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

Dear Readers, 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

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

Dear Readers, more

As of Monday, Sept. 30, my daughter Melissa’s mother, DeAnn, has been gone 30 years. The date is an important mile marker for me, my daughter and all who remember Dee, but I let it pass with little notice, just a telephone call to Melissa. more

You might be wondering about this strange title. On September 19-21, I heard presentations on these topics at the Eighteenth Annual Ozarks Studies Symposium at the West Plains Civic Center. This annual meeting, hosted by Missouri State University-West Plains, showcases speakers discussing “all things Ozarks.” I got to present one of my favorite Traditional Ozarks Stories. more

It’s not every day that a world-renowned artist like Cbabi Bayoc comes to our corner of the world, and it’s even rarer for us to get the opportunity to hear him speak directly about his craft and his vision. That’s exactly what’s happening on October 29, 2024, when Bayoc will visit the Historic Lincoln School in West Plains for an evening of art, inspiration, and conversation. This event, appropriately titled "Artistic Inspirations," promises to be something truly special for our community. more

Dear Readers, more

Grandpa Hamilton always wore a metal hardhat on the job, at least that’s how I always pictured him. more

For someone whose ancestors have lived here in the Ozarks since 1828, I have one area where I must admit to a glaring gap in my knowledge- mills. This area is famous for mills which have been the lifeblood of almost every settlement and the heart of every community in Missouri. Between the 1830’s and 1930’s, there were hundreds of mills on streams and rivers and several of them remain intact to 2024. more

There’s a troubling study I came across this week that has me thinking about something I suspect we all deal with, but maybe we’re not talking about enough: financial micro-stresses. These aren’t the big, life-shattering moments like losing a job or facing foreclosure. Instead, they’re the small financial setbacks that seem to pop up just often enough to chip away at our well-being. You know the ones I’m talking about – maybe you miss a credit card payment, notice a little drop in your credit score, or worse, realize your bank account has dipped into overdraft again. Each one, on its own, seems manageable. But when they start to pile up, the weight they carry can feel enormous. more