Barry County
EF-1 spurs up in Wheaton
An EF-1 tornado struck the city of Wheaton on Friday morning, damaging a church, outbuildings, trees and power lines.

Victory Baptist awards pair of scholarships
Victory Baptist Church in Cassville recently awarded scholarships to two local graduates. Kinlee Holman, left, is a 2025 graduate of Cassville High School. She is an active member of Corinth Baptist Church and is the daughter of Travis and Tiffany Holman. Dylan Criswell is also a 2025 graduate of Cassville High School. He is an active member of Victory Baptist Church and is the son of Steve and Tasha Criswell. Contributed photo

Kyle Troutman: Old jail hullabaloo
Hullabaloo is one of my favorite words. The dictionary defines it as a commotion or fuss — I can define it as last Thursday.

BCYC celebrates 60
Paige McCullough, of Monett, flips through scrapbooks from the 60 years of Barry County Youth Camp. McCullough was a counselor at the camp off and on from 1981-2010. She also served as assistant director/co-director for a stint, and she taught music and arts and crafts. The camp celebrated its 60th installment last week at Camp Smokey at Roaring River State Park, opening with a dinner for counselors and campers current and past, as well as previous administration. Kyle Troutman/ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com

Finale of Ford
The Les Jacobs Ford sign was removed on May 27, marking the end of the Ford Motor Company’s presence in Cassville for three decades. The business closed at the end of March, with employees taking the community for the 30 years of patronage.

Eagles pining for district hardware
The Purdy baseball team is itching to get back to district dominance.

Scott Mitchell: Why did Jesus speak in parables?
One of the most awesome aspects of Jesus’ preaching is His common use of parables — simple, everyday stories that carried profound spiritual truths.
Purdy farmer runner-up in 2024 National Corn Yield Contest
Purdy Farmer Naaman Cullers earned a National Second Place award in the 2024 National Corn Growers Association National Corn Yield Contest with a yield of 364 bushels per acre.

Through the Years, June 4
40 YEARS AGO: PARK’S KID’S DAY TOPPED ALL — Roaring River State Park topped all state facilities Saturday in attendance at Kid’s Day, when youngsters and under could fish free. Skip Doak, assistant superintendent at the park hatchery said 283 took it. It was the second largest turnout at Roaring River since the program started in 1981.

Lynn Hilburn: Barry County History Part II: Land
The story of land in early America is a tale of ambition, conflict, and governance.