50 years ago
Jan. 17, 1973
• 6.3 million visitors set record at Table Rock. Table Rock Lake led every south Missouri and north Arkansas reservoir of the Little Rock, Ark., Army Engineer district in attendance figures. At the same time a new record was set for the reservoir with a major shoreline portion in Barry County.
Overall, the reservoirs, eight in number, had a recreational visitation increase of 10.6 percent over the previous year.
Leading the pack, Table Rock recorded 6.3 million visitors during 1972, compared to 5.5 million in 1971. Closest to the southwest Missouri lake was Bull Shoals, mostly in Arkansas which had 3.9 million visitors last year.
• The U. S. Department of Agriculture has approved Barry County’s participation in the Food Stamp program, but no one seems to know where the request for approval came from or what to do with it. The county is presently involved in a food commodity distribution program for needy families as administered by the Missouri Welfare Department.
Notification of the county being designated for food stamps use as “one of 22 counties in 10 states,” 18 came through the offices of Senators Stuart Symington and Thomas Eagleton. One other county in Northwest Missouri was on the approval list.
• AIR FORCE TRAINEE -Air-man Bruce H. Nickle, son of Mr. and Mrs. Doyle E. Nickle of Cassville has been assigned to Sheppard AFB, Tex., after completing Air Force basic training.
During his six weeks at the Air Training Command’s Lack-land AFB., Texas, he studied the Air Force mission, organization and customs and received special instruction in human relations.
The airman has been assigned to the Technical Training Center at Sheppard for specialized training as a physiological specialist. Airman Nickle was graduated in 1970 from Cassville high school. His wife Becky is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. Brown of Monett.
• The hero or should it be (heroine) of Cassville this week is Jacqueline. She’s a two- and one-half- year-old miniature poodle which doesn’t stand 10 inches tall. Now you may ask, how could anything this size be labeled a heroine? It’s simple, she foiled a burglary attempt at a drug store on the east side of the public square here in the wee-hours of Friday morning. Jacqueline, who is the pet of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Borresen, it seems is a light sleeper. About 2 a.m. Friday she woke her masters in their apartment above their business, Sew It Seams, which is also on the east side of the local square. Mrs. Borresen noticed Jacqueline rushing to the rear of their building which includes a downstairs back door. At this point she heard noises, resembling someone attempting to break into their store. She went to the first floor, making no attempt to curtail noise, keeping the barking Jacqueline with her. When she reached the rear door, additional noises of someone leaving the area were heard. Opening the door it was plain by tracks in a heavy snow that someone had been prowling. Monday however, the story unfolded more completely, Jacqueline had probably interrupted an attempted break-in at an adjoining business, Peterson Drug.
40 years ago
Jan. 12, 1983
• Barry County started 1983 with one confirmed case of rabies, reports Pat Tichenor, administrator of Barry County Health Unit. Mrs. Belba Griffis of rural Washburn noticed a skunk on their property during daylight hours and was apparently unafraid of their dogs. The animal was shot, and the health unit notified. Dr. Eugene Mickley then removed the brain on Friday, December 31 with the tissue taken to the state lab in Springfield, by the health unit. At 2:00 that afternoon the lab called to confirm that the animal did have rabies.
• An Ozark man is listed in satisfactory condition at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Monett after being shot by a Barry County deputy sheriff late Sunday afternoon. James D. Roper was shot in the stomach during a tussle with Deputy Jim Sehl of Monett. Sheriff Jim Hopkins, who has asked the Missouri Highway Patrol to conduct an investigation into the accident, said hospital officials said the bullet stuck no vital organs.
• Cassville erupted for 29 points in the third quarter and upended Southwest of Washburn 65-43 Thursday night in a non-conference game. Tania Morris paced the Wildcats, 5-4, with 23 points, followed by Rhonda Stubblefield with 13 and Shelly Boone with 12. Connie Long had 13 points for Southwest, which trailed 30-22 at half-time. Southwest-Stephens 5, Banks 6, Brown 9, Morgan 6, Long 13, Beaver 1, Carter 3. Cassville-Boone 12, Barnes 4, Welch 2, Morris 23, Stubblefield 13, Layman 6, Edmondson 5. Cassville B 24, Southwest 21.
30 years ago
Jan. 6, 1993
• An addition and remodeling at Jim Nesbitt Ford-Mercury of Cassville is in the planning stage. Nesbitt said a 90×60 foot structure will be added to the building owned by Jim Nesbitt of Cassville. The new space will be utilized as a body repair shop with existing repair spaces converted into a general service area. Improvements to the general service area will be included in the agency plans, according to Nesbitt.
• John Frye, a 38-year veteran of the Missouri Conservation Commission, retired the first of the year. Frye, a resident of Centertown, was assistant chief of the protection division of MCD. A native of Ava, he served in Barry County from 1957 through 1972. He has been at the Jefferson City headquarters of the commission 21 years.
• Boatmen’s Bank of Cassville plans an open house this Friday, honoring the retirement of an employee who has been with the financial institution 27 years. Sybil Wills, lead teller of the firm, retired that date. She joined her husband in operation of a poultry farm in the Washburn prairie area.
• Tuesday night’s city council meeting was a busy one for Cassville. In quick order the board of aldermen handled requests and plans that could call for spending nearly $1 million for industrial and airport expansion and well improvements. Mayor Bill LeCompte was authorized by the council to proceed with requesting funds for the two major projects.
