50 years ago

Nov. 20, 1974

— FUTURE DOCTOR TRAINS IN BARNES CLINIC HERE

A senior at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Clark Flanary, 32, is currently involved in preceptorship training program with Dr. W. G. Barnes of Cassville. Flanary will be involved in the local clinic through January. Scheduled for graduation next spring, he will have a year internship at Still Osteopathic Hospital in Jefferson City before completing plans of returning to Cassville to practice medicine. Flanary, a graduate of the University of Missouri with a bachelor degree in physics has also served in the U. S. Air Force, including a one year tour in Vietnam. Plans at present have him returning to Cassville in July, 1976 to enter practice with Dr. Barnes. He is a native of Kansas City. Mrs. Flanary, experienced as a bacteriologist, is assisting with establishing a culture identification system at the South Barry County Hospital laboratory facility.

— LAKE USE AREA REDUCTION FOR WINTER SEASON

With the 1974 outdoor recreation season winding down, the Little Rock District of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers is closing or partially closing some of its 136 parks in north Arkansas and southern Missouri during the winter months for economical and environmental restoration reasons. Little Rock District Engineer Colonel Don Weinert said 39 parks will remain open all year around, however 53 will be partially closed and 44 will be completely closed. He said that all boat docks operated by concessionaires at Table Rock will continue to be available to the visiting public. Colonel Weinert said most of the parks receive limited usage during the off-season and that heavy usage and flooding at some parks last season caused considerable deterioration to ground cover and top soil and resulted in soil compaction and erosion. The closures will help restore vegetation and reduce vandalism. As a further economy measure, the Little Rock District will discontinue the issue of free firewood to campers as soon as present supplies are exhausted; how-ever, firewood is generally obtainable locally through commercial sources. Colonel Weinert said also that even though Corps furnished electrical outlets at camping sites will be cut off, many concessionaires at the commercial boat docks have electrical outlets available. The corps-furnished electrical outlets will again be available for the 1975 recreation season. A list of Table Rock and Beaver parks affected by the winter closure program follows: Table Rock scheduled for complete closing in this area through April 15, Viney Creek, Old Highway 86 and Kings River. Partly closed: all containing boat docks, Campbell Point, Big M, Eagle Rock, Viola. Beaver Lake. Completely closed: Indian Creek and Lost Bridge South. Partly closed, Lost Bridge North, Prairie Creek.

40 years ago

Nov. 21, 1984

— JUSTIN ACQUIRES CHIPPEWA; DISTRIBUTE FROM CASSVILLE

Justin Boot Company of Fort Worth, Texas has agreed to purchase the Chippewa Shoe Co. of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. In announcing the purchase, J.T. Dickenson, president of Justin Boot, said the combination of the Chippewa line with that of Justin’s Pathfinder Division now provides the nation’s broadest line of outdoor, utility and safety boots. Dickenson also announced, the distribution point for the year old Pathfinder line made here and Chippewa lace boots would be through a center in Cassville which is scheduled to start operation on January 2, 1985. “Marketing and distribution of the two companies are very compatible from geographic as well as product style and quality stand-points,” the Justin official said. James Latshaw, plant manager of the Justin facility in Cassville, said the new 20,000 square foot warehouse facility at the 11th Street plant, would handle the operation. Some 15-20 employees will be added for operation of the center. Justin officials had previously remarked the Pathfinder line, made exclusively in Cassville, is reaching broader markets daily. The Pathfinder lines were the first Justin venture outside an exclusive western boot manufacturer. The Cassville facility property holdings were increased a few months ago to include land and buildings to the north along 12th Street. Latshaw said at least part of these facilities would figure in the Justin distribution scheme of operations out of the Cassville plant. Acquired by the company was about two and one-third acres with buildings having some 13,000 square feet of floor space. Justin purchased the Cassville plant in 1981 after U.S, Shoe Corp. had closed the operation here. The original plant was 45,000 square feet of floor space. Latshaw said a few weeks ago Justin had reached an all-time high of employment at the 339 figure. Production was running about 1,800 pair of Pathfinder and Justin ladies boots daily. Manufacturing of the Chippewa lines will be moved from Wisconsin to a newly acquired facility in Sarcoxie. The 38,000 square foot plant recently closed by Juvenile Shoe Co. of Aurora, will be used exclusively for manufacture of the lace boots. About 100-150 employees will staff the plant with a daily production of 1,200 pairs anticipated. Latshaw will manage both plants. An intensive training program will be underway in Sarcoxie for about two months. In announcing the new line purchase to Chippewa customers and employees, former owners said they view an exciting future for the line as part “of the strong Justin 105-year heritage as America’s oldest family- run boot company. Of all possibilities for a strengthened continuity of the Chippewa name, this is the most ideal,” they concluded. In a letter to all Chippewa company accounts, Dickenson said in part, “We will continue to receive orders and ship from Chippewa Falls until December 31, and then start receiving orders and shipping from Cassville as of January 2, 1985. We will advise you shortly of the new WATS number and the address in Missouri.”

— COUNTY DEER DOWN

909 Barry County’s deer herd is 909 less than it was a week ago as the firearms season ended Sunday with that total taken according to Conservation Agent Charles Marrs. He and agent Bill Stimson said 520 of the deer were taken during the first three days of the season. In addition, 245 bucks and 389 doe were taken by hunters during the final six days of the season. Marrs said the total this year was slightly above the 868 checked through county stations last year. The Missouri total stood at 71,601 at the completion of gun season. Hunters have the November 19 through December 31 archery season remaining, Marrs said.

30 years ago

Nov. 9, 1994

— SBC HOSPITAL NEED HEARING SET JANUARY 9

Plans for improvement and expansion of South Barry County Hospital under a projected $2.5 million plan, will go before a hearing of the Missouri Health Facilities Review Commission shortly after the first of the year. Debbie Stubbs, administrator, said the hospital district’s plans and request for certificate of need have been received by the appointed approval commission and set for hearing January 9. Stubbs said review of the project would be accomplished by commission staff between now and the hearing date. Support documents from entities and committees in the district area accompanied the request. The administrator said the notebook presentation was about an inch thick. Hospital directors began in early July preparing for the project, which would include a new entrance on Main Street, new and expanded emergency facilities, radiology department, doctor’s clinic and debt retirement of some $700,000. Facilitating the project was a recent land swap between SBCH and property owner R. G. Edmondson as the two traded Main Street frontage. In the process, the hospital got Mary’s Cafe location and a rental. Edmondson got just under one-half of the old Missouri Highway Department maintenance garage at First and Main. Subsequently, Edmondson leased the property to First State Bank of Purdy for a Cassville facility. Demolition of the highway facility, constructed in 1929, brought the structure down this week. Glen Garrett, board chairman of First State, had earlier stated a temporary facility at the new bank location would be in place shortly after approval stages had been completed.

— EXTRA POLL TIME FOR 70% VOTER TURNOUT

Barry County voters in precincts of any size faced lines and waits to cast their ballots Tuesday in one of the largest turnout of voters in recent years. A healthy 70.32 percent of the county’s just over 14,000 registered voters went to the polls to make decisions in the general election. Extra time was accorded voters in Flat Creek city as lines wrapped around the court house lobby at the 7 p.m. closing time for voting. Sheriff’s department deputies guarded doors and permitted no access into the court house until the lines had been cleared. County clerk Rex Stumpff said the court house polls which included four townships, were crowded from the opening at 6 a.m. and throughout the day. On Constitutional Amendments Flat Creek city township cast 1418 votes and Flat Creek rural extension for Mountain and McDonald, cast 1680 votes. Monett 1 and 4 had a 1203 vote count with Monett 2 casting 373 votes. Purdy was the only other 1000-plus township with 1195 votes cast. Voting trends in the ballot run through computers had 1977 straight party Republican votes in the Tuesday election, compared to 714 Democrats who punched the straight party mark in their ballot.. For the Democrats that was 26.45 percent of the vote compared to 73.25 for the GOP. Incumbent congressman Mel Hancock took a 63.65 majority with him in sweeping the county with 6114 votes compared to Democrat challenger James Fossard’s 33.76 percent or 3243 votes. Former governor John Ashcroft ran up a 6894 vote total in defeating Kansas City congressman Alan Wheat in the county for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Jack Danforth. Wheat, first black U.S. Senate candidate in Missouri, got 2256 votes in the county. Incumbent Republican auditor Margaret Kelley won handily in the county with a 4059 majority over challenger Steve Danner. Kelley had 6665 votes, Danner 2606. In the 141st legislative district, including the eastern side of Barry County, incumbent Doyle Childress of Kimberling City received 1120 votes on this side of the line. Nearly 1800 votes were cast in the three townships of Shell Knob and White Rivers.