Barry County
Dakoda Pettigrew: The meaning of the Declaration
The rain was falling with misty, unrelenting force as President Calvin Coolidge rose to deliver the greatest speech of his life. It was Monday, July 6, 1926, and the rain beat the president’s face as he stood before a crowd of 35,000 on the grounds of the Sesquicentennial Exposition in Philadelphia, the birthplace of American independence and constitutionalism. “Despite a fine drizzle, which became a heavy downpour,” The New York Times reported the next day, “the crowds patiently lined twenty miles of streets to pay their respects” to a man whose cool and quiet demeanor hid a patriotic intellect that could not be contained.

Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week
Gin is such a beauty. This sweet girl is about two years old and weighs in at 50 pounds.

Through the Years, Nov. 27
40 YEARS AGO: FIRST PLACE PARADE ENTRIES — The floats pictured above and below received first place recognition in Cassville’s Christmas parade here Saturday evening. Each received $150 first prize money from the sponsoring Chamber of Commerce.

Fly fishing group angles at Roaring River
Eight-year-old Harper Lester, left, of Cassville, accepts a bowl of chili from Sharon Yoker, fellowship coordinator for the Southwest Missouri Fly Fishers Club, at a club gathering at Roaring River State Park on Saturday.
Man charged in copper theft
A Cassville man is facing two felony charges for allegedly stealing thousands of feet of copper wire. Justin Youngblood, born in 1989, of Cassville, is charged with felony stealing of $25,000 or more and second-degree burglary.
News Briefs, Nov. 27
The Purdy Christmas Parade will be on Dec. 7 at 10 a.m., with line-up at the Purdy High School parking lot by 9:30 a.m.

Kyle Troutman: My double rainbow
As I left the office at about 4:50 p.m. Monday, a bright, orange haze had set in from the west following an afternoon of rainstorms.

A little rain, a lot of bow!
Rainstorms on Monday afternoon moved through at dusk, resulting in a large, vibrant double rainbow arching over Cassville to the southwest. The scene lasted about 10-15 minutes, with many residents stopping to take photos of the light show. Kyle Troutman/ktroutman@cassville- democrat.com

Purdy students feed families in need
Students in Amy Harkey’s Prostart I & II Courses at Purdy High School prepared and distributed 250 healthy, complete meals of chicken and vegetable fried rice for families in their community last week. The meals, prepared through the Kids Feeding Kids program, were donated to families served by Purdy Prostart I students.

Jon Horner: Giving thanks for gratitude
I’ve always loved Thanksgiving Day — it is one of those traditions that has meant a lot to me and my family throughout my 61 years on this planet. One of the reasons for my warm feelings for this day are the fond memories from Thanksgivings in the past.



