50 years ago

Feb. 28, 1973

— AF WINGS – Air National Guard Second Lieutenant Hubert R. Cates, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hubert T. Cates, of Rural Cassville has been awarded his silver wings at Laredo AFB, Texas, upon graduation from U. S. Air Force pilot training. Lieutenant Cates is returning to his Illinois Air National Guard Unit at Capital Airport, Springfield. A 1965 graduate of Francis Howell High School, Weldon Springs, Missouri, the lieutenant attended Park College at Cahokia, Ill.

— It’s not a national holiday, but CHS students can get an unexpected vacation from classes for one-half a day March. The occasion is what amounts to a holiday in these parts, the opening of Roaring River State Park and Rainbow Trout season. One-half day absence will be granted to those who present a note from their parents to J. C. Duncan, dean of students, on Wednesday and present their fishing tag when they return to school.

— The Barry County Court has scheduled sessions with representatives of a Springfield architectural firm this Thursday as the initial step toward possible construction of a new jail. County Clerk Chester Snider said the session was set as one to explore possibilities and that no commitment had been made. Court members have previously indicated that favored this project for use of approximately $128,000 yearly they expect to receive from Federal Revenue Sharing. The three -member court, Presiding Judge Roscoe Eden, Northern Judge Emil Schad and Southern Judge Walter Cooper, will make the decision. Size, cost or location of a new jail have not been announced by the court. The present jail, which has virtually outlived its usefulness, is located at East Eighth and East Streets here. Snider said the court had considered a new location. Law enforcement and capitol improvements are prime items for which the federal funds can be used.

— The Cassville Wildcat’s rush toward the Regional Class basketball crown came to a quick and close stop Saturday right as the number one rated Webb City Cardinals prevailed in the championship finals 48-47. Coach J. C. Duncan’s Wildcats had to fall heir to tournament underdog status as they took 11-10 seasons record into the tourney for seventh place seeding. The improving Wildcats, who had proven earlier they were not to be counted out in any contest, disposed of two tough opponents as they worked their way to the championship finals. Early tourney wins on the local hardwoods found the Wildcats beating McDonald County, second ranked in the meet, 64-62, in one of the most exciting games of the thrill packed tour – hey. Semi-final action saw the Wildcats lead at every quarter rest to defeat Reeds Spring 74-67.

— Three candidates have filed for posts on the Barry County board of education according to Charles Vaughan, schools superintendent. Seeking re-election in the north district is Gobel Ray of Butterfield. Mrs. Iva Black of Cassville will also file. She will have opposition in Bob Ray of Jenkins. Vaughan said the deadline to file is March 5.

— The chairman of the Missouri State Park Board, Gerald B. Rowan of Kansas City has announced the board has selected James L. Wilson of St. Louis County as the new director of Missouri State Parks. Wilson, 37, will assume his new duties on April 16. He is presently administrative assistant to Lawrence K, Roos, supervisor of St. Louis County. He has held this position since 1971.

40 years ago

Feb. 23, 1983

— Pair New Businesses In Cassville — Cassville gained a new business this week and another changed hands with new owners. The ownership switch was Mr. and Mrs. Ron McGrath purchasing Montgomery Ward Catalog Store from Diane Wright. The new firm will be an expansion of Ozark Video by Mr. and Mrs. John Chappell from their Exeter location. The M-W firm will close for inventory next Monday with an opening March 1 under the McGrath ownership. McGrath, an Air Force retiree, moved here in June from Altus, Okla. Mrs. McGrath is the former Marybelle James. Their family resides in Chinquapin Woods.

— Barry County Sheriff’s department officers are investigating a pair of business break-ins at Shell Knob that apparently happened Monday night. Sheriff Jim Hopkins said Johnson’s General Store and Jug and Plug were entered with a variety of merchandise taken. Deputies Galen Easley and Mike Cooper are conducting the investigation.

— Practical jokers in rural areas have learned they can get hens to lay eggs with yolks of different bright colors by mixing the chicken feed with vegetable dyes. Amedeo Quintavalle of Rome, Italy, rented his bald head to a advertising agency which painted ad slogans on it.

— Southwest of Washburn pulled a surprise in the Class 2-A district tournament opening Monday night at Nixa. Coach Darrel Tilford’s charges posted an upset over fourth rated Strafford 54-53. It was a jumper by L.J. Gooder with three seconds on the clock that gave the Trojans their lone lead of the contest. Tilford’s charges were ranked fifth in the tourney.

— Camping Fees Start At Engineers’ Parks Camping season is just around the corner, and the Corps. of Engineers, Little Rock District will soon begin charging camping fees at several of its parks. According to District Engineer Lt. Col. Larry S. Bonine, the Corps will begin collecting fees March 1 at 16 of its parks and by May 15 will be charging at all 102 fee areas. Each project will have at least one free camping area. Camping fees will remain at $5 for Class A parks, $4 for Class B campsites, and $3 for Class C campsites, Bonine said. Improvements made at several parks have passed the class level of those parks. The $1 electrical charge remains the same.

30 years ago

Feb. 17, 1993

— An announcement was made this week that Dr. Charles Cudney had resigned his position as Southwest school superintendent to accept the position of superintendent of schools at Monett. The Southwest school board hired Jim Roe as the new superintendent of schools. Roe is being promoted from his current position as high school principal. The new superintendents do not begin their new jobs until July 1, 1993.

— Cassville received $4,072 in franchise fees from Cablevision Systems Corporation for the period of July through December 1992. As part of a franchise agreement, Cablevision periodically pays a fee to the city. Over 990 city residents subscribe to Cablevision.

— Mother Nature dumped 12 inches of snow on Barry County Monday, blanketing the Ozarks countryside in white and bringing normal daily activities to a halt. Snowfall reports in the area ranged from 9 to 14 inches, making it the largest snow the county has seen in almost four years. Chuck Miner with the Cassville Ranger Station reported that since 1981 there have only been two snows in excess of 12 inches. On March 5, 1989, 13 inches were reported, and on February 127, 1984, 14 inches fell. Maintenance Supervisor Jim Phelps said he had seven crew members working 12-hour shifts with three snowplows and one road grader. As of Tuesday at 4 p.m., highway crews had logged approximately 142 man hours and had put close to 2,000 miles on their equipment. Although road crews were hard at work, several accidents occurred Monday as people attempted to travel before roads were clear. The Barry County Sheriff’s Department received seven reports of minor accidents, including a tractor-trailer overturned near Washburn on Highway 37. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol radio logs, Barry County troopers responded to 11 accidents in a 24-hour period from 12:01 a.m. to midnight Monday. No fatalities were reported in the county.

— Crowder College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa initiated several 1992 fall semester students into the honorary. Three of the 62 initiates were from Barry County. They included Christie Henry and Kathleen Henry of Cassville and Carol Griffin of Exeter. Membership in Phi Theta Kappa is extended by invitation only to students with a grade point average of 3.5 or greater.

— Table Rock Lake Passes Water Test Water from Table Rock Lake proved to be in good shape according to water-sample testing sponsored by the Department of Natural Resources. Volunteers took samples from the lake every three weeks from June through October of tested for nitrogen, phosphorous and water clarity.

— The Cassville Wildcats and the Lady Wildcats both recorded conference victories over East Newton this week. On Friday night, Cassville met East Newton on home turf and inched past the Patriots 66-63. The Wildcats trailed 22-14 in the first quarter and narrowed the game to 33-29 at the half. Cassville went on to outscore the Patriots 37-30 in the last two quarters to take the conference win.