Column
Drake Thomas: Rules in summer aren’t a bummer; the beauty of keeping a schedule during off seasons
Reading that title may give you pause. Summer is a time for respite, rejuvenation — and most importantly, no alarms — right? Why in the world would anyone want to keep their rigid normal schedule when the days are longer, and cookouts, ball games and pool parties seem to jump out from every direction? It is difficult to convince little minds that it is bedtime when the sun sits low and fat on the horizon boasting perfect playing light, before disappearing completely and giving the stage to twinkling fireflies that hover at the perfect height to be cupped and observed by tiny hands.
Jeff Fugitt: God’s love more powerful than storms
One of the interesting things about raising kids is their fresh eyes on the human experience and how the world works. Sometimes, their questions can challenge our settled thinking and spark our own dormant curiosity.
Kyle Troutman: The ides of May
The saying goes, “Beware the Ides of March,” but fore the last two years, it has been the “Ides of May” bringing the bad to Barry County. At this time last year, we as a community were dealing with a lot, most significantly the disappearance and death of Dr.
Dakoda Pettigrew: American Insights — The Tragedy of B. F. Randolph
On Wednesday, January 15, 1868, Benjamin Franklin Randolph opened the second day of the South Carolina Constitutional Convention with a prayer. Brief but moving, Randolph exhorted God to “fill our hearts with love for the general welfare” of all South Carolinians. “Help us in our work here, and when we finish our earthly course, receive us into that welcome abode in heaven.”
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.
