MISSOURI’S BEST SMALL-TOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER 75¢ Four-time Gold Cup winner, Missouri Press Association, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 MAN SUING BARRY COUNTY JAIL FOR $1.2 MILLION — PAGE 8 WILDCATS TO HOST NEVADA FRIDAY >>> Cassville hosting Nevada in varsity boys, girls doubleheader. — PAGE 3 CASSVILLE emocrat DJANUARY 30, 2019 | CASSVILLE-DEMOCRAT.COM BEHAVIOR SUPPORT CENTER Where: At the Monett school BarCo commission adopts district What: Providing direct special edu- cation services that would be too costly to single-member districts Districts involved: Monett, Pierce conservative budget City, Purdy, Verona, Cassville, Mt. Vernon and Aurora Sheriff offered few BARRY COUNTY BUDGET The new budget carried and rolled back into the gen- Services begin: At the beginning of over $786,798 from funds eral fund if unused, explained the new academic year in August gains, but sounded What: Has been adopted unspent last year. The increase Presiding Commissioner Gary Total: $4.4 million for 2019 reflected a 5 percent spend- Youngblood. That left no spec- optimistic at progress More: 20-year-old voting machines ing increase that didn’t nec- ified savings for major future BY MURRAY BISHOFF to be replaced this year essarily reflect new financial projects. Cassville Democrat commitments. The $280,000 During the past year, the 7 districts The Barry County reflected few changes from the budgeted for capital improve- commission spent $109,559.62 Commission adopted a $4.4 previous year, when spending ments serves like a miscella- on capital projects. Sheriff Gary involved in million budget for 2019 that totaled nearly $3.9 million. neous fund, spent as needed CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 special ed Late cowboy honored at memorial program School districts sign on for innovative local strategy BY MELONIE ROBERTS AND MURRAY BISHOFF Cassville Democrat Seven area school districts have now officially joined the Monett Regional Special Services consortium, offering special edu- cation services to qualifying stu- dents from those districts. Pierce City was the final dis- trict to approve paperwork last week. Students from Monett, Purdy, Verona, Cassville, Mt. Vernon and Aurora that also have severe emotional or behav- ioral issues or chronic behav- ioral difficulties, or those on the autism spectrum or suffer developmental disabilities, who are typically transported to edu- cational centers in Springfield, Carthage or Joplin, are eligible to attend. Tod Bowser read the obituary for Mason Lowe and offered a message to the about 300 people gathered in Exeter for a memorial The behavioral program and the autism program, a collab- service in honor of the PBR rider who died on Jan. 15. Kyle Troutman/[email protected] orative effort set up similar to the Scott Regional Technology Center, offers services to stu- dents who have limited success Sales tax income jumps for Barry County in January in general education environ- ments in their home school dis- roads each produced $170,918 in January, tricts due to special needs. Almost all recipients see JANUARY SALES TAX up $31,492 from a year ago, though nearly Services are expected to jump after disappointing What: Goes up after large December 2018 drop $23,000 under the start of 2017. begin with the start of the 2019- County: Up $31,000 compared to 2018 Barry County’s 911 sales tax received 2020 academic year in August. December Cassville: Up 20 percent from January 2018 $128,182.15 in January, up $23,617.90 During the January meeting of from the start of 2018. the Monett school board, Teena BY MURRAY BISHOFF 2018, incomes leaped in January, especially Barry County’s seven cities collecting sales Fare, Monett special services Cassville Democrat for the county and city of Cassville. tax saw receipts of $607,084.83, up 24 per- director, said she planned to After a drops in sales tax incomes to Barry County’s two half percent sales cent with all cities contributing to the rise. CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 Barry County and its cities in December taxes supporting the general fund and CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 Johnson family one of 672 helped from Barry County Johnson: ‘I am so SHARE A HEART Who: McDonald’s, various business- thankful to the es throughout the Ozarks Ronald McDonald What: 26th annual Share a Heart Campaign House Charities’ Why: Provide lodging, hope, comfort to families BY JORDAN PRIVETT [email protected] Springfield for medical treatment. On Jan. 24, the 26th annual Share More than 13,200 families have a Heart Campaign began, aiming to been helped since opening, includ- provide families of ill and injured ing 672 Barry County families, of children lodging, hope and comfort which 157 are residents of Cassville. during some of their hardest times. In 2018, the average length For 36 days, 61 McDonald’s of stay at the Ronald McDonald restaurants and various other busi- Houses per family was 10 days. nesses in the Ozarks will place red, On July 2, 2018, the Johnson pink and gold “adopted” paper Family, from Cassville, welcomed hearts on their walls and windows twin baby boy, Sylas Hans, and in support of the two Springfield twin baby girl, Senyah Evalee, to Ronald McDonald Houses. the family five weeks early, and During the Share a Heart experienced the care and support of Campaign, people can purchase Ronald McDonald Houses during paper hearts for $1, $5 or $20 at that uncertain time. the Cassville McDonald’s, located Lacey Johnson, the twins’ moth- Twins born on July 2, 2018, spent 11 days in the NICU after being born at 93 Main St. er, said she and her husband Austin five weeks early. Sylas and Senyah Johnson, of Cassville, both experienced In 2018, the Ronald McDonald have been married for eight years. difficulty breathing and were on breathing machines. During their time in In fact, the twins were born on their the NICU, their family was able to stay in a Ronald McDonald House in 7 39292 00068 8 Houses located near Cox South Vol. 149, No. 2 Hospital and inside of Mercy Kids, anniversary. Springfield. The twins are growing strong and are perfectly healthy now. ©2019 Cassville Democrat served 800 families traveling to CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 Contributed photo COVERING BARRY COUNTY, MO., LIKE THE MORNING DEW SINCE 1871. Page 2 • Wednesday, January 30, 2019 Cassville Democrat FELONY ARREST Who: Jimmy Taylor Jr., 40, of Exeter What: Is charged with first-degree burglary and resisting arrest Seligman annual call stats released Bond: Is set at $50,000, cash only they have decided to hire ing to hire four part-time City police SELIGMAN POLICE more officers. officers to spilt up an addi- hiring part-time What: Summary of 2018 “By having more part- tional 40 hours a week. calls for service time officers, we will be “So that bumps us up officers More: New officers in able to fill those gaps in to 80 hours of coverage a Man charged for training coverage,” he said. “We week,” he said. “The offi- BY JORDAN PRIVETT Why: To offer more coverage have the budget for it, we cers that we are looking to [email protected] just don’t have the individ- hire are currently working burglarizing home Seligman Police include everything that is uals yet.” for other agencies, and will Department took 1,260 dispatched for medical, the Barry County Sheriff’s Phillips said he believes continue to work at those calls for service in 2018 disturbances, animal calls 40-year-old Office, Taylor and an that will help quite a bit in agencies.” and is in the process of and assist other agencies.” city limits. Phillips said the train- captured later accomplice allegedly Phillips said he hasn’t kicked in the door of a hiring and training more “I have been work- ing process is different for part-time officers to offer noticed any specific trends ing a lot of evenings and everyone. after fleeing on home on Highway 37. He the calls for 2018. fled on foot and was locat- more coverage throughout weekends, and with this, “It really depends on foot the week and weekends. “Looking at the calls, my position will be full- how often they ride, and ed on Jan. 23 at about 5:05 there were more calls in p.m. in the 1300 block of Matt Phillips, Seligman time more throughout the how fast they can learn BY KYLE TROUTMAN chief of police, said of the 2017, but we also had more week,” he said. “As far as the system, policies and Ivey Street. He again fled coverage at the time,” he [email protected] and was apprehended near 1,260 calls for service, 273 pay goes, we were paying the city limits,” he said. said. “The calls have been An Exeter man was Presley and 14th streets. of them were traffic stops. for 40 hours of coverage a “I do have one officer that about the same in nature arrested on Jan. 23 after Taylor allegedly has a “There were 361 tick- week from me, but I was was already familiar with allegedly kicking in the history for theft of prop- ets issued and 167 warn- that they always are.” averaging about 50 hours the system that we use, so door of a Cassville home. erty. He is being held in ings for the year of 2018,” Phillips said to combat of coverage a week.” training him wasn’t dif- Jimmy Taylor Jr., 40, the Barry County jail on a he said. “The 1,260 calls any issues in Seligman Phillips said he is look- ficult.” of Exeter, is charged with cash-only bond of $50,000.