Just about a year ago, I wrote a column about persimmons. I decided that I would share that column this fall with a couple of Facebook groups that I follow. I sent my writing to the Ozark County Historium which is a wonderful museum, containing a repository of books and manuscripts, a collection of antiques and quilts, and a unique gathering place located in Gainesville, Missouri. more

Displays of Halloween books and DVD’s in our library are being checked out by all ages as Oct. 31 draws near, while the “faint of heart” crowd just enjoys talking about Halloweens of our childhood. more

I take pride in calling myself an Ozarker, and indeed I am. more

Lately, there's been this unsettling thought that's been circling my brain, and it's grown into something I just can’t shake. I’ve reached a point, and I suspect I’m not alone here, where I don’t feel like I can trust the news anymore—not in the way I used to. To be clear, I’m talking about the national, mainstream media, not local news. I still have absolute faith in local reporting, but when it comes to the big networks, I’ve started questioning whether I’m really getting the whole truth. more

To the editor, more

Dear Readers, more

From time to time, friends and acquaintances ask me if they can come watch the proceedings of the Supreme Court of Missouri in Jefferson City. I reply, “Of course, we love having people visit the Court and see us in action.”  more

To the editor: more

“Tyler discovered his gift for communicating with the departed when he was just ten years old. After experiencing a sudden, accurate premonition of his grandmother’s death – what Tyler would later describe as his first experience of ‘knowingness’ – his life would never be the same.” (Excerpt from book) more

When I was a boy learning of life in the woods, my dad taught me to recognize animals by what they left behind — the contents of their scat. more

I recently returned from a short vacation in Iowa and Minnesota and saw the most shocking thing. Their dirt is colored brown and even black. And it’s called soil up there. And it’s everywhere- even in ditches and on the shoulders of the roads. And some of the country roads are that same dark color. more

More than a century ago, a small group of farmers came together in Slater, Missouri, determined to develop an organization to be a voice for agriculture and rural communities. Since Missouri Farm Bureau’s start in 1915, generations of county leaders brought MOFB to where it is today, serving more than 157,000 members across the state. more

To the editor: more

Dear Readers, more

As I sit to write this, Buffalo is preparing to host another Celtic festival to celebrate the Scots-Irish heritage of many Ozarks families. more

I seem to only have one lone hummingbird coming to my feeder now, so I’ve cleaned and stored the other three feeders for the winter. After having close to 20 of the tiny birds battling all summer, my back porch is eerily silent now. more

The first governor of the state of Missouri that I remember is Warren E. Hearnes (Democrat 1965-1973.) The first gubernatorial race that I participated in was the 1980 race between Kit Bond- R (I voted for him) and Joseph Teasdale. Bond won over Teasdale, but in a strange twist the two men had run against each other in 1976 with Teasdale winning. And even stranger, Bond had been elected in 1972. Missouri voters were just all over the place with those elections. Unpredictable. more

It’s hard to wrap my mind around it, but here we are, October 2024. How is it possible that so many years have flown by? This time of year always brings a swirl of emotions, and now more than ever, because my dad, Chris Herbolsheimer—"Herby" to just about everyone—would have turned 70 years old on the 23rd of this month. Seventy! It seems impossible to picture him at that age. Herby, the guy who always had a laugh at the ready, the one who never seemed to slow down, would be hitting a milestone that feels both surreal and strangely fitting. more

If you live in Springfield, you noticed a significant change six weeks ago — school’s back in session. The combination of 25,000-plus college students coming to the city along with K-12 students back on a regular schedule means increased traffic and activity. more

To the editor: more