Barry County
Sidewalk improvements start next week
Drivers should watch for contractor crews making sidewalk improvements and working close to traffic in Purdy, Wheaton, Seligman and Cassville beginning the week of August 5, the Missouri Department of Transportation said. Improvements include improving drainage, making landings, crosswalks, pedestrian signs and relocating a pedestrian crossing and pavement markings conform to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Trout Tales, July 31
I dug out my safety gear again this year for Saturday’s Ozarks Got Talent show at Zone 4 Mini Golf & More. There’s a fiery trend at this event, and I always say, “Safety first.”
Sales tax receipts strong in July
Barry County cities and the county government sales taxes showed gains in July, making up for incremental drops in June. The seven Barry County cities collecting sales tax received $792,242.85 in July, up 3 percent from a year ago and a 2 percent drop in June.

Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week, July 31
Beverly and her sister, Fay, were abandoned on a country road. They are both Dachshund/Mixed Breed (Small). Fay is black and Beverly is brown. They are both very friendly girls. Haven staff think they would be best in a home together as a bonded pair. They were born around Jan. 6, 2023. Adopters can complete an adoption application at www.havenoftheozarks.org/adopt.

Through the Years, July 31
30 YEARS AGO: RIDERS DO THE PENNING — These three teams were among the E-Z Rider group providing pre-rodeo entertainment for the crowd Thursday through Saturday last week. The riding club also put together a Saturday parade for the event.

Electric co-op youth program means education, fun
Mallory Kelly, of Wheaton High School, was among the 85 students from across Missouri who participated in the Missouri Electric Cooperative CYCLE (Cooperative Youth Conference and Leadership Experience) program. The conference was held July 16-19, 2024 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Jefferson City.

Southwest grad gets rootEd scholarship
Jordan Long, of Washburn, a 2024 Southwest High School graduate, was recently named as a recipient of the rootEd Undergraduate Scholarship. The root-Ed Undergraduate Scholarship offers students attending a 4-year University up to $12,000 a year for five years.
County Treasurer Tripp endorses Malek for state treasurer
Missouri State Treasurer Vivek Malek has announced that Barry County Treasurer Gretta Tripp has endorsed his candidacy for the full term as State Treasurer. The Republican primary election will be held on Tuesday.

Dakoda Pettigrew: The hateful embrace
The temperature in the Old Senate Chamber reached a sweltering 90 degrees — but within Charles Sumner raged a fire hotter than any that could be accurately recorded. On May 19, 1856, the avowed abolitionist senator from Massachusetts rose to deliver a 112page speech on “The Crime Against Kansas.” As with Lincoln, the Kansas-Nebraska Act stirred a flame of defiance within Sumner.

Kyle Troutman: It’s in your hands
In six days, Barry County voters who select a Republican ballot in the Primary Election will have their say in 10 contested races for local, state and national positions. While all the state and national winners on the GOP ballots will have Democrat opponents — including our state house and state senate districts — for the three contested races locally, Tuesday represents the culmination of a long and arduous campaign season with no opponents waiting in the wings.