50 years ago

Sept. 25, 1974

— ROSS STUDYING TO TEACH

A graduate of Southwest high of Washburn, Judith R. Ross, daughter of Junior Ross of Seligman, who is a home economics major, has been admitted to the teacher education program at Southwest Missouri State at Springfield.

— EMMERT REPLACES LONGLEY

Rosalee Emmert of Washburn has been appointed by the Missouri Department of Revenue as motor vehicle license agent for the Cassville office. She replaces Howard Longley who has held the post slightly over a year. Longley has resigned the post to devote full time to other interests.

— MFA MOVING

While their new building is in the finishing stages, the MFA Exchange of Cassville has begun moving processes, according to Duane Blankenhip, manager. The business will hopefully be completely moved to their new location on Highway 248 east of Cassville by next week. Blankenship and Jack Nickols, district MFA representatives said sidewalks and stone front on the building are being completed this week.

— HADEN NAMED PRINCIPAL OF PURDY

Harold Haden was employed as principal of Purdy high school at a recent meeting of the board of education on Monday. Haden comes to Purdy from the Springfield area. He finished his undergraduate work in business education at Central Missouri State College at Warrensburg. He has done advanced work in vocational administration at the University of Missouri for the past three years. Haden replaces David Green who assumed the office of superintendent of Purdy schools in August.

— MEMORIAL PARK BOARD DISCUSSED PAST SEASON

The regular monthly Memorial Park Board Meeting was held recently at the Town House Restaurant. Members present were: Harry and Mona Eaton, Lanola Hodge, Morten and Maxine Kammerlohr, Tom Akins, Ida Blalack, Carter Koon, John Gardiner, Clyde and Jerry Hoover, Bill and Virginia Ward. Minutes of the August meeting were read by the secretary and financial report was given by the treasurer. Following the business session, reports were given on the current repairs and upkeep of the park. Future plans were discussed on other improvements and a tentative closing date for the park on November 1, 1974. The next board meeting was set for Monday, October 21.

40 years ago

Sept. 26, 1984

— CONCERN EXPRESSED OVER PERMANENT DIOXIN BURNING

Barry County and area residents are concerned over a proposal by officials to burn dioxin in the northeast part of the county. People in the area are glad there is a possibility of ridding the toxic wastes near Verona… but at the same time they don’t want the location to become a permanent location. Public hearings here last week conducted by the Environmental Agency and Missouri Department of Natural Resources, covered all bases so far as the program of burning dioxin tainted soil at the Denny farm near Verona. Equipment from the EPA is scheduled to arrive from New Jersey next month to begin the project. Thursday’s hearing at the courthouse attracted at least 15 government representatives and about 60 spectators. Morris Kay, regional director of the EPA from Kansas City, opened the meeting, explaining briefly the need for the public hearing and initial processes involved in the project in northeast Barry County. Dioxin was discovered on the Denny farm in 1979, the result of burying industrial wastes. Government officials acknowledged there are 39 confirmed dioxin contaminated sites in Missouri, this information set the tone for opinions from the immediate area. Most disturbing of the statistics released is possible EPA plans to ship an additional tonnage of dioxin-laden soil from other locations in Missouri for burning at the Denny farm. This fact brought responses of opposition from Cassville, Verona, Monett, Shell Knob and other locations. Members of the Barry County Court, presiding judge Lloyd Dilbeck, southern judge Lige Frost, and northern judge Vedes Davis, attending the meeting, joined those in opposing agency plans for use of the site for other than immediate area burning of the toxic waste. The $5 million mobile incinerator, carried on trailer trucks, would include equipment for monitoring the air during burning processes, according to Kay and other officials. This fact did not remove the thought in the crowd that “this area doesn’t want to become a guinea pig for experiments any more than it wants to be a permanent location to which toxic wastes are delivered to be destroyed.” Federal and state officials were strong in their endorsement of this method of destroying dioxin. In addition to the Verona area, wastes are located in Neosho and Springfield. The Verona site includes material that has been excavated and placed in 55-gallon drums. It was discovered years ago when initial containers began leaking. Barry Countians and those from immediate surrounding areas also expressed concern about the number of years the EPA and DNR might operate the incinerator equipment at the site. Most said they would prefer the agency permit be granted only for the length of time required to clean up the immediate area, with no possibility for further extension. The three hour public hearing had virtually all representatives of the two agencies expressing an opinion, spectators viewed a number of visual presentations. Comments will be accepted by the agencies for another week, according to Kay. The Missouri agency, which acts in many cases for the federal EPA, must issue a permit for operation of the incinerator.

30 years ago

Sept. 14, 1994

— LAND SWAP TOWARD SBC HOSPITAL PLANS

Tentative agreements have been reached between the board of directors of South Barry County Hospital and R. G. Edmondson of Cassville concerning a land swap that will facilitate plans for major improvements at the medical center. Debbie Stubbs, hospital administrator, said the Tuesday meeting of the directors effected a trade on property owned by the two interests on South Main Street. Involved in the trade are the old Missouri Highway Department facility purchased by the hospital district two years ago for a sum of $114,000 and commercial property owned by Edmondson on which Mary’s Cafe and a residence rental are located. Agreements struck Tuesday by the SBC district directors and Edmondson will be contingent on current leases involved in the properties. Action on the trade came in a regular meeting of the hospital directors. Cupps, board president, said the hospital district in effect traded a tract of land 115’ x172’ for a tract containing 125’ frontage on South Main Street and going to a point toward the existing hospital property and containing about .33 of an асrе. The original purchase from the Highway Department in November of 1991 consisted of about three acres. In effect the trade virtually splits the old rock maintenance building on the property at the middle, Edmondson getting the north part of the property, which corners on both Main Street and First Street. Cupps said Edmondson was acting in the swap as an individual and as personal representative of the estate of his late mother, Jewell Edmondson. The rock building will be demolished immediately, with the hospital district keeping other buildings on the location. Existing leases on the restaurant and residence will be negotiated between the parties. Action completed Tuesday included contracts between the parties to agree to the swap. Administrator Stubbs said the land trade would open the way to a previously announced hospital plan to make a $2.5 million improvement to the facility. Included would be turning the entrance toward Main Street, providing new emergency facilities, paying off existing indebtedness, radiology department and a doctor’s clinic. Hospital directors have been in session recently with financial advisors with a hospital specialty. No plans were completed previously due to the pending possibility of the land trade that would permit access from a new entrance facing Main Street. Edmondson was out of town this week and not available for comment concerning possible use of the corner property at First and Main.

— RAISE TABLE ROCK HIGHER IN FUTURE?

Will Table Rock Lake levels be higher in the future? The Army Corps of Engineers discussed that possibility Tuesday at a public session to gather input about the Corps’ Table Rock Dam Safety Evaluation Study. Officials of the Corps’ Little Rock District will discuss the ongoing Table Rock Dam Safety studies, the reasons for the studies and the alternatives under consideration. Table Rock Dam was designed in the 1940s and constructed in the 1950s as a multipurpose flood-control project. Current data shows that a probable maximum flood, or the largest flood that could reasonably occur in the region, would overtop the dam. If overtopped, the earthen embankment could erode, causing catastrophic flooding. The dam study is being conducted to identify the best possible alternative to prevent dam overtopping during a probable maximum flood. There are three structural alternatives under consideration. The first involves raising the dam and earthen embankment. The second alternative is to build an additional gated spillway, and the third is to build an additional fixed crest weir. When the best solution to the problem is determined, funding for construction of the project will have to be approved by the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. Regardless of which alternative is chosen, there will be no change in the pool elevation or operation plan. Visitors, businesses and residents would not see a change in the lake. There would only be added protection to the dam structure should the probable maximum flood occur. Since the project will not change operations plan, additional flowage easements will not be required. All interested persons are invited to attend the meeting from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. There will be no formal presentation but study team members will be on hand to answer questions. For more information call Chuck Stein, project manager.