On Saturday, I took a day away to go visit Jacob Brower, my old boss and former publisher of the Cassville Democrat and The Monett Times, and he asked me a question many people hint at but don’t ask outright — how many hours per week do you work these days?

Between the more than a handful of hats I wear — news journalist, photographer, sports writer, designer, website manager, social media manager and publisher — my honest answer to Brower was that I put in about 50 hours a week on average. Some weeks require more, and in others, I can get by with less.

This week is on the “more” side of things.

This issue is one of our largest in a while at 22 pages. Having completed the five FFA pages and two Opening Day pages, I am now turning my attention to the next five days.

Today (Wednesday) and Thursday, I will be at Mizzou Arena in Columbia covering the state wrestling tournament. Cassville has eight boys and one girl for me to track, and because we publish Monett Monthly these days, I will also take the opportunity to cover as many of the six Cubs as I can, as well.

I’ve written about state wrestling before. It’s absolute chaos, Thursday especially. Between the drive up Wednesday and the full day of Thursday coverage, I will put in 24 hours on the clock quite easily. As fast-paced and stressful as it is, it’s a lot of fun. It’s emotional and gripping to watch our local youth battle their way to the best placements they can, reveling in the wins and despairing in the losses.

As usual, I plan to have live updates, probably thousands of photos and numerous highlight videos from each wrestler. The mental preparation has already begun. It’s a challenge, but a rewarding one by the end.

On the way back from Columbia, I’ll be making a stop in Jefferson City to pick up our 1,500 Trout Times magazines, another weeks-long labor of love that highlights the best of Barry County.

As always happens during this week, there is a possibility one of our small-school basketball teams reaches a district championship contest, which could mean some extra travel on Saturday.

Time will tell whether that materializes or not, but one thing that I can always count on is Opening Day.

On a Sunday this year, more than 2,000 anglers are expected to cast their first lines of the season, and I will be there bright and early to capture the madness.

I’m secretly hoping the weather forecast shifts a day and we get a little more of the 70 degrees than 50 degrees, but I won’t be holding my breath.

This year, Dr. Larry Quinalty is firing the gun. I’ve talked to Larry a few times over the years about his Dutch oven cooking, but the interview I did with him for Trout Times revealed so much more of his adventures.

Larry has traveled to all seen continents — even Antartica — and worked as a professor, worked for the Nature Center and written numerous books, and he has another coming out.

It’s always fun when state elected officials make their way to our neck of the woods to fire the gun, like Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe did last year, but there’s something even more special about local folks getting the traditional honor. 

As usual, I figure I’ll run into the every-year-anglers in their every-year-spots. Yet, one of the beauties of Opening Day is getting to meet new people and tell their stories, whether they live on a Barry County Farm Road or come from hundreds of miles away.

Next week’s issue may not be 22 pages, but one thing is for sure — I could have enough content to make it so.

After the paper is put to bed, I imagine there’s only one thing I will be craving: rest.

Here’s to a great week of Cassville and Barry County news and sports. I can’t wait to deliver it all to you.

Kyle Troutman has served as editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and owner/publisher since 2023. He is a three-time ISWNE Golden Dozen award winner. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or [email protected].