Barry County

Laugh away the day at new SKITS play ‘Chickenheart’

Come for the laughs, stay for the action, the romance, and alien abduction, and… nuns? A combination like no other will take the stage in Shell Knob April 19-21 with Shell Knob in the Spotlight (SKITS) putting on “Chickenheart.” The production’s wacky cast of characters, including (but not limited to) six of the craziest nuns anyone has ever met; a terribly timid tailor; and a half-man, half-frog, half-nun — or is that too many halves? Regardless, there is a 150% chance of surprises, laughs and good times all around. “Chickenheart” follows the flight of the ravishingly lovely Lady Emma Chalfont as she flees the fiendish advances of the terribly evil Sir Cutbert Cleaver.
Read MoreLaugh away the day at new SKITS play ‘Chickenheart’

Another way to dive; ‘underwater robots’ to explore spring cave

Steve Haggitt has plans to dive into Roaring River Cave deeper than any person has been before – with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). Haggitt and a team of three additional divers will operate the ROVs – essentially, underwater robots – with the initial objective of providing a 3-D model of the upper room (Chamber 1) to the Missouri State Park system for interpretive and public display purposes.
Read MoreAnother way to dive; ‘underwater robots’ to explore spring cave

Free sludge appeals to some local landowners

A handful of Barry and Newton County landowners traveled to Jefferson City to testify in support of the land application of Denali Water Solutions’ industrial-processing sludge at a Missouri Senate hearing on March 26. Their testimony, along with that of Denali executive Rob Currey, was an attempt to convince senators to vote against proposed legislation that will more tightly regulate the storage and land-application of meat and other food-processing waste.
Read MoreFree sludge appeals to some local landowners

Through the years, April 10

40 YEARS AGO: COFFERDAM AT CREEK BRIDGE PROJECT — Workmen (at right) install the first part of a cofferdam at the Flat Creek bridge replacement on Sales Barn Road in Cassville. The area in which concrete is to be poured has now been completely circled and pumping has started.
Read MoreThrough the years, April 10

New map installed at Roaring River Spring mouth

Over the weekend, Linda and Gordon Hahn, of Charlottesville, Va., got a chance to survey the new map placed at the mouth of Roaring River Spring in late March. The Hahn’s son, Eric Lee Hahn, lost his life in the spring while serving as a diver with the KISS Rebreathers dive team. The team conducted monthly weekend explorations of the spring from May 2021 until Hahn’s death on Oct. 14, 2022. The new map at the spring was created as a result of the KISS Rebreathers team’s explorations.
Read MoreNew map installed at Roaring River Spring mouth