Sick leave repeal should be a concern  more

When John Cookman was being tried for shooting and killing John McBride, Cookman’s guilt was evident. more

Some mornings, as I lie in bed in that semi-dream state somewhere between sleep and barely awake, I hear a far-off train whistle. more

I wish I’d known years ago that my ability to sleep well might have an expiration date. I used to be so good at it. In those early years, I could drop off within minutes, stay asleep all night, and snooze for a 10 to 12-hour stretch any time I had the chance. It was easy. more

My mother-in-law, Florence Noland, was one of the old-school cooks. She was at home in her kitchen whether cooking for just herself and Grandpa, for a larger family of siblings or offspring, or for a carry-in dinner “down at the church house.” more

After more than two decades, the U.S. Veterans Affairs still has no plan in place for veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom who have TBIs and SCIs and need drug rehabilitation. Why? No one knows. This needs to change. more

When the private sector doesn’t provide an important service, the government often steps in. That is why the framers established the U.S. Postal Service; they believed no one else would deliver the mail to the entire country. Many places in America, especially in rural communities, would not have a library without public funding. Police departments, the military, Medicare, Social Security and public education offer other examples. more

About this time every year, I tire of summer. I know I’m supposed to love summer – heat, sun, being outside – but I don’t. This summer, especially, has been, as we used to say when we were kids, poopy. more

I’m off duty this week. My in-laws took the kids on Saturday and since then, I’ve been living life like Kevin McAllister in Home Alone: eating junk, watching rubbish, and jumping on my bed while chanting, “I’m living ALONE! I’m living ALONE!” more

Fall is a busy time for cattle producers, so now would be a good time to begin planning for things that will be taking place in the upcoming weeks. more

Peace can indeed get messy and complicated. We live in a world of conflict, but peacemaking is costly and countercultural. The world is full of division in families, communities, churches, nations and within individuals.People often prefer avoiding conflict or retaliating, rather than pursuing peace. more

When I see things on television or in a movie, like old cars that remind me of ones I owned in my younger days, it takes me back to a time when they were mine. more

If your legs ache, swell or feel heavy, especially at the end of the day, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans live with venous disease that includes conditions like chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), lymphedema and lipedema, which can cause pain, swelling and other symptoms. more

Sometimes, I get angry emails. It doesn't happen often, which is good because I don't try to inspire irritation. But when you write for the public every week for more than 20 years, you're bound to tick off a few people now and then. Want to know what topic has most often sparked unhappy responses? It's not politics. Not religion. It's snakes. more

Weekends should be enjoyed, and this weekend I thoroughly enjoyed attending a couple of events in Sedalia on Saturday and then taking a scenic drive on Sunday. more

My husband, Jeff, and two of our friends attended the soft opening of The Vault Ristorante on Wednesday, July 16, and thoroughly enjoyed the Italian fare. more

Independence Day 2026 will be a major milestone, when the United States of America turns 250 years old. more

It’s hard to accept that the Supreme Court has lost its way, but it has. more

When I was a kid, I rode shotgun in my father’s beat-up Chevy Silverado, hand out the open window so I could try to catch the wind. more

A few years ago, a young man named David saved up to buy a pair of virtual reality goggles. He was fascinated by the promise of seeing new worlds —high-definition, immersive, breathtaking. But when he tried them on, the screen was blurry, the colors were off, and the experience was dizzying. He was frustrated. more