Hall Theatre fire, national diving record top list of year’s news stories
1. Hall Theatre a total loss after blaze
The Hall Theatre on the Cassville square was ruled a total loss after a fire consumed the building on March 1. The call came in at about 7:30 a.m., five people got out of the building safely, and crews were on scene until 4 p.m., returning later for rekindles. No equipment was damaged, and apart from minor cuts and a trip or two over hoses, no firefighters were injured. The investigation into the fire’s cause is still being investigated, and it is being treated as arson
2. Divers honored for record at Roaring River
A “Meet The Divers” event was held in September at Roaring River State Park’s Emory Melton Inn, recognizing the KISS Rebreathers dive team for setting a national record depth of 472 feet into Roaring River’s spring in November 2021. About 120 people attended the event, with extra seating added to the room and many individuals standing. A video was shown, and the divers received a resolution from the State Senate.
3. Fitzpatrick wins Missouri auditor election
State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick won the race to become Missouri’s next auditor on Nov. 8, easily defeating former state Rep. Alan Green. Fitzpatrick, a Republican, secured a 59 percent to 38 percent_win over Green, a Democrat who previously represented Florissant in the Missouri House._The auditor’s office, tasked with the impartial review of public spending, was the only statewide office held by a Democrat.
4. Blankenship wins close commissioner race
A total of 62 votes out of 5,046 separated the top two Barry County presiding commissioner candidates in the. Steve Blankenship won the Barry County Republican Primary Election, tallying 2,035 votes (40.33 percent) to runner-up Chad Johnson’s 1,973 votes (39.10 percent) and third-place finisher Andrew W. Henbest’s 1,038 votes (20.57 percent). In Jenkins, his home precinct, Blankenship brought in 128 votes to Johnson’s 41 and Henbest’s 14.
5. Spanking shift makes national news
The Cassville school district found itself in the national spotlight in September, when the reinstatement of corporal punishment was the focus of a cascade of national media coverage. The district approved the policy as part of multiple actions directed at discipline, including a ban on cell phones and the start of the Success Programs. School officials said the corporal punishment change was at the request of a majority of parents in the district.
6. The Rib is back
An iconic Cassville restaurant that closed its doors a decade ago officially in November, with the new owners aiming to revive the times of old. Zanetta Campbell and Karlton Burbridge purchased the building with the goal of reviving old memories while creating new ones. Campbell said though they did some small renovations, the vast majority of the building remains the same, as they intended to retain the look and feel of The Rib before it closed.
7. County officials, community leaders retire
The Cassville area saw a handful of impactful retirements this year, most notably Presiding Commissioner Gary Youngblood, Treasurer Lois Lowe and Barry County Neighborhood Center Director Gail Reed. Youngblood served 24 years as county clerk and 4 as commissioner, Low spent 27 years in the treasurer’s office, and Reed spent 28 years in her role helping low-income residents.
8. Cassville proposes P.A.W.S. bond issue
The Cassville Board of Education has approved a resolution proposing a $9 million no-tax-increase bond issue on the April 4, 2023, ballot. The proposition, named Performing Arts and Wildcat Safety (P.A.W.S.) aim to construct, equip and furnish a performing arts center on the high school campus. It will also implement energy-saving and maintenance improvements and improvements to the existing facilities of the district.
9. Panty-hosed burglars leave bank empty-handed
Two individuals were caught on video surveillance breaking into Freedom Bank in Golden in August, though Sheriff Danny Boyd said the pair left empty-handed. Exterior footage provided by the bank shows two people in a black minivan, and footage from inside the bank showed the two, both wearing pantyhose on their heads, as well as facemasks. Boyd said the individuals were not able to locate anything of value.
10. Cassville Democrat enters new era
The Cassville Democrat had a year of changes unlike any other. The paper was sold in March to CherryRoad Media, and in August, 42-year employee Darlene Wierman exercised her retirement. Yet, the biggest change to the paper came in December, when Troutman Media LLC purchased the property, returning it to local, family ownership for the first time since 2004. Kyle and Jordan Troutman officially took ownership on Jan. 1.
