Cassville
3 local schools head to tourney
11th Annual Southwest Girls Holiday Tournament starts Friday BY KYLE TROUTMAN ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com The Southwest, Cassville and Wheaton girls basketball teams will play a trio of games over the holiday break, as all three will participate in the 11th Annual Southwest Girls Holiday Tournament. Action begins on Friday, with No.

Through the Years, Dec. 25
30 YEARS AGO: JUDGED BEST OF DECORATIONS — Providing a more than adequate identification for Santa Claus as he next arrives in Cassville, this home decoration scheme was chosen best of the town by Chamber of Commerce judges. The home is that of Jim and Helen O’Dell on Fair Street.

Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week, Dec. 25
Meet Emmett, this week’s Pet of the Week! He was born June 20, 2017, and he’s a brown and black Belgian Shepherd Malinois/American Bulldog mix.

It’s a beaut, Batsche, it’s a beaut
On the north side of Cassville on Farm Road 1107, the glow of more than 13,000 Christmas lights shines bright on the Batsche property. First-place winners in the Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Christmas Decorating Contest, Tom and Cristie Batsche spend more than a month prepping the Jewell and Billy Thomas farm for the happiest of holidays, earning a “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” nickname in the process.

Nurse practitioner joins CoxHealth Cassville Clinic
CoxHealth Cassville Clinic is welcoming Shelbi Cockrum, a family nurse practitioner, to its health care team. Cockrum’s journey began at age 4 when she received a toy stethoscope as a gift.
News Briefs, Dec. 25
The Roaring River Nature Center on Jan. 11 and Feb.

The reason for the season
Through all the commercialism and gift-giving to Santa and elves on shelves, one Cassville woman is hoping to help locals remember the reason for the Christmas season — the birth of Jesus Christ. Wife of Cassville United Methodist Church Pastor Jeff Fugitt, Jamie Fugitt has been collecting Nativity scenes for more than 40 years, and more than 120 unique scenes are on display at the church through Jan.
Debbie Kober: Gardening beyond annuals, a fresh look at perennials
Seed catalogs are out, and it’s time to select spring garden plants, with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans and squash being the popular choices. These are all grown as annuals, plants that grow for a single season and are started again from seed the following year.

Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week
Add a little spice to your life with Oregano! He is a mixed-breed pup born April 1. Oregano and his friends, Thyme, Parsley and Fennel were found as strays. All of his friends have found a home, and Oregano would make a great pet for any home. He is good with other dogs and is good with cats.

Through the Years, Dec. 18
40 YEARS AGO: CHRISTMAS, AN IMPORTANT PHASE — Started in early October, the Little Joe Transplant Fund in Cassville is nearing the halfway point as funds bump the $175,000 figure. Goal of the effort for a heart-lung transplant for six-year-old Joe Starchman is $350,000.