Opinion

Dakoda Pettigrew: American Insights — Lincoln in Peoria
With the flourish of his signature, President Franklin Pierce set America down the path toward civil war. On May 30, 1854, the fourteenth president signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, repealing the Missouri Compromise and opening the territories to slavery through popular sovereignty.

Kyle Troutman: Part II: The new normal
A couple weeks ago, a panel of five brave high school students answered some uncomfortable questions in front of about 50 adults gathered at the FEMA Event Center.

Jeremiah Buntin: Roaring River’s other ‘Mountain Maid’
Most residents and vacationers in the Ozarks region are familiar with the story of Jean Wallace, the clairvoyant recluse living in her Roaring River cabin in the hills south of Cassville until its destruction by fire in 1940, claiming the life of the Mountain Maid of Roaring River.

Sheila Harris: Feces by another name
My heart is a little bit broken. With the proliferation of land-applied industrial processing waste in Barry County, I’m already seeing, firsthand, the degradation of the natural resources for which the Ozarks are known.

Jeff Fugitt: Thoughts and prayers
As someone who studied religion in a state university, I am accustomed to hearing a wide variety of criticisms of Christians and Christianity. Many of those criticisms have been well deserved by Christians, and some of the disagreements are understandable differences of perspective.

Trout Tales, March 13
The house was packed and some mules were Eeore-ly morose after taking to the court on Saturday for the Exeter FFA Booster Club’s donkey basketball games.

Kyle Troutman: Part I: The new normal
The future of our youth is at stake. No, this is not hyperbole. If you’re reading this, chances are you remember a time in your life when the internet did…

Janet Mills: It’s not easy being green
In the grand feast of life, green veggies often get a bad rap. I remember Kermit the frog used to lament, “It’s not easy being green.” Like Kermit, the humble green vegetable often finds itself ignored, disdained, picked last from the buffet array, and readily pushed to the side of the plate.

Jon Horner: The many meanings of March Madness
Yes, we have turned the page of the calendar to the month of March.

Al Slavik: Claim your path with God
Spring is a wonderful time of the year bringing hope and rebirth. Over the course of my life, I have discovered that what brings hope and joy to some people also brings despair and hopeless feelings to others. The more people they see and talk to that are happy, the lower they sink, wondering why they don’t feel that way. They see problems in their lives and don’t see solutions.