News

On Thursday morning, about 15 county and city officials were on hand to break ground on the $17 million jail and sheriff’s office on Old Exeter Road. Another 20 individuals came to witness the event, some of whom will hopefully be working in the new facility by the end of 2024.

Building a new building for the Barry County Health Department had never been on Administrator Roger Brock’s mind before a couple of years ago, but opportunity knocked and the door opened. Funded entirely through the American Rescue Plan Act, the department has now broken ground on a $5 million facility on Old Exeter Road, next to where the new Barry County jail and sheriff’s office are also being constructed.

The former Ole Home Place Flea Market building at the corner of Main and Highway 76 met a sooner than-planned demise on Thursday. Joe Goade, owner of STS Outdoors Guns and Archery on the north side of the building, said crews had used chains to remove two supports from inside the building, then parked their equipment and went to lunch.

Caleb Leach, left, and Marianne McCrackin were crowned King and Queen, respectively, at the 2023 Tip-Off ceremony held on Feb. 8. Kyle Troutman/ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com

A crowd of some 200 landowners from Newton, McDonald and Barry Counties were present at the Newton County Fairgrounds in Neosho Friday night to voice their concerns and questions about the land-application of wastewater residuals by Arkansasbased Denali Water Solutions (Denali). State and county legislators and representatives of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR), as well as members of the Denali Environmental team, were present to listen to the concerns of residents.

Two local families have benefitted recently from the annual Share a Heart campaign, which is celebrating its biggest week of visibility Feb.