50 years ago
May 23, 1973
— Paying their next insurance premium should be a little easier for most residents of this area, as company representatives in the Cassville area are preparing to pay out somewhere over $1 million in hail loss claims this week.
The figure probably will run closer to the $2 million figure when the surrounding area is included according to most observers. Hardly a roof and very few automobiles were spared damage from the large hail that fell on May I.
Indicative of the damage is the odor of roofing tar heating pots that has replaced most of the usual spring smells in this community. While the insurance adjustors are continuing their rounds assessing damage to individual properties, there remains a shortage of workmen to install both commercial and residential roofs.
A large portion of damage estimates have been derived by averages of total re-roofing costs.
There are an estimated 1,000 roofs in Cassville alone, none of which escaped damage.
— The Cassville city council proposes to accept bids on or about July 25 for a project of complete renovation of the old Thomas Building on South Main for conversion to a new municipal building, according to Mayor Bill LeCompte. In charge of planning and bids is George Ulmer, representing Miller-Newell Engineering Associate in their Cassville office. Estimated to cost approximately $60,000, the project would include a waiting and lounge area, offices for city departments, Chamber of Commerce spaces, and a conference room.
Departments concerned would be an office for the mayor, city collector, police judge, utilities, police and clerk. Ulmer said this week installation of a fire rated vault would storage of records be included in costs for bids. Eliminated from original planning is fire department living quarters a fulltime member or staff of this department.
— Assuming duties with the Missouri Conservation Commission in Barry County is Ronald GIover. Glover joins the protection division force in the county as a second agent with Charles Marrs. A native of Gideon in southeast Missouri, Glover is one of 12 agents who recently finished a fourmonth training period at Conservation headquarters in Jefferson City. He will reside in Cassville. A graduate of Southeast Missouri State College, he was associated in agri-business before becoming a Conservation Agent.
— Memorial Day 1973 in this area will undoubtedly be one to remember as having some of the greatest numbers of traffic in history. There are two reasons for this assumption…first the holiday is the first three-days of the spring and annually attracts thousands of persons to Roaring River State Park and public use areas that ring Table Rock Lake in the Barry County Ozarks. Secondly, the Arkansas Folkfair just across the Missouri-Arkansas line south of Eagle Rock is reportedly ready to attract in excess of 30,000 visitors for the three-day affair. Put all this traffic on area roads and it’s plain to see why the Missouri Highway Patrol is bolstering forces here for the coming weekend. Sheriff Vernon Still is also planning to have all deputies ready for duty to assist in traffic problems. The contingent of State Troopers will be staying at Cassville, headquartered at Town House Motel. Their communication center will be at the old Eagle Rock School, now used as a community center.
40 years ago
May 18, 1983
— Cassville school officials have reported to the Barry County Sheriff an apparent break-in at the middle school over the weekend. Superintendent Dan Bailey said the only item found missing was a video recorder valued at $1,300. No evidence of forced entry has been found by the officials.
— A member of Boy Scout Troop 76 of Cassville, Kevin Black of Eagle Rock, has been selected from 40 scouts in Missouri, Illinois and Iowa to attend the International Jamboree in Calgary, Canada in July. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Enoch Black, has been assigned an assistant senior patrol leader spot in the contingent.
— Three members of the Doug Samuel family of Cassville are currently taking rabies shots after a skunk attacked a litter of pups and was involved in a fight with the family Bassett. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel and son Chad are undergoing the series of seven shots. Mrs. Samuel said the family was awakened recently by the barking of the mother dog to find the skunk in a house with nine pups about six weeks old. The three members of the family removed the pups from the pen and the mother dog became involved in a fight with the skunk. Samuel killed the skunk and contacted local veterinarians. The head was saved and tested by the Missouri Department of Health. Results said the animal was rabid. As a result, the dog and pups were destroyed. Mrs. Pat Tichenor, Barry County Health Unit, says the incident indicates all pets should be vaccinated and people should be extremely careful of their involvement in the woods.
— Chosen by the staff and ladies auxiliary of the South Barry County Hospital as Nurse of the Day recently was Del Holman, registered nurse, director of nurses at the unit. The recognition was in observance of Professional Nurses Day in Missouri. Mrs. Holman, a hospital staff member of 16 years, had been director of nurses since 1971. Present at the hospital presentation were doctors, staff members and officials of the auxiliary.
— The Cassville FFA chapter is now trying to build a shelter house in old reunion grounds park below the school. This shelter house will be an addition to the BOAC project, which in the previous two years has won a gold emblem recognition for the chapter. The cost of a 20×20 shelter will be approximately $1,700 for the completed project. If more funds become available, the shelter would be extended in length. The chapter now has $605 toward the construction of the shelter house, $500 is a grant to be received from the Missouri Department of Agriculture upon the completion of this shelter house.
30 years ago
May 12, 1993
— Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday afternoon observing the opening of Super 8 Motel in Cassville. The event will be 5 p.m. at the facility on Highway 37 at the southwest edge of Cassville. Directors, members and the public are encouraged to attend. Super 8 will provide refreshments and tours for those attending the official opening of the 44-unit facility.
— Barry County unemployment percentages went to 6.1 for March according to the Missouri Division of Employment Security. Newton county was 5.3, Lawrence 7.1, McDonald 5.2 and Stone 24.9. Average for Missouri was 6.7 percent.
— Cassville police officer Ron Harris was struck by an auto while directing traffic at a school crossing at 14th and Main Tuesday morning about 8 a.m. Harris was thrown onto the vehicle’s hood and suffered several bruises. Police sergeant Lonnie McCullough said the department would probably not issue a citation to a 15 year old female driver who held a temporary permit.
— Cassville city government will spend $40,000 less than their total income according to a fiscal year April 30, 1994, budget approved Monday night. Expenditures for the period are booked at $1,607,406, with revenues anticipated at $1,647,506. City council approval of the budget came in regular session that followed a public hearing earlier in the evening Monday. Deputy city clerk Debbie Skelton said Tuesday morning, expenditures would be about $66,000 more than this year, a figure that was $1,581,028. Revenue last year amounted to $1,411,511.
Anticipated revenue for the City is placed at $648,835 for general revenue, taxes, sales tax, licenses, permits and other sources. Providing the major portion is $410,000 in sales taxes. Administrative expenditures listed included $I94,694.50, police and municipal court $236,090 which includes $105,000 in salaries; volunteer fire department $24,975; construction permits $2,500; animal control $2,800; parks and recreation $81,320; emergency management $7,695; street improvement $264,920, including $150,000 current year projects; airport $9,710; economic development from UDAG funds $67,150; water and sewer sinking and interest funds would cost $26,425 under total revenue of $455,255; expenditures under water-sewer funds are set to cost $472,752.50.
—The U.S.Department of Agriculture is refunding $50.73 million to milk producers who reduced or did not increase their 1992 milk marketings above 1991 levels. Details for the program to encourage dairymen to not increase production is part of a federal move to reduce purchases of surplus milk and cut federal spending to buy, store and dispose of excess milk. In Missouri, 1071 dairymen will share refunds of $889,033. Money for the refunds comes from dairymen, not taxpayers. Producers paid an assessment on all milk sold during 1992. The assessment from Jan. 1 through April 30, 1992, was 11.25 cents per hundred-weight. The rate from May 1 through Dec. 31, 1992, was 13.654 cents. Those who increase marketings get no refund. Producers who did not increase milk marketings get refunds equal to assessments they paid.
— A project of renovation of the sanctuary and other general improvements at United Methodist Church in Cassville was announced this week by pastor Charles Reed. The project will center around the 3,000-plus square foot sanctuary toward increasing seating from the present 225 persons to a 330 figure. Church officials said the project would be accomplished by reversing the auditorium’s existing layout. A new roof system will be added to the building. Other improvements will be addition of stainedglass windows, relocation of the church steeple, new pews, an entrance change, conversion of sanctuary interior to cathedral style and other general changes in offices.
Reed said the congregation would use the fellowship hall for church services during the anticipated eight-week duration of the building phase of the project. Estimated to cost $100,000, bids are anticipated toward the end of May with construction starting around mid-June. Coordinating the project is a building committee chaired by Dick Moger, with members Michael LeCompte, JoAnne Ellis, Ernest Cowherd, Becky Henningson, Lee Assing and David Nokes.
First United Methodist completed a major expansion and renovation project in 1988 which included addition of the current fellowship hall and classroom additions and renovations.
— Award of a $1,559,170 contract to Diversified Systems, Int. of Osage Beach, Mo., is expected soon to begin making natural gas service available for Seligman. Mayor E. W. Bradford said this week the Missouri firm was low of two bidders. Including in the work would be running a supply line from north of Cassville to Seligman and piping the town for service. Seligman has negotiated financing of the project through Heritage Municipal Securities of St. Louis. Bradford said the funding would be through private investors. Construction to connect to Western Resources Gas Service lines north of Cassville is expected to begin within 30 days according to mayor Bradford. Surveys during recent weeks has determined interest in the providing of natural gas services to the south Barry County community near the Missouri-Arkansas line. Washburn has also expressed an interest in the program was not included in the contract to pipe the town for service. Bradford said he understood the second community had not fully decided to become a part of the project.
