My writing this week may appear to be a little convoluted. more

Hopefully, this will be the last apology I will need to make for a while (wishful thinking!). more

The vacant gaze of boy soldiers stares off the page. more

Capitol Report
Standing with our men and women in blue more

Father's Day may be June 18 this year but to all of the people who hold the title of dad, every day is special. Nothing makes a more profound change in a man than becoming a father. In fact, some would say fatherhood is a journey that leads boys on a path to becoming men.  more

On Memorial Day, our nation honors military service members who have given their lives for our country. Families, friends and communities pause to remember the many great sacrifices of our military and ensure their legacy lives on in the freedoms we all enjoy. We recognize these heroes who, in President Lincoln’s words, “gave the last full measure of devotion.” more

The Willow Springs Tuesday Study Club met at Club 60 in Mtn. Grove on May 16, 2023, for its annual Spring Party, closing its 97th season. Hostesses for the day were Jean Biehl, Pauline Cape, Kathleen Carel and Claudia Marvin. more

We are so excited that our Annual Cowboy Roundup is 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. this Saturday. Haylee Brawley will be there with her horse, Husker, to show the little cowpokes her barrel racing and roping skills, Gene Simeroth will be teaching hands-on rope-making, a contest for the cutest little cowboy and cowgirl will send a couple of cuties home with money in their pockets, an easy cowboy line dance or two will be taught, hot dogs and chips will be served up at the chuckwagon and every little visitor will receive a red bandana, mustache and deputy badge from Friends of the Summersville Library. Hope to see you there! more

Years ago I helped families in the Ozarks and Southern Appalachian Mountains make money from their forests by harvesting timber in sustainable ways and increasing the amount of carbon those forests could pull out of the atmosphere. more

President Joe Biden is getting closer and closer to making America the only nation in the world without borders. more

It’s never too early to start planning for retirement and our online tools can help. Go to www.ssa.gov/myaccount to access your personal my Social Security account to get an estimate of your retirement benefits based on your earnings record. Once you have an account, you can use our Plan for Retirement tool to see how your benefits can change at different ages. Don’t have a personal my Social Security account? You can create one at www.ssa.gov/myaccount. more

The Willow Springs Tuesday Study Club met May 2 at the charming country home of Claudia Marvin for the final business meeting of the club’s 97th season. Claudia was the hostess for the day and was assisted by Jean Biehl. more

The West Plains hospital started in 1919 with Dr. R.E. Hogan, who bought the old West Plains College property on East Main Street, east from the downtown square, probably less than one mile. more

I’ve heard enough about the “good ol’ days” of a half a century or more ago. more

Our ninth annual Cowboy Roundup is less than two weeks away, and our exciting new Summer Reading Program kicks off just a few days later. We're a busy library that is about to get even busier! more

In the two years following Joe Biden’s inauguration, nearly everything he touched under one-party Democrat rule turned into a crisis. His executive actions and the administration’s policies created an energy crisis; the massive spending he championed set off the worst inflation crisis in 40 years; and Washington Democrat’s embrace of soft-on-crime policies helped create a violent crime crisis. more

It is commendable that we remember our own mothers with cards and other tokens of love this Mother's Day, but it is even more fitting that we thank God and pray for mothers everywhere. more

One more Dr. Fowler story. As I mentioned in my last column, printed in the May 4 Quill, I had visited with Dr. Marvin Fowler recently in his home, and as I was leaving, I asked, “Dr. Fowler, who did you tell your ailments to?” more

As Mother’s Day again rolls around, I am reminded of the comments shared by western author Elmer Kelton about his mother, Bea Kelton. more

Sallie Kincaid was the daughter of the biggest man in a small town, born at the turn of the 20th Century into a life of comfort and privilege. After her mother’s untimely death, her father remarried and soon cast Sallie out of the Big House and out of town. more