In starting a bluebird house, you will need a good box that is well-ventilated and watertight with drainage holes, plus something that is easy to clean. more

Two days ago, while sitting at my desk attempting to be a productive human, a noise broke my focus and nearly broke my window, too. more

There is so much more lost when an old friend dies than just their physical self. I have realized that for quite a while now, and that realization comes to me all over again when another old friend passes away. more

I was always a fan of Rev. Doyle Sager. He once said something profound I can’t forget: He prayed, “God help us through this time when relationships are so confused.” I also liked this: My friend Lisa told me, “When he’s going to talk about something controversial, he says, ‘I don’t want anyone to misunderstand me. I’m going to say this three times.’” And then he did. more

It is Holy Saturday. Today is silent and solemn, but tonight, we will celebrate Christ’s dramatic victory of the powers of sin, death and hell. more

Gary Habermas, the expert on Jesus' resurrection, lost his wife to cancer at 43. Gary went through all of the emotions of grief and mourning. This included asking God why. He imagined that God would say, “Gary, did I raise my Son from the dead?” Gary would wonder why Debbie is dying. “Gary, did I raise my Son from the dead?” Gary recognized that Jesus had been raised from the dead, so he could trust that he and Debbie would be together again for all eternity. This Sunday is a reminder that this life is not all there is. more

Breeding season for spring calving beef cows and heifers is just around the corner. Nutritional management between now and the start of the breeding season will be critical for breeding success, especially for heifers. more

Dear Editor: more

For months now, I've been eating breakfast with a goose. more

In late September 1902, thieves broke into the Terry Brothers Hardware Store in La Monte and escaped with a large amount of merchandise. more

I’m growing weary of being lied to about President Biden’s health. The latest example involves the physical he recently underwent. more

The Iowa Capital Dispatch reported this week that “The [Iowa] Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill Tuesday adding legal protections for pesticide manufacturers over failure to warn consumers about the potential health risks associated with use of their products. more

I’m concerned about my eyes. Oh, not my vision. It’s still bad. No, I’m concerned because the “German” is coming and coming quickly. more

To say that I love words is an understatement. more

On June 16, 1896, a crime occurred in Sedalia and was reported by the Sedalia Democrat in its daily edition on June 17 and its weekly edition on June 18, but the nature of the reporting leaves several questions unanswered. more

Instructor: “Now, wrap the fabric around your wrists and then pull yourself upside down to do the inverted starfish.” more

This year marks the 20th year I’ve been organizing exhibits and showing art in Sedalia. more

I have a long to-do list waiting for me after I write this column. So long, in fact, that I might be able to get through the day without thinking too much about what day it actually is. Today is March 15. The Ides of March. The day before my son’s birthday. Diagnosis day. more

It’s “Sunshine Week,” a time when we celebrate one of the bedrocks of American democracy: Open government. It’s timed to coincide with the birthday of James Madison, known as the father of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Madison believed deeply in the importance of access to information in a free society, and in the press as an essential tool for self-governance. more

I’ve been interested in the recent kerfuffle about the Special Counsel’s report regarding not charging President Biden with unlawful retention of classified documents. It’s interesting not only because of the subject, but also because the Special Counsel’s report didn’t exactly match up with the transcript of the actual interview. For instance, the report states that Mr. Biden is, paraphrasing here, an old man with a bad memory, including not remembering when his son died. more