Barry County

Aloha, Christmas!
Owyn England sings Elvis' "Blue Christmas" during the Cassville Christmas in July event on Saturday. England is a member of the nine-member Next Generation Band, comprised of youth ages 13-16.

Gary Klossing: Northern Commissioner Questionnaire No. 2
No, the Jail closing and the new build has been the biggest concern. The tax payers were not aware of this budget concern until after the decisions were already made. The concern is the commissioners spent more money than they needed to by paying to house inmates in neighboring facilities instead of making repairs to the current jail.

Gary Schad: Northern Commissioner Questionnaire No. 2
I will continue to work with both the Monett and Cassville Chambers to promote Barry County tourism. The county currently offers tax incentive programs for start-up businesses and is regularly looking to find additional ways to encourage businesses to come to Barry County while supporting our existing tax base.
‘Sludge Bill’ now law, may nix some basins
Gov. Mike Parson signed House Bill 2134/1956 — the Sludge Bill — into law on July 9, effectively closing a loophole that once allowed meat-processing sludge to be land-applied under a permit from the Missouri Fertilizer Control Board.
Cassville Senior Center receives $1,500 grant from CFO
Cassville Senior Center received $1,500 from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks through Hearld Ambler Fund for Senior Centers Grant Program. The grant will allow the center to repair and replace drywall and apply new paint in its restrooms.

Agriculture education impacts Cassville intermediate this summer
Eighty-five students at Cassville Intermediate participated in hands-on lessons about agriculture during enrichment programming this summer with Agriculture Education on the Move (Ag Moves). Cassville Intermediate partnered with Ag Moves to provide elementary students with 10 foundational lessons on the topics of agriculture.


Kyle Troutman: Taking the leap
In August 2012, my friends and I took a day trip to Greers Ferry, Ark., for a few hours on the lake and an early-20s pasttime — cliff jumping. Looking down over the edge of the 30-foot cliff was a little dizzying, and if we’re being honest, even after watching my buddy launch himself off without a bit of hesitation, I was scared.

Drake Thomas: All aboard for imagination station — Nurturing creativity in children and ourselves
The human brain is responsible more functions than we can count, but the phenomenon of imagination is one that I can never get enough of. When you stop to think that in your mind’s eye, you can conceptualize and visualize a project or idea, and make it come to life — that’s incredible.

Through the Years, July 17
40 YEARS AGO: DIVERS IN PARK SPRING — Divers from the Kansas City area are pictured here as they emerge from one in deep into the Roaring River State Park spring over the weekend. The three-some, Dave Porter and Ken Brown of Overland Park, Kansas, and Stan Swim of Granview made previously undiscovered finds in the spring. Merle Rogers, park naturalist, said the 59 degree temperature of the water apparently didn’t disturb the divers.