Last week, we took a look back at 2024; this week, we’re looking ahead.
With the kids back in school and normal routines resuming (finally), 2025 is in full swing, and we have a lot to look forward to here at the Cassville Democrat.
For starters, we’ll be cutting some checks! Our “Back 2 You” campaign has been calculated for 2024, and we have more than $1,800 that will be donated to a handful of local non-profits. It’s the second year of this campaign, for which we donate 2% of all special project ad sales throughout the year. We also donate 10% of all ad sales in the month of October to Power of Pink, and we’re proud to work with so many local organizations who do good in our community.
We wish we could give more (like last year when we voluntarily upped the amount to 5%), but 2024 was not as kind to our bank account following the May 2024 storm and election year uncertainty, but I digress. In the end, we’re proud to be able to give back anything, and $1,800 isn’t nothing.
Another exciting project ongoing is our building, for which we are receiving assistance through a new Cassville Community Foundation fund. Many of you have seen and asked about our facade, and we’re hoping to see more movement soon.
Gone is the 1960s-era tin and our neon sign, which was horribly faded and falling into disrepair. We have a new protruding sign designed, and current pans also include an awning over our front entryway.
We’re in the process of getting an engineer to come assess the structure and determine if we will do a brick or stucco facade. Fingers crossed, we’d like to add brick from the ground up, and in between the pillars surrounding the windows on the second floor.
No matter how it turns out, we’re incredibly excited to be the “guinea pigs” for this new fund, and we’re equally excited to make a long-lasting impact on the look of the square.
Business-wise, we are also planning some expansions and changes. Last week, we launched the social media for our new addition “Monett Monthly.” With the sale of The Monett Times to the Lawrence County Record — and subsequent absence of a dedicated product in Barry County’s biggest city — we’ve been assessing opportunities to the north.
We are not staffed enough to provide a weekly publication, but a onceper- month 8- to 12-page Monett-focused product is just within our capabilities. This will not affect the Cassville Democrat in any way, as myself and Sheila Harris will continue to produce award-winning content week-in and weekout for our readers, whose dedication we are grateful to continue to receive.
One of the biggest changes coming down the pike will be to our website — a paywall. This change, when it does come in the next month or so, will very likely get its own column to fully address the why and the how.
For many, many years — as long as I have been here — I have been proud to have one of the few remaining completely free websites among weekly and daily newspapers in the state. Unfortunately, with the rising costs of postage, printing and staffing, we are no longer in a position to be able to give our product away for free — nor do we believe we should.
Not all stories will be behind the paywall. Submitted content, lifestyle content, public service announcements and any articles containing a public safety concern, for example, will still be free.
However, our original content like feature stories, crime stories and sports content, as well as the e-edition, will require a subscription.
Currently, the plan is to offer online-only access for $25 per year ($23 for seniors and veterans/ active military). We also plan to have a discount period after the paywall launch, offering online-only access for just $20 for the first year to those who signup within the first month of the paywall being activated.
Current print subscribers will receive online access at no extra charge, needing to only provide an email and create an account. This may also be a good time to mention the Democrat is only $31.23 per year ($28.10 for seniors and veterans/ active military) for local residents in Barry and surrounding counties — a price you’d be hardpressed to beat for a weekly newspaper anywhere, especially with the size and amount of content we deliver.
What else do we have to look forward to in 2025? That remains to be seen. The new year always brings a tinge of excitement for the unknown, and frankly, we are just hoping for a better year than 2024.
No matter how your previous 365 days have been, we hope your next are better, too.
Kyle Troutman has served as editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and owner/publisher since 2023. He was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers in 2017, and he is a twotime ISWNE Golden Dozen award winner. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville-democrat. com.
