Columns
Filing into a Springfield auditorium 15 minutes late, four children in tow, I was nervous and excited to hear Eric Meyer speak in person. His talk at the Hatch Auditorium was the highlight of the annual Ozark Press Association Convention that I attended last week.
With unabashed admiration...
Bear City Fall Festival is the busiest annual event in Willow Springs, usually drawing crowds that make me reconsider my stance on using toddler leashes. Under normal circumstances, I find them degrading, but as we pick our way through the crowds clutching the kids’ hands and counting them over...
I know we all get excited when the TV news comes to town. I get it. It’s unusual and exciting. Hometown newspapers, however humdrum we may seem, do have one advantage. We see – and report—patterns the out-of-towners miss.
That’s why last week when other outlets were splashing press...
Last week, it was pretty tough to stumble to the kitchen and pour myself that cup of ambition. The world said goodbye to beloved singer, do-gooder, and sass-talker Dolly Parton. I don’t have to tell you, dear readers, that Parton has always seemed special to Howell County because of her...
It’s hard to believe our summer intern’s ten-week stint in our newsroom will be over by the time this paper is in your hands. Rising Mizzou sophomore Grace Long has been nothing short of a blessing to our publication this summer, though her time with us has been tainted by some unnecessary...
Last week, Ron and I published our 350th edition of Howell County News — seven years of newspapers. The past month has brought disasters and developments that would have made the me of seven years ago catatonic with anxiety. These days, we’re balancing it all, finding solutions, and,...
Every election season, men and women tear down each other's dignity. And for what? Fleeting positions of power? Self-importance? I don't know why. 2026 is the year I’ve seen more election-time nastiness than ever before.
I have some things to say about that.
But first, please...
CLICK HERE for a time lapse video of the making of the big mural.
I’ve seldom been more grateful for the freedom an opinion column offers. Today, I will make no effort to conceal my absolute delight and deep gratitude to Tammy Schulz, whose talent and loving effort elevated a simple playground to...
In the second installment of our series on the new Bailey Legacy Park, I want to talk about all the details that have come together to make a pleasing whole.
From the earliest planning stages, a sensory board has been part of the vision for the park. Immediately, we approached Children’s...
It’s June, and the sunflowers are finally blooming.
Bailey Legacy Park is in daily use by families and teens. Millennials really seem to love the Willow Wings mural. The finish line of this massive project is in sight, and I’m going to devote the next three weeks to highlighting all the...