Column

Kyle Troutman: A worthy and colorful cause
Inever ceased to be amazed by the extent and variety of our local philanthropic organizations. From the Cassville Education Fund’s support of our school teachers to the Cassville Community Foundation’s support of all things Cassville and Roaring River and the Soroptimist Club’s support of local women to the Cassville Rotary Club’s support of the Cassville community — and many, many more organizations I don’t have all the space to name — there is no shortage of neighbors helping neighbors in our slice of southwest Missouri.

Michell Hilburn: Summer fun with a side of learning
Summer is underway in the Hilburn household. This season comes with a whirlwind of activities for our family.

Dakoda Pettigrew: American Insights — Lincoln at Independence Hall
The president-elect reached Philadelphia at 4 p.m. on Thursday, February 21, 1861. In response to warm greetings, Lincoln told a crowd that he hoped “to restore peace and harmony and prosperity to the country.” He added, however, “I shall do nothing inconsistent with the teachings of those holy and most sacred walls” of Independence Hall. “I have never asked anything that does not breathe from those walls,” Lincoln said. Paraphrasing Psalm 137, he added, “May my right hand forget its cunning and my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I ever prove false to those teachings” of the Constitution and the Declaration.

Kyle Troutman: Dialing in on some summer fun
For the next 14 weeks, school-age children in Barry County — and their parents (myself included) — will have to find things to do. As part of the millennial generation that loves a little nostalgia, I can’t help but think about what my summers were like as a kid, how it differs from today and how I can ensure my kids have a summer worth remembering.

Dakoda Pettigrew: American Insights: The Two Worlds
On September 19, 1796, the president’s farewell address appeared in Philadelphia’s Claypoole’s American Daily Advertiser. The address, written by George Washington with the aid of Alexander Hamilton, contained many important themes.

Kyle Troutman: Annual dose of Vitamin C ahead
Grab your family, friends and boxes of tissues — graduation season is upon us. Five local schools will send off their seniors between Thursday and May 17, about 300 freshfaced adults, thrusting them into the worlds of college, trade school or the job market after having guided many for over a decade.

Jeremiah Buntin: Pioneer of Oak Hill Cemetery
This past week, the headstone for my grandmother’s grave at Oak Hill Cemetery was finally set. Visiting the Cassville cemetery to see the stone brought to mind an obituary I had read a few months ago in a Springfield newspaper from 1845 for Hugh W.

Dakoda Pettigrew: American Insights: Rescuing the Experiment
As the snow fell at Mount Vernon in March 1785, George Washington was deeply concerned. Two years after the Treaty of Paris ended the War of Independence, America faced imminent ruin.

Donnie Spears: Make a stand for God
First, Live in The Fear of the Lord; Proverbs 14:26,27 ”In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.“ What is it to walk in the “Fear of the Lord”. It is obedience, it is trust, it is complete confidence, it is comfort and a place of safety .

Kyle Troutman: Never question the fun
There are a lot of questions asked at the annual Cassville Education Fund Trivia Night, 60 to be precise, but one aspect of the evening is never questioned — you will have a blast. I have covered Trivia Night almost every year in the past decade, and it seems to get better and better every year.