When I get up in the morning, the first thing I do – before caffeine and hygiene – is trick the dog and cat. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. But the attempt has become my morning ritual – an act of love and deception. more

During a two-man Bible study recently a young man asked me, “If a person becomes aware of sin, confesses it, but keeps repeating it, is there hope for him?” more

Birthday Blessings is a non-profit organization based in West Plains that provides gifts for Missouri foster children. more

The devastation of Hurricane Helene has reactivated a juicy conspiracy theory that has been floating in and out of the public consciousness for the past 30 years. more

It is hard to believe that only nine days ago, we were riding in a cab along the Seine in Paris in the morning and looking at the cornfields of Missouri in the afternoon of the same day. more

Dear Editor,  I am a long time subscriber of the Democrat and though I have been practicing law for 43 years, my undergraduate degree is in Journalism from MU.  When I was a student, … more

Dear Editor,  Shame on you, Sedalia Democrat, for printing a blatantly false political cartoon in the October 8, 2024, paper!  You have spread false rumors regarding FEMA’s … more

ROME — I have always wanted to visit Italy but never thought I would. more

Author’s note: Last week’s column promised the continuation of the story of the November 1909 trial of Thomas Warren, accused of killing John Wilkerson. However, the Democrat's archives provide few details about the second day of the trial. The Circuit Clerk’s office is looking for a trial transcript that will detail the questions asked by attorneys and the answers they received. While they search, this week’s column will instead tell of another crime in Pettis County. more

The other day as I was looking through the Sedalia Democrat’s archives, I decided to look up what was happening on the day of my birth just for the fun of it. more

One of the many reasons we love food, other than survival and taste, is the way it intertwines and defines the progression of our lives. So, can you capture your life in five foods? Let's find out. more

Here we are in the last month of our Producers Only Sedalia Area Farmers’ Market year for 2024. Are you going to miss all the fresh produce? I know I am. more

I have been horrified and transfixed by the images and stories coming out of Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia and Tennessee after Hurricane Helene. more

Happy Fall, you all! October is here and a very popular month for many reasons. We all enjoy the changing leaves, the cooler temperatures, Friday night football and cozy fall outfits. more

We are in Paris. more

Have you ever noticed that when you drive a Catholic Church, often times they are named with a Saint as part of their name? more

The leftward march of the Democratic Party is on full display this election year. more

I have always loved gardening, not the digging and planting so much, but the satisfaction of seeing that first green plant breaking the ground is a great feeling. more

The trial of Thomas Warren, a farmer from Blackwater Township in the northwestern corner of Pettis County, began on November 18, 1909, in the Pettis Count Circuit Courtroom of the old courthouse in Sedalia. Warren was accused of the fatal shooting of farm worker John Wilkerson the summer before. more

Regardless of age or level of education, sometimes we think we know things only to find out we were wrong or knew only a fraction of the facts. That’s what happened last week when I discovered details about the human nose that blew my mind (and my nose). Since we’re at the beginning of cold and flu season, I’ll share a story that your nose knows, which perhaps you don’t. more