Opinion

Jon Horner: Happy World Creativity and Innovation Day
What a great time to celebrate creativity and innovation! Sunday was World Creativity and Innovation Day, and this month we got to witness the Great American Eclipse, which definitely didn’t disappoint after the massive publicity build up ahead of the event. The eclipse and the excitement building up to it was very similar to the excitement in our nation during the NASA Moon program in the late 60s.

Kyle Troutman: Productive race ahead (we hope)
After 20 years of the same person holding the position of sheriff, Barry County in August will have its third contested election for the post, to be settled in the Aug. 6 Republican Primary Election.

Janet Mills: Earth Day 2024 — Planet vs. plastic challenge
As we observe Earth Day 2024 on Monday with a focus on “Planet vs. Plastics,” it’s crucial to think about one of our biggest environmental challenges: the widespread use of single-use plastic bags.
Debbie Kober: Plant selection for spring garden projects
Longer days and warmer temps stir excitement in all gardeners. We start scouring seed catalogs for new releases, take trips to the local garden center, and revel in that unspoken competition to be the first gardener to start tomatoes (and the disappointment when you’re not).

Bill Hodgson: Let the children come to me
Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14) What is the age of conversion? Sometimes we refer to an “age of reason,” the point in development where a child shows a sense of conscience.

Kyle Troutman: A case of some Mondays
The last two Mondays have been unique ones for the Troutman family, marked by worries about weather one week and enjoyment of a celestial event the next. On April 1, we were set to return home from a weekend in Florida visiting my eldest sister, who just had her first baby, miss Scarlett Ever Parker.

Lynn Hilburn: Work still needed on Bayless-Salyer house
We have finally completed the placing of the columns on the front porch at the Bayless-Salyer House at 9th and Townsend streets. The Barry County Historical and Genealogical Society would like to thank the people, families and businesses who have contributed money to pay for the purchase and installation of the new columns.

Michelle Hilburn: Faith in the future of literacy
April is not only a month to celebrate the return of spring, but it’s also the month the library community celebrates school libraries and school librarians. Executive members of the American Association of School Librarians created this annual celebration to highlight the work school librarians and school libraries do to support student learning.

Rich Cummings: Get out and minister
It looks like Spring has finally arrived. No more forecasted freezes and a whole lot of warm sunshine.

Kyle Troutman: Part IV — The new normal
Pinpointing a problem is easy, but finding a solution — not as much. After the Cassville school district held a screening of the documentary “Childhood 2.0” recently, attendees were asked to complete a survey to help organizer understand what people liked and disliked about the unique event.