50 years ago
July 24, 1974
— FESCUE FESTIVAL FRIDAY TERMED HUGE SUCCESS
After a bang-up Friday program, Cassville is officially declared the Fescue Capital of the United States! The Cassville Chamber of Commerce agriculture committee engineered program and presentation made the claim for this area fed 624 persons an outstanding barbecue dinner. . .cited 36 persons Pioneer Fescue Producer certificates… provided information about past and future crop possibilities and presented a program of country- western music. Not all those honored by the event are living, some are deceased but certificates were presented in their memory and received by family members. A prime part of the program, Ken Morris, area farm management agent, presented the attractive certificates to the following persons, accepters noted in parentheses: Duane Blankenship, Truman Burbridge, Truie Burbridge, Odis Holder, Carl Davidson, B. A. Duncan, Lon Hudson, Bill Talbert, (Mrs. Pearl Lewis, Hugh Montgomery, (Mrs. Perry Pieree), Means Ray, (Mrs. Kathryn Mitchell), Matt Sparkman, Bryant Sparkman, (Bryant Ward), Chester Snider, John Snider, Leon Edmondson, (Ronnie Edmondson) Claude Hall, (Mrs. Una Hall) Buck Weaver, Clyde Norman, C. E. Priest, Alton Goosetree, Lloyd Meadows, Millard Whisman, Wayne Speer, Issac Epperly (Morene Epperly Cupps) Alvin Schad, Earl Patton, Olen Stumpff, (Mrs. Ruth Stumpff) Jim Mitchell, Willis Brendlinger, Raymond Montgomery, Cline Hancock, Yester Stockton, Bill Stock-ton, Art Schad, Joe Webb, C. C. Sockton and Frank Webb, (Frank England). The program included a review of market possibilities for three-way fescue by Brooks Pennington, president of Pennington Grain and Seed of Madison, Georgia. Pennington also flew fresh Georgia peaches here from his own Orchards that were served at the dinner. Dr. Hal Wheaton, head of agronomy department at the University of Missouri, was principal speaker. He outlined the possibilities of the crop in advancing the agricultural economy of this area. In charge of the overall program, termed by many as one of the most outstanding ever staged in this area, was the C of C agriculture committee chairmaned by Cherry Warren.
— POPULATION IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS UP IN COUNTY
Barry County has a growing school population, according to the annual school enumeration compiled by County Clerk Chester Snider through information furnished from respective districts. The report is required by Missouri law for educational and tax purposes. Snider said this week the 1974 statistical report has a total of 5,832 students anticipated for the coming school year in 15 districts which serve youths of the county. On a breakdown this includes 2,971 boys and 2,861 girls. Last year the figure was 299 less, at 5,533. The breakdown a year ago had 2,857 boys and 2,676 girls. The two figures do not represent final attendance figures, only those anticipated at this time by the district administrators. Snider said the average levy in the districts took a onecent jump over last year. Average of 1973 levies was $3.71 and this year will run $3.72. Of the 15 total districts, nine maintain school facilities inside the county boundaries. Their anticipated enrollments with 1974 first and 1973 second are: Jenkins 164 and 144. Shell Knob 143 and 125. Golden 75 and 96. Monett 1,615 and 1,254. Purdy 621 and 630. Wheaton 362 and 383. Cassville 1,322 and 1,319. Southwest 697 and 674. Exeter 381 and 399. These nine districts anticipate educating a total of 5,380 students on their campus facilities this year, according to the report.
40 years ago
July 25, 1984
— PARK SPRING YIELDS MORE SECRETS TO DIVER TEAM
Once thought to be bottomless, es about the spring at Roaring River State Park are falling to modern technology. Three divers om the Kansas City area were in the spring and old mill pond Sunday, covering more facts about the source of water for the state’s most popular park. Dave Porter and Ken Brown, both /Overland Park, Kansas, and Stan Swim of Grandview, dove Saturday the clear and cool (59.2 degrees) later. They provided Merle Rogers, ark naturalist, with additional data about the spring and old mill equipment in the pond. The three-some also provided a lot if interest to hundreds of tourists who happened to be viewing the hatchery and spring area. Rogers said dive one by the CUBA clad individuals investigated the old water wheel at a depth of about 10 feet in the old mill pond. The facility, which dates back to the early 1900’s has a water wheel in the water. One spoke of the wheel, or at east a part of it, was removed by the divers. The divers also found two saw stumps on part of the wheel and some kind of a split log laying underneath the axle. In a second dive, the lung equipped divers reported they went back into the spring over 300 feet. This was much further than had previously been reported by divers. Brown made his way back into a fault where there was room for only one diver at time. Silting conditions prohibited his advancing further. Porter told Rogers there were quite a few lines from previous dives into the spring. A third and final dive resulted in the divers moving 340 feet back of the cave. There they found a seven or eight foot fault that seemed to extend 60 feet from a colossal dome. Another fault with water flow was discovered which probably extended even further than 60 feet. Discovered by the divers was a calcite deposit that resembles drapery in a wavy appearance on the ceiling. The deposits resembled soda straws to those eight feet long. There were lots of rock shelves in the areas they advanced through. Rogers said arrangements for the dive were made through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Casual diving in the area is not per-mitted. In addition to taking color pictures of the cave and other areas in the park spring, the divers took measurements that will be used to make drawings. Rogers said all the information would be combined with that previously gathered to make park exhibits about the spring and general information more up-to-date for the public. The naturalist said the Kansas City area divers had apparently made a much more extensive investigation of the park spring than previous divers. Two of the team were rated as qualified cave divers. Rogers said he made a swim into the mill pond with the divers, but his equipment did not include a wet suit. “Yes” he said, “the water is every bit as cold as you might think!”
— JUSTIN MOVES INTO FIRM’S NEW STRUCTURE
Justin Boot Co. has virtually completed a move into a new 20,000 square foot warehouse attached to the 11th Street plant here, according to James Latshaw, plant manager. The new facility will not provide additional space for production lines in the main plant. Latshaw said the expansion project brings to 65,000 square feet the plant size in Cassville. Warehousing, formerly under the main roof, was moved to the new building over the weekend. Latshaw said installation of electrical and other necessary services for expanding the production lines was being installed at the present time. The new facility is being provided by Justin for expansion of their new Pathfinder line production at the Cassville plant. Barry County Industrial Development Authority bonds were issued last year to finance this and future expansion possibilities for the Fort Worth, Texas firm.
30 years ago
July 13, 1994
— SEVEN BABE RUTH MEMBERS ON ALL-STARS
Seven members of – the Cassville 13-year-old Babe Ruth baseball squad from this district have been named to a team that will compete this weekend in sectional play. Coach Ron Richardson said the team make-up will include eight other players chosen to represent the Monett, Aurora and Crane squads. The Cassville squad swept through district competition with one loss and went undefeated in the double elimination district tournament. Making the trip to Excelsior Springs near Kansas City this week will be Luke Canfield, David Van Gorkom, Tyrel Sturgell, Steve Craig, Greg Stringer, Bob Bussman and Dustin Thompson. Coaching the squad will be Cassville mentors, Richardson, Norman Sturgell and Dennis Baker. The team will go against Marshall in a 5 p.m. contest Friday. Also in the first round are Chillicothe and the host team. Sectional play is double elimination. Teams will rotate competition beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday. A 2 p.m. championship contest is scheduled Sunday with another game at 4:30 p.m. if necessary. Winner of this sectional contest will advance to state tournament action the following week in Dexter. Designated families have been assigned to host the players while they are involved in the tournament play according to Richardson.
—TRASH HIKE, ANGRY FOLKS BEFORE COUNCIL
Two principal items before the Cassville city council Monday night included representatives of BFI, Inc., relaying pending trash haul increase requests to Cassville and a group of about 10 residents of Chappel Hills subdivision complaining about the lack of action regarding their street complaints. Ten subdivision residents were in the meeting, citing their third appearance without receiving any results concerning their complaints about streets not being paved or maintained in the residential area. The residents maintain it is the responsibility of either the developers, Mr. and Mrs. John Chappell or the city of Cassville which accepted the subdivision, to pave or maintain the streets. Mayor Rolland Meador told the group the city’s contention is that the subdivision was accepted with water installation but the streets had never been certified. Jeff Beattie, spokesperson for the group, said it was not their intention to take civil action as the city had suggested. He said the group would meet with the developers and city at any time attempting to resolve the situation. A contention in the meeting was a June 17 letter from city attorney Don Cupps to the developers which had not resulted in further action. Cupps was directed by the council to attempt arranging a meeting between the citizens and developers to resolve the problem. Public works employee Ken Schieler was directed to mow weeds in the area. He also acknowledged at the meeting the city had worked on at least one street at the subdivision. Also speaking in behalf of the subdivision were Bill Leonard, Lou Armstrong, Helen Johnson and Randy Lebow. Terry Stone, and representatives of BFI, consulted with council concerning up-coming trash disposal rates in Cassville. He noted tipping rates at the time of the five year contract three years ago were $18 a ton, now going as high as $32 a ton. He said the request for higher rates is under guidelines of the existing contract. The BFI contract has two years remaining. Stone told the council he had proposed new rates going basically from $6.68 to $8.22 for home service and $2.85 yard to $3.69 yard for commercial customers. Industrial customers are charged on a tonnage basis. Meador told BFI he would submit their requests to a solid waste advisory committee for study. He said the council would hear a recommendation from this committee before taking any official action. Council also decided to form a committee, including two members Stockton and Ledenham, to study contract negotiations with FASCO Industries this October. The original 20 year agreement with the manufacturer will expire at that time. Meador said he hoped to form a committee from the company, Industrial Development Corporation and city to formulate the best agreement possible for all concerned. Deputy clerk Skelton provided corrected figures this week on payroll projections from the 1994 fiscal year and a new budget year. Expenditures for salaries during 1994 amounted to $339,673 with $378,000 budgeted for 1995 to meet payroll.
