Barry County

Randy Crane: Doubts and faith
“Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.

‘O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, how lovely are you in Purdy’
Some 100 or more Purdy area residents enjoyed the lighting of Purdy’s Christmas tree, Friday night, in Purdy’s City Park. The event was sponsored by First State Bank, First Baptist Church of Purdy and Mareth Enterprises.
Man charged for stabbing at storage building
Victim stabbed 4 times, needed emergency surgery By Kyle Troutman ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com A Seligman man is charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor after allegedly stabbing a person while breaking into…

“Ground-truthing” underway on Butterfield Overland National Trail
After a feasibility study conducted some 20 years ago, the 1858 Butterfield Overland Mail Route was designated a National Historic Trail (NHT) by the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) on Jan.
Barry County sales taxes inch upward
Sales tax revenues to Barry County cities and the county government in November closely matched disbursements from the Missouri Department of Revenue a year ago, with a couple odd twists. Income to cities rose, while countywide sales tax revenues fell, the opposite of what happened in the June distribution, with the same overall result.

Exeter lights community Christmas tree
The city of Exeter held its Christmas tree lighting on Saturday, illuminating the tree and gazebo on Front Street.

Kyle Troutman: Sunshine shade
The Missouri Sunshine Law, enacted in 1973, declares Missouri’s commitment to openness in government, and there have been some interesting changes this year to the way some records are handled. Probably the biggest change came very early in the year, when files like probable cause statements for criminal charges became publicly accessible on CaseNet without the need for a login.

Jeremiah Buntin: The Recorder of Deeds
The Missouri Governors Records from the Missouri State Archives and accessible through the Missouri Digital Heritage website is an interesting place to investigate the nooks and crannies of history. These records from 1837-1901 mostly consist of handwritten letters asking the governor for favors such as pardons and appointments, or signed petitions for various causes, or resignations from local offices. In 1852, Barry County Clerk William Hubbert, of Cassville, wrote Missouri Governor Austin Augustus King notifying him of a vacancy in the State Senate caused by the death of Littleberry Mason and that an election would be held immediately.

Lynn Hilburn: It’s that time of year
Although we were poor, most of the families and people that we knew were in about the same boat. For the children and families that attended the rural schools of Barry County, late fall and Christmas was some of our favorite times of the year.

Through the Years, Dec. 4
40 YEARS AGO: FREE ENTERPRISE WORKS — Typical examples of free enterprise were the actions of two young ladies in Cassville during last Wednesday morning’s awaking to snow covering the ground. Tracie Hill, 14, and Jennifer Dinsmore, 10, took the opportunity of being out of school to earn a few bucks shoveling snow from sidewalks of businesses. Their efforts were rewarding, plus saving owners the trouble of doing the job themselves. A quick warmup of temperatures in the 60’s over the weekend removed all traces of the first ground-coverer of the season.