A friend called a few days ago asking if I had a lantern she could borrow, not an unusual request from someone needing a light, but she had another purpose. more

Having finished A New Year Parts 1-4, a question from some readers has been “Was that a true story?” The answer is yes, and it is based on my third, fourth, and fifth great-grandparents, the Hawkins family, who journeyed together from Warren County, Tennessee, in 1837, to what is now Ozark County, Missouri. They established Hawkins Ridge, their home before and after the Civil War, complete with an enduring school/church building and a cemetery where generations of my ancestors rest. more

I fell, hard. Not in a romantic “falling in love” or “falling head over heels for someone” way. Not even in a funny, cartoon, slipping on a banana peel way. I did go head over heels, but not in the way that anyone would want. more

Dear Readers, more

Next week, thousands of Farm Bureau members will be in Salt Lake City for the 105th American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting. Much like our own state annual meeting, contests will be held, county and state Farm Bureaus will be recognized, and national Farm Bureau policies are set to be voted on and enacted for 2024. The convention takes place Jan. 19 through 24, and I’m excited to say that Missouri Farm Bureau (MOFB) members will be in the thick of convention activities once again. more

To the editor: more

It’s time for our 11th Annual Princess Tea Party Story Time this Saturday, January 20th @ 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. This is our favorite activity of the year, and we are SO excited to host it again! Everyone is invited to come and have a good time with us. Pinky out! more

Pairs: old trees and old rivers, doves and Redbirds, maybe a double rainbow written in heaven above. And then there’s you and there’s me. more

I’ve come across the word “anachronism” often in reading, but I was never exactly sure what it meant. Context usually hinted it was something out of place, but I wanted to be sure; so, as a last resort I looked it up in the dictionary. more

You have arrived in the Ozarks of Missouri. Traveling for months with your spouse and three children, you have found the people you had heard of- the Hawkins’ family. This multigenerational Tennessee family had settled in 1837 on a border that was so undefined that they weren’t sure if they were in Missouri or Arkansas. It depended on who you asked. more

Ah, West Plains, our cozy corner of the world, where the hint of snowflakes in the air sends a flutter of excitement and a bit of panic through the streets. This week, Old Man Winter decided to stop by unannounced, leaving a mere 1-2 inches of snow on our doorsteps. You’d think he’d dropped a blanket of chaos instead of snowflakes! more

State legislators from across Missouri descended upon the state Capitol Jan. 3 to kick off the 2024 state legislative session. From now through May 17, these elected leaders will debate and deliberate bills and topics important to them and their constituents. The hope each and every year is for priority issues to be passed by the General Assembly and ultimately land on the Governor’s desk for his signature.  more

Dear Readers, more

This mother hen has found herself in an empty nest. more

We have just begun this year’s Missouri legislative session. Budget hearings began last year and will continue throughout this session.   more

Editor’s note: This column first appeared in the Quill on Jan. 9, 2018. more

It is wonderful to be back in Jefferson City to complete my final year in the Missouri Senate. As I mentioned in my last column, I will not be running for reelection. I made a promise to the people of the 33rd Senatorial District to complete a four-year term and I plan to come to work every day this session with the same passion and energy that I carried with me into the Senate for my first day in 2021. more

Let 2024 be the year you join Summersville Friends of the Library to have a part in planning library activities and fundraising for our local library. The small group meets for one hour each month and has no membership fee. Easy-peasy! They are one of the nicest groups you’ll find, and you’ll find that community service has its own rewards.    more

The big news at our house is the arrival of our first great-grand daughter, Violet Blake Mitze. Violet, the daughter of Lauren McKay Mitze and Michael Mitze. Violet Blake was born on a Sunday in Denver, Colorado. more

I passed by my grandpa’s farm on the old Springfield/Buffalo road one morning last week. more