Opinion
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.
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.
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: 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.
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.
Merlyn Johnson: Safeguarding our children — Navigating the digital landscape
As educators and parents, we are entrusted with the monumental task of working together to guide our children to achieve a bright and fulfilling future. In today’s digital age, where the internet pervades every aspect of our lives, this responsibility takes on a new dimension.
Kyle Troutman: Part III — The new normal
How much time a day do you spend on a smart device? This question was posed to grade 6-12 Cassville students in a voluntary poll recently, receiving more than 350 responses. According to the results, 20% of students are on a device more than 6 hours a day, 31.9% are at 4-6 hours, 34.6% are at 2-4 hours and only 13.5% are under 2 hours.
Kristina Atwood: Stay scam savvy
Every week, it seems like we hear about a new scam that we need to keep our eye out for, whether it comes in the form of a person going door-to-door, a phone call, text message, mail, or email. We have to pay attention to mail that looks official, but isn’t, text messages, phone calls, and email that appears to come from an official sounding number or uses official sounding and sometimes threatening messages which aren’t true, and people who come to the door that look official and may not be.
