Opinion

Merlyn Johnson: An eye on politics in education
The 2025 Missouri legislative session convened on Jan. 8, and Gov.

Dakoda Pettigrew: American Insights — the purpose of government
On Tuesday, March 4, 1913, Woodrow Wilson delivered his first inaugural address. The day “dawned cloudy,” Irwin Hoover recalled, “but the weather cleared and by mid-morning it was warm and comfortable.”

Trout Tales, Jan. 15
While the boss was homebound due to last week’s snow, I was sent on assignment to find the best sledding hill in Barry County. Alas, I was distracted by this scene at the home of Adrian Reed in Purdy.

Kyle Troutman: Precipitating memories
“This is the most snow I’ve ever seen in my life!” That’s what my 9-year-old exclaimed Friday morning as we woke up to 5-and-ahalf inches of pristine, wet, heavy, perfect-forsnowmen- and-sledding snowfall. School had already been canceled the night before, and we took advantage of the call to sleep in a bit before bundling up and heading to the hill.

Dakoda Pettigrew: American Insights — Double V
There is a small but noisy minority “who want to see no evil and hear no evil, even though they know in their hearts that evil exists,” FDR said on Sunday, Dec. 29, 1940.

Randy Crane: The problems of life and the necessity of Christian growth
This devotional and directory is made possible by these businesses who encourage all to attend worship services. Paul writes to the church that we are to seek to grow in our Christian faith so that we might reach “fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13) He goes on to state the purpose of such growth, “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.

Kyle Troutman: Taking a look ahead
Last week, we took a look back at 2024; this week, we’re looking ahead. With the kids back in school and normal routines resuming (finally), 2025 is in full swing, and we have a lot to look forward to here at the Cassville Democrat.

Jeremiah Buntin: What’s in store for the new year
The changing over to a new year always reminds me of the book title “Seeds of Time” by H. Harold Shamel that we have in the Barry County Museum bookstore.
Lynn Hilburn: Keep daylight saving time as-is
Dear Editor: I am much in favor of all of the waste reduction and fraud exposure that Trump, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy seem to be going after (I have researched and, depending on who you believe we have over $320 million per day of fraud and waste in the Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security systems). But, I do not understand attacking daylight saving time.

Jon Horner: A new chapter awaits
Here we are at the end of 2024. Now, we are getting ready to open the next page of our lives to a new chapter called 2025.