. He was born May 27, 1963, in Monett, the son of Jerry and Ramona (Williams) Fletcher, who survive of Seligman. Also surviving are two brothers, Marty Fletcher of Washburn, and Craig Fletcher of St. Louis; and one uncle, Knial Williams of Texas...

Larry von Briesen, 74, of Tontitown, Ark., passed away Sunday, April 29, 2018, at Roaring River Health and Rehabilitation in Cassville. He was born Aug. 3, 1943, in Abilene, Texas, the son of Alfred and Lois (Prentice) Van Briesen. On April 27, 1963, in Rock Rapids, Iowa, he was united in marriage to Lianne Grant, who survives...

Connie Sue Willis, age 56, of Cassville, Missouri, passed away on Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Cox Hospital in Monett. Mrs. Willis, daughter of Johnnie and Mary Lou (Hargus) Bolton, of Cassville, was born on June 30, 1961, in Monett. She was currently employed at Able 2 Products in Cassville...

For some time now there has been a mystery in our backyard involving the disappearance of a white squirrel that fed on the ground off droppings out of a bird feeder and watered in a bird bath that we keep for whatever varmint that might need water. The presence of the unusual animal was somewhat of a pleasure to watch as the natives seemed to take exception to his being in our trees or possibly digging up acorns they had planted in the ground for their substance last winter...

In what should be an evenly matched baseball tournament, the Class 2, District 12 seeds and brackets were released on Thursday. This year’s event will again be hosted by Pierce City and is set to be contested May 12-14. Pierce City and Purdy landed the top two seeds, respectively, for the second consecutive year and earned first round byes in the six-team field...

The Southwest Trapshooting Team competed at the Missouri State High School Trapshooting Championships in Linn Creek Missouri recently. The high school squad finished seventh at state this year, which was lower than the team had hoped for. “It wasn’t our best outing, as I’m sure they already know,” said Mike Vining, Southwest coach. ...

The season for the Cassville baseball team has been reduced to a series of one-game playoffs. The Wildcats’ choices are simple, win and keep their season alive or lose and talk about offseason workouts. On Saturday, this playoff season begins with the Class 4, District 12 baseball tournament...

For the third time in the last four seasons, the Purdy softball team has reached the doorstep of a Class 1 spring softball Final Four appearance. The Lady Eagles travel to Liberal on Thursday for the quarterfinal round. The two teams met earlier this season with the Lady Bulldogs earning a 6-2 win...

The City of Exeter held its 23rd Arbor Day celebration on April 21.

The Cassville Education Fund is offering a special way for students to honor a favorite Cassville teacher during Teacher Appreciation Week May 7-11. Teacher Appreciation Week has been celebrated nationally since 1984 to honor the men and women who not only are an important part of our children’s lives but who also have a huge impact on our nation’s future...

Cassville primary recognized kindergarten and Kinder Academy students in April who showed the character trait of courage.

The Wheaton FFA Chapter won the dairy foods career development event at the 90th Missouri FFA Convention.

With its strong finish at Ozark 7 Conference, the Exeter Scholar Bowl Team proved themselves worthy to play on a national stage. Therefore on April 27-29, the team represented their school in a 150-team national competition, the National Academic Quiz Tournaments' Small School National Championship Tournament at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont, Ill...

The Wheaton school district announced its Students of the Month for April.

The Cassville High School Concert Band participated in the State Large Group Festival at Webb City High School on April 9.

Bob Allen, president of Willis Insurance, Inc. (which owns Shell Knob Insurance Agency), was presented a plaque recognizing the company as a Silver level Business Partner of the Central Crossing Senior Center (CCSC), located in Shell Knob

When you or someone you love is dealing with a mental health concern, it can be a lot to handle. It’s important to remember that mental health is essential to everyone’s overall health and well-being, and mental illnesses are common and treatable. That is why Senior Life Solutions has chosen the theme of Fitness4Mind4Body for Mental Health Month. ...

Meet Jazz, the Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week. Jazz is a big, handsome, and wonderful four-year old boy cat.

On Thursday, April 26, the Barry County Soroptimist Club awarded the following groups with donations to be applied toward their programs from the Dreams in Action funds:   The Barry County Soroptimist Club also awarded the Cassville Education Fund with $1,000 that was funded by the club's March 13 Taco Tuesday event...

A monthly Care Group for Single Moms meets on Monday at the Cassville First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, located at 602 West Street. The evening of fun, food and fellowship is designed to bless and encourage single moms. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. ...

Les Jacobs of Les Jacobs Ford, Cassville, test drives a car to promote the Ford Drive For Your Community Event sponsored by the business on Saturday.

The Show Stopper award at Saturday’s Dogwood Car Show went to Austin Drake for his 1956 Bel-Air.

The Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation has been awarded federal funds made available through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program. Barry County has been chosen to receive $11,907 to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county. ...

Heritage Medical Clinic, a walk-in style clinic that has served local residents for over a decade, will be closing its doors in May. Dr. Mark Matthews, D.O., has been practicing family medicine for over 20 years. The doctor did not return four calls placed to the clinic to comment about the closure and his future plans...

Sean Garner hangs on to a bucking bull Friday during the L.J. Jenkins Bull Blast at Bill Hailey Arena.

The Lucas Gates Band, of Bentonville, Ark., kicked off the First on Front summer concert series on Friday evening at the Glen and Sharon Garrett Downtown Park on Front Street in Monett. More photos from the event may be found at: http://www.cassville-democrat.com/gallery/32795...

A Mt. Vernon woman was injured Sunday in a wreck at 8:14 pm. on Farm Road five miles east of Purdy. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Makenzie McDonald, 22, of Mt. Vernon, was driving a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado when her vehicle went off the roadway and struck a tree...

Details of the chase on April 27 that led to the Exeter Police Department’s 2009 Dodge Charger sustaining damage are clearer now with the arrest of a Stella man allegedly behind the wheel of the fleeing vehicle. David Grippando, 29, of Stella, is charged with first-degree assault following an alleged chase where multiple vehicles were damaged...

A Monett man was arrested in Cassville recently after allegedly breaking into Sater Pharmacy on Main Street and stealing numerous pills and syringes. Bill Dunbar, 34, of Monett, is charged with second-degree burglary, possession of a controlled substance, stealing a controlled substance, resisting arrest and first-degree property damage...

With discussion about putting medical cannabis on the ballot for Missourians to legalize due to its documented merit for medicinal use, some discussions are now turning toward the business opportunity, and inherent challenges, within that initiative...

A new school year brings new things, and Cassville High School’s 2018-2019 school year will bring Nathan Carter on board as the new assistant principal. Carter will replace Keith Robertson, who will be moving into the role of principal, while Principal Jeff Swadley will be transferring into the intermediate school principal position...

On May 1, the Missouri House made a surprising decision when, in a 112-44 vote, it voted to allow anyone over the age of 18 with a terminal disease to use smokeless medical marijuana. HB 1554 moved to the Senate with less than three weeks remaining in the legislative session, which local legislators say doesn’t give it adequate time to succeed...