Throughout my life I have been a collector of various items, and I recently became interested in finding out the psychological reasons some people collect things and others don’t. more

Defunding the police to me is like saying eliminate insulin. If I was not using insulin for diabetes, I would eventually shrivel up and die. Much like this idea of defunding the police would ultimately make us feel like we were living in the wild, wild west where justice was taken into the hands of the community unless a law enforcement official was in the immediate area. Our communities would die. 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

Steve, more

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

January was always a hard month when I was a boy on the farm. more

Last week, it was an ordinary evening around 6:45 p.m. Coco, my toy poodle puppy, rang the jingle bell at the front door to go out for her last adventure. more

Lord willing, I’ll be 76 years old as of Saturday, Dec. 30 — exactly 60 years from the day I became old enough to legally drive on Missouri highways. more

The AMVETS post 117 Buffalo would like to express our sincere gratitude for the amazing article that was written about our parade float at the Veteran’s Day parade. Steve Johnson went above and beyond our expectations. more

Family members are hating one another like a radical Muslim hates a Jewish man or a Christian man where there is war and chaos in the streets. Lawlessness! Politicians lying as fast as they can make new laws. Same type of politicians spreading fear. It seems like the world is falling apart and our leader’s lights are on but no one is home. Someone stop and back this truck up where can you run is their place without hate, lies and politics. No war, you say if only there were a place like that.  more

In this age of digital media and social networking it's easy to overlook the tried-and-true methods of communication that have stood the test of time. One such method that continues to be a powerful tool for community engagement and business growth is advertising in our paper. Throughout my time as the advertiser for this paper I've seen first hand the difference between businesses that value advertising and those who don't. In our small town, where community ties run deep and word of mouth travels fast, investing in newspaper advertising can have a profound impact on both local businesses and residents alike.  more

The Pomme de Terre Chamber of Commerce's "Light up the Lake" event got an extra dose of international flair, thanks to six exchange students from (ISE) International Student Exchange. Matthias (Italy), Jovan (Montenegro), Haritz (Spain), Emil (Denmark), Emanuele (Italy), and Bernat (Spain) volunteered to help set up the event at Pomme de Terre Lake dam site park on November 26th and 27th. Our international students have quickly embraced and fallen in love with our local community. Their infectious enthusiasm and eagerness to lend a hand have truly touched our hearts, and we extend our heartfelt gratitude for their invaluable contributions to the success of this event. These helpful students will be on hand to greet the public and collect donations at the gate alongside their Area Representatives on December 26th. Join us at "Light up the Lake" and meet these wonderful exchange students. You'll be supporting the local economy and making new friends in the process. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved! more

Cognitive slowness, fever, cough, headache, joint inflammation, exhaustion and loss of smell have invaded my life over the past few weeks. I've been waiting to get out and about again after isolating myself from family and friends from what I suspect was another bout of COVID-19. more

I’ve almost always believed in Santa Claus, but I never thought he was real. more

You think you know someone and then they write a book about their life. Susie Kinslow Adams's newest book about her love story and autobiography, "The Rebel and Preacher Man," has been released. more

We’ll be going into winter soon, Dec. 21 — maybe sooner if Mother Nature gets impatient. more

I was reading the newspaper last week, enjoying all of the good articles, but there was one that really hit home. Paul Campbell’s November 29, 2023 article titled ‘It all started when he hit me back.’ It was a good read and right on the mark.   more

Missouri’s DNR is requesting to hear from YOU. Pomme de Terre River and Lake are in danger of joining too many of our state’s and country’s waters in that they are being contaminated by Corporate America, big businesses, and insufficient oversight of their operational practices. A slaughter house owned by STX of Texas, Mo Prime Beef Packers in Pleasant Hope, Mo. has requested permit to discharge 350,000 gallons of sludge waste water straight into Pomme de Terre every day. It appeared that DNR was going to approve this permit until the nearby neighbors gained enough awareness from concerned citizens that DNR could not ignore their claims. Personal wells have been tested positive for contaminants relative to slaughter water run off and obvious adverse effects are evident in the waters of nearby creeks and Pomme de Terre River herself, from their abuse of their permit to dump, currently, 140,000 gallons of sludge waste waters onto neighboring feilds under guise of it being safe fertilizer. DNR will be holding public hearings to give folks opportunity to speak via phone or WebEx. (Download the WebEx App ahead of time). You can also get your comments to DNR by mail at Missouri Dept of Natural Resources Attn: MO-0113204 Missouri Prime Beef Public Notice Comments P.O. Box 176 Jefferson City, Mo 65102-0176 or e-mail to: publicnoticenpdes@dnr.Mo.gov or fax to: (573) 751-1146. All comments must have “Attn: MO-0113204 Missouri Prime Beef Packers public notice comments” at the top of note. DNR is hosting 3 public hearings where no questions will be answered and they request comments be kept to under 3 minutes. One hearing will be an in-person hearing held at the Pleasant Hope Mo Middle School at 515 W. McCurry st Pleasant Hope Mo on Jan 6th 2024 from 12:30pm to 4:30pm. The other 2 hearings are to be attended via phone, (650) 479-3207 (for both hearings). For the hearing on Dec.12th 2023 from 5:30pm to 8:00pm the WebEx meeting number (access code ) is: 2734 035 9937 and the password is: VDp3B5sB83m. For the hearing on Dec. 19th 2023 at 4:00pm to 6:00pm the WebEx meeting number is: 2631 035 9937 and the password is:DNR. For further information on the history of this issue visit www.protectpommedeterre.com and browse the posts in both Facebook groups, Protect Pomme de Terre and Pomme de Terre Water Watch Dogs. Whether you conclude to think this permit should be approved or denied, please exercise your freedom of having a voice on matters worth speaking up for. more

The Fair Grove Senior Center is welcoming the addition of parking lot lighting. Previously, the lot was lit by ambient light from the building. A new pole was set by the parking lot and lights installed. With three flood lights installed, the outer lot is well lit after dusk. more

When I was a young girl there were only two churches right there in Fair Grove; the Methodist and the Baptist. They might have had different names, but they were practically one church. Week-long revivals, bible school, Christmas programs, Easter sunrise services and breakfast afterward were all shared together. Reba Yandell Turner played piano for both churches. more

Many years ago, I had heard of sending shoeboxes worldwide for children who may otherwise not get a Christmas present. However, I never became a part of the mission. more

One of the things my dad taught me about the working world is that it’s always good to have “multiple revenue streams.” That way, if one stream dries up or slows to a trickle, you’ll have another one to keep you going. more

One day last week turnips were added to the lunch menu at the Fair Grove Senior Center. As part of Jennifer's (the Center's administrator) announcements prior to everybody getting their food, she told us they cooked some turnips. The individuals sitting at my table weren't too thrilled with the prospect of eating that particular vegetable. more

Lately, we have been fielding an over-abundance of phone calls from our subscribers informing us “I did not receive my newspaper in the mail this week.” more

I’ve learned a lot about farming in my 75 years, but most of it I’ve forgotten within the last 10. more