50 years ago
Feb. 12, 1975
— BEECH PROMOTION
A native of Exeter, H. D. Higgs, has been promoted to executive posts with Beech Aircraft Corporation in Wichita, Kansas, according to Marvin G. Hughes, manager of Plant III. A son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Higgs of Exeter, he is a graduate of that school system. Higgs joined Beech aircraft in 1955 as a sheet metal assembler. He has been in metal bond since 1958 and in a supervisory capacity for the past 13 years. In his newest assignment he will be responsible for all phases of core preparation, parts cleaning, lay-up and bonding of all metal bond assemblies. He will be in charge of department budget, schedule compliance and efficiency and quality. Higgs and family, which includes two children reside in Wichita. He is active in church, company and outdoor programs in the Wichita area.
— FELLWOCK A PRINCIPAL EMPLOYEE TO ACADEMY
Maurice A. Fellwock, son of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Fellwock of Monett, has been named a principal appointee to the U. S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, by Senator Stuart Symington. Fellwock is a senior in Monett high school. He will be evaluated by the academy for appointment to begin training in July.
40 years ago
Feb. 13, 1985
— DILBECK HEADS NATIONAL GROUP ON TOURISM
Eugene Dilbeck, director of marketing services for the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, will lead a national drive by state travel directors to increase travel and tourism throughout the United States. Dilbeck, a Purdy native, was elected chairman and director of the domestic marketing plan task force of the National Council of State Travel Directors at a recent meeting of the Travel Industry Association of America in Washington, D.C. The committee of 12 state travel directors is responsible for developing a national domestic marketing plan to increase travel by U.S. citizens within the United States and its territories.” A coordinated effort among state tourism agencies and private sector organizations has long been needed in our industry,” Dilbeck said. “We need to formulate a plan which will increase travel and tourism in the United States. One of the task force’s goals will be to raise the awareness of vacation opportunities while rejuvenating enthusiasm and pride in America. The economic opportunities for travel are the best they’ve been in years. Transportation, fuel and lodging costs are all down, making extensive domestic travel an excellent value.” A graduate of Central State University, Dilbeck joined the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreational Department in 1977 and was named division Director in 1981. “Eugene’s appointment as the chairman and director of the National Domestic Marketing Plan Task Force is a credit to his professional capabilities and to this department’s marketing pro-gram,” said Abe L. Hesser, executive director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department. The Purdy high school graduate, coached basketball in southwest Missouri upon graduation from college: He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Dilbeck of the Butterfield area. Other relatives include: his grandmother, Mrs. Pat Dilbeck of Cassville; and brother of Mrs. Rex Henderson, Purdy, and Lynn Dilbeck of Wheaton; nephew of Mrs. Wayne Snider and Mrs. Tex Williamson of Cassville.
— WAL-MART TO BUILD STORE AT CASSVILLE
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. of Bentonville, Arkansas, announced this week that store number 83 in Missouri will be located in Cassville. The firm said their newest store in the state, 43,926 square feet, will be located in the area of Highway 37 and Old Exeter Road at the west edge of Cassville. The site is at the late Ott Turner residence, now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Marlett Sanders of Stillwater, Oklahoma. Corporate headquarters of the 751 store chain in a 20-state area, said construction is expected to begin this summer with a projected opening in the spring of next year. In addition to the 36 departments of the shopping center, the Cassville operation will have a garden center, pharmacy, tire, battery and automotive center. Survey and core drilling at the site, just outside the city limits, had been in progress several days before the official announcements were received here Thursday. David D. Glass, president and chief operating officer, said the store here would employee about 100 persons.
— ZONING, PLANNING REQUEST TO HEARING
Cassville’s Zoning and Planning Commission will hold a public hearing March 11 to consider a requested change in classification of a piece of property at Sixth and West Streets. Joe R. Ellis, acting chairman; said the meeting would be at the law offices of Ellis, Ellis and Cupps. Under consideration will be changing from A-1 Residential to Commercial One (C-1) of the Baker property. Making the request is Dr. Dale Assing, Cassville optometrist. Presently owned by the estate of the late Mr. and Mrs. W.T. Baker, the property is immediately south of the First Baptist Church. Dr. Assing said he had made agreements to purchase the property, contingent to obtaining the zoning classification change. Plans for the future would be using the property for offices, with the present dwelling being removed. The property consists of two lots in the original town plat of Cassville one block off the public square.
30 years ago
Feb. 1, 1995
— TECH PREP AT CASSVILLE TARGETS “SILENT MAJORITY”
Traditionally, high school curriculum prepares students for a fouryear college degree program. That narrow focus raises many questions for the average high school student. What about the student who doesn’t have the money or the motivation to successfully complete four years of college? What about the student who wants to work full time after graduation? Or what about the student who feels “dumb” and wants to drop out because he or she can’t master Algebra II? At Cassville, administrators and teachers are implementing a concept that will target this silent majority of students who will not enter a four-year college. Beginning with the 1994-95 school year, Cassville is breaking with traditionally by offering an additional path for students to take during their years at CHS. This path is called Tech Prep and refers to a curriculum that gives students the practical, technical and academic skills they need to enter the job force or to complete a degree at a community college or post-secondary technical school. Cassville’s Tech Prep program is still in the beginning stages. This year, an applied math class, “Elements of Math”, was added to the curriculum as part of the Tech Prep curriculum track. This class, taught by Jennifer Trent, is different than a typical high school math class. Students sit at round tables, work together in groups and manipulate physical objects to learn basic math concepts. Trent said her class is hands-on, where students learn from doing. “Students learn to problem- solve. They work in a cooperative manner and learn communication skills and teamwork, all things that employers want,” Trent said. Trent added that a lot of the students enrolled in her class seem to be caring more about school and working harder. Richardson said the high school hopes to expand the Tech Prep curriculum by adding a second level math class next year that when coupled with “Elements of Math” would fulfill a student’s algebra requirement. With the addition of the Tech Prep option, students entering high school would choose a curriculum “track” based upon their interests and aptitudes. Currently Cassville could offer a four-year college track or a Tech Prep track, Richardson said. Basic high school requirements would be the same for both tracks but a few classes would be added or modified to meet a student’s post-graduate goals. Testing is done at the middle school level to help students find their focus. Counselors would meet with a student and their parents to map out a specific direction for high school and beyond. “These tracks will actually direct a path of interest for the student to follow,” Richardson said. Curriculum would become more relevant to what students need to know and could be applied to their jobs and careers. According to a recently completed survey of 425 Cassville high school students, 240 of them, or 56 percent, plan to attend a four-year college. Statistics show that only 20 percent of high school graduates entering a fouryear college ever graduate. Of the 425 surveyed, 76 said they planned to attend a two-year college or vocational, technical or business school. CHS principal Ron Richardson said he believes most students and parents push towards a bachelor’s degree because they equate it with success in today’s world. Although Richardson wants to encourage students to seek a degree, he thinks that many graduates can succeed without it. “The main purpose behind Tech Prep is to keep kids interested in school and make the process of learning easier,” said Richardson. “We want to help motivate students to stay in school.” National studies on Tech Prep programs claim that offering this option to high school students can decrease drop-out rates, increase parental involvement, raise test scores and give students a strong technical education. The program. can also benefit employers by supplying them with a better-educated and a more highly- skilled work force. The state of Missouri is only one of six states in the process of examining and implementing this concept. Richardson said Cassville’s Tech Prep plans have the support of the faculty and school board.
— CHS SPEECH-DEBATE WINS TROPHIES
Cassville high school won the third place sweepstakes trophy at the Mt. Vernon Novice (junior varsity) speech-debate tournament, February 3 and 4, finishing behind two Springfield high schools. Due to commitments and conflicts, Cassville competed with only 13 of its 24-member novice squad. Mandi Allen won the first place trophy in prose-poetry reading and a fourth place trophy in Lincoln-Douglas debate. In cross-examination debate, the team of Jessi Evans and Laura Sanders went undefeated for six rounds and finished by winning second place trophies, with Evans also winning the third in prose-poetry reading. The team of Tiffanie Baker and Jessica White won third place, and Grace Callison and Traci Comman won fourth place trophies in cross-examination debate. Also reaching the finals in the individual events division were Amanda Nunley, fourth in dramatic interpretation, and Laura Sanders, seventh in extemporaneous speaking. Other team members who contributed to winning the sweepstakes trophy were Jim Hinson, Misti Rouse, Jennifer Rhea and Jason McCarthy. Speech director Glenda Ward said this is the first time in her 16 years at CHS that the team has scored so high in debate, bringing home seven debate trophies in one weekend. Ward credits this new achievement to Jon Turner, CHS debate coach, who is in his first year at Cassville.
