One of my collateral duties aboard my first ship in the Navy was classified material control officer. Monthly, I would strap a .45 automatic on my hip and pick up new material at a closely guarded building. more

Liz Schleicher’s column on Saturday noted that few children’s books today are set on farms or deal with agriculture, and that today’s children are missing a great deal by not being able to read accurate books about farms and farm life. She is correct. more

Another municipal election approaches, and I always hope that “this year will be different.” The late Congressman, historian, and all-around good guy Ike Skelton said that all politics is local, and he meant locals must vote. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen in Sedalia. Though the percentage of Pettis County registered voters who actually vote in national elections is embarrassingly low, that percentage falls to dismal in municipal elections. more

The 50-year golden anniversary of Missouri’s Sunshine Law has led me to reflect on what could be done to restore the vision of Missouri’s original Sunshine Law sponsors. more

My mother’s people have two passions: farming and reading. I inherited the love of both. more

God hates _______. What comes to your mind to fill in that blank? You are probably thinking of a provocative poster at a protest. Or a person or yourself. The weight of this phrase should hit us. The perfect, infinite creator God, with all his power and authority, hates _____. How we fill in that blank is indicative of who we believe God is. more

Every spring, Boys & Girls Club members participate in the National Youth Outcomes Initiative Survey; here are a few things they said that stood out to me: more

I am a huge advocate of the topic, “Never stop growing.” more

The Missouri Constitution of 1875 outlines the duties of the various courts operating in the state, including the Supreme Court, the appellate courts, the circuit courts, the criminal courts, the probate courts, and the police or justice of the peace courts in various towns. more

Is there anything good for teenagers to do in Sedalia? more

I apologize to everyone with allergy problems, because I have never quite understood the agony of continual sneezing, blowing one’s nose, tears streaming down one’s face, and carrying around a box of tissues as if they were gold. Emily suffered mightily in both spring and fall, and the best I could do was say, “Oh, I’m so sorry. Please pick up your Kleenexes [or Puffs].” more

“What is your life?” writes James, the half-brother of Jesus. “For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). The Psalmist declares our life is “like smoke” (Ps 102:3). As I look around at the world and all those hurrying here and there, I ask myself, “what is the rush?” more

Normally, I read fiction, as it’s a great way to escape from reality for a bit. Recently, I have revisited my love for historical fiction. more

The poet William Wordsworth wrote of our “little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness ...” more

In listing the earliest residents of Blackwater Township in the northwest corner of Pettis County, the 1882 History of Pettis County names Isaiah Prigmore, who came in 1829 from Kentucky. more

Things are not the same as they were when I was growing up. I believe that every generation has said this from the beginning of time and that’s because of the one constant: change. more

I have written many election-related columns as editor, but I tend to publish them just before Election Day. This year, I thought I’d offer my election reminders a little sooner. more

“Dear March, come in! more

We were going to have out-of-town guests who drink coffee in the morning. Neither of us drinks coffee. I “celebrate the moments of my life” with a French vanilla coffee mix, and occasionally, Max joins me, but he is not a regular. more

Last week, I used the bulletin cover to remind us we have one month to get ready for Lent. It is important we ask the Lord what He is calling us to do for Lent because He knows better than we, what we need to do and because when we start preparing now, we will be ready on Ash Wednesday. The parish also needs to be ready to assist us in our Lenten practices. more