The stories most read between Aug. 1 and Aug. 31, and the dates of their original publication, according to website analytics: more

Daer Readers more

Work-related stress can severely harm someone’s mental health and, without proper support, lead some to turn to substance abuse and even suicide. more

As summer reluctantly gives way to autumn, heralding cooler winds and golden landscapes, there is another transformation that takes place, this one in the depths of my soul. Each time the calendar page turns and the air takes on that familiar crispness, a flutter in my heart reminds me that it's time for my annual rendezvous with a novel that has been both a touchstone and a mirror over the years—Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms." more

Every turn of the calendar page heralds a moment of significance for me. As the air gets crisp, and golden leaves flutter to the ground, there's another kind of flutter that takes place in my heart. It's time once again for my yearly rendezvous with Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms." more

So, you want to be rich and famous! I can show, and tell, you how. It’s not all that hard. more

“O come, angel band, Come as’ around me stand, O, bury me ‘way on your snowy wing, To my emortal home, To my emortal home.”- Angel Band more

It’s often said money makes the world go ‘round, but that’s not entirely true. What keeps it spinning is the selfless leadership and service of legions of folks who never get paid a dime — volunteers. more

The loss of another dear soul in our community last week has brought memories of many others to mind who will never walk through our library door again. I've learned so much from each and every one over the last 31 years as they shared their life experiences with me during library visits.  more

The 2023 Missouri State Fair was another one for the books, with a record number of exhibitors and new all-time highs in the Sale of Champions. From the livestock shows to the carnival rides, the concerts, fair food, and everything in between, there was something for everyone to enjoy. For many farmers, that included talking about farm policy. more

I always get excited as the county and state fair seasons wrap up. I know it's that time of year when the morning air is a little crisper and I get to spend my weekends watching my Mizzou Tigers and Kansas City Chiefs play football. There is nothing better than a tailgate full of friends supporting their team while consuming more barbecue than any medical doctor would recommend. more

Dear Readers, more

“Dady, won’t you take me back to Mohlenberg County, down by the Green River where paradise lay…” more

I flirted last year with returning to college to complete my master’s degree. It wouldn’t have advanced my career. That’s mostly over with. more

Time was turned back 10 years at the library on Saturday, Aug. 19th as we celebrated the 10th anniversary of our library's move into our beautiful current location with an open house. more

Ah, pickleball, the sport that has long been the butt of my — and probably many a millennial’s — jabs. When did tossing around a whiffle ball on a minuscule court with an oversized ping pong paddle become the epitome of middle-aged athleticism? Yet, here I am, amidst the "ping pong on steroids" culture, caught in its tantalizing net of contradiction and compulsion. more

When I was a child growing up in good ole’ West Plains in the 1950s, the population was about 4,000 residents. more

As another crop of freshmen begin their high school journey, I can only hope and pray they will start more wisely than I did at Fair Grove in the fall of 1961. more

“Water witching” or “dowsing” was a tradition that was popular with some Ozarks settlers when trying to find good groundwater sources. It has been a controversial practice since at least the year 1518 AD when both the Catholic Church and Martin Luther declared that this process of divination was banned as a form of occultism. Since that time, dowsing has been practiced around the world. Over time, dowsers have used a process called divination that claims to locate not only water but minerals such as gold and silver, oil, graves, and buried treasure. more

If you've come to the library on either a Thursday afternoon or Saturday morning lately, you know what crazy busy days they are - and we love it!  more