February is the shortest month, but can go for a long time, especially this leap year. More wine is drunk in February in the U.S. than in any other month. Wonder why? L’amore! Or in English, love! more

The word “saved” seems to be suffering from misuse, abuse, and, in some religious circles, even nervous avoidance. It is a perfectly OK word, you know, used extensively by Jesus and the Apostles, as well as by millions of born-again Christians around the world. more

As Missouri legislators begin their 2024 session, they might want to consider a recent Missouri Supreme Court decision striking down a significant bill lawmakers passed in 2022. more

My mother is radioactive. You wouldn’t know it by looking at her. She’s dozing in a recliner, and the only hint that something is wrong is the sign on the door, which reads “Caution: Radioactive materials.” more

Law officers in Sedalia, Pettis County, Benton County, and Hickory County, as well as the Highway Patrol and the Burns Detective Agency, continued to search for the two young men and a young woman who had robbed Sedalia’s Union Savings Bank of approximately $700 on Dec. 18, 1930. more

We’ve turned the page on 2023, an event that used to be a lot bigger deal than it is today. more

The weathermen say we’re about to get walloped by a big ol’ snowstorm early next week. Or maybe just a few inches. Or nothing at all. more

Max and I are always late to the party. more

Happy New Year! I’m starting off 2024 writing a monthly column for the Sedalia Democrat, so let me start this adventure by telling you a little bit about myself. more

I read an article not long ago by someone lamenting the loss of cursive writing and I had to agree that it is a shame to see beautiful penmanship going away. more

There’s no month quite like January. It wants us awake at the stroke of midnight for parties, fireworks, a kiss, and a toast to the New Year. But then it steamrolls in at daybreak with demands that we drop and give it 50 push-ups before the first cup of coffee. more

“Singing school was to be in the church … He had paid tuition for two and bought a singing book. The class was already there, and Mr. Clewett was seating them. He placed the bass singers in a group, the tenors in another, and sopranos and altos in groups. Then he taught them the names and values of the notes, the holds, the slurs, and the rests, and the bass, tenor, and treble clefs. After this, he allowed a short recess, and basses, altos, tenors and sopranos all mixed together, talking and laughing, until Mr. Clewett called them to order again. more

After the holiday celebrations and respite, hopefully we will be ready to face the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities the new year will bring. more

At this time last year, the column I wrote to mark the end of one year and the start of another lamented that the 2020s weren’t turning out how anyone had hoped or predicted. Well, here we are again at the end of yet another year that feels like the poster child for a dumpster fire that we’ve all learned to just deal with in the background of our everyday lives. more

In August, I said to myself, “Well, summer is almost over, and then my birthday, and then Oct. 1, and I will blink, and it will be the end of the year.” And here we are. more

My wife and I recently saw “Queen Esther” at the Sight and Sound Theatre in Branson. It was our first time going, and it was beautiful. It was an impressive show with live animals, huge sets with intricate details, and incredibly talented people singing and acting. more

MU Extension recently announced the launch of a new tool to assist livestock producers seeking to buy or sell forage and other feedstuffs. more

When I was a free-range kid in the early ‘80s, I had a Pink Panther bicycle – also known as the coolest bike a girl could have in that day and age. I rode it everywhere. more

The Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City was opened in 1836. The massive limestone building with high walls and guard towers was designed by John Haviland. Its design was, according to the theories of architecture at the time, meant to impress upon passersby the majesty of the law and the horrible nature of punishment. more

At the end of every local news article we publish in the Democrat and Star-Journal, we include contact information for the writer. That makes it common for readers to call our offices with a specific question about an article they read, not realizing we’re the writers and aren’t affiliated with the organizations we interview. more