The 1903 Sedalia City Directory identified individuals by name, address, employer, and telephone number. The Street Directory indicated whether the individual owned or rented his or her home. more

Americans have more media options than ever. We are inundated with stories, memes, videos and promotions 24 hours a day. Most of us are on social media, which is built to provide an endless feed of content to keep us glued to our screens. And unfortunately, misinformation is prevalent and much of that content isn’t fact-checked, verified or professionally produced. The result is that we’re not always shown what we need to know, or the information that is most likely to impact our lives. That’s where local newspapers come in. Your local newspaper takes a different approach. more

When I was growing up about 20 miles south of Fort Smith, Arkansas, I had multiple newspapers to choose from: the daily Southwest Times Record out of Fort Smith that covered the River Valley region, plus the weekly Mansfield Citizen and the Greenwood Democrat, as well as the school paper I cut my teeth on, the Mansfield Tiger Tale. For statewide news, there were the Arkansas Democrat and the Arkansas Gazette dailies. In college, I added the Jonesboro Sun (owned by the Troutt family until 2000), the ASU Herald and The Commercial Appeal out of Memphis to my repertoire. more

There. I said it. more

It’s been quite a week for a politics and law junkie! The House of Representatives fired the Speaker, and the trials centering on Donald Trump moved forward, mostly in ways he doesn’t like. more

I listened to Dolly Parton sing “Coat of Many Colors” on the radio as I showered the other night, and it occurred to me that she and I had something in common when we were kids: We both wore clothes to school that were not bought in stores. more

A City Directory was designed to show people what made up a community. It provided a brief history of the town, gave lists of city officials, and listed churches, clubs, service organizations, parks, and other amenities. more

Nearly 220 million American adults turn to their local newspapers regularly for news and information they need to stay informed, feel more connected to their neighbors and improve their lives and communities. more

We planned to watch football last weekend with Emily and James in Little Rock. Though we rarely watch college football, we were going to watch the Razorbacks take on the LSU “Tigahs” on Saturday, and revel in the Chiefs’ mauling the Chicago Bears on Sunday. As it turned out, the Razorbacks game was a go, but we lost the Chiefs game to the Fox Network’s dispute with Direct TV or some other media conglomerate. more

It’s no secret that many of former President Donald Trump’s supporters speak of him in almost godlike terms. more

BEFORE more

The spring grass hay crop was extremely poor across many regions of the state. Beef cattle producers are turning to alternative feeds in order to find winter forage for their herds. Baled corn stalks are going to be one of the more available forage sources for many producers. A discussion of their quality and use is certainly appropriate. more

There is a slight chance that I may be turning into a grumpy old lady, but I honestly don’t believe that my age has anything to do with my observation of behaviors that have changed so rapidly. more

In 1829, Prussian lawyer Gottfried Duden self-published a book detailing his three-year-long visit to Missouri called “Report on a Journey through the Western States of North America.” Duden glowingly praised the Missouri River valley’s fertility and resemblance to his native land. more

I read the lengthy excerpt from McCay Coppins’ upcoming biography of Mitt Romney, which was published in The Atlantic a week or so ago. I’ve found Mr. Romney interesting: he seems to be a reasonable person but inexplicably abandoned some of his “reasonableness” to change some long-held positions on issues when he ran for President in 2012.  more

I was getting ready to can homemade applesauce. Hair up, hands washed, kettle of water heating on the stove. I tied on the old apron I had picked up at Nostalgia Vintage and put my hand into the front pocket. more

Many Christian parents seem to be nervous about sending their children to public schools. My wife and I are grateful that both our daughters successfully attended Sedalia public schools, and graduated from State Fair Community College and the University of Missouri, all secular institutions. If you are a Christian parent of school-going children, please consider implementing these suggestions to boost your family’s life of faith. more

Five years ago, I had the distinct privilege to help open the Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri’s 12th Club Site in Dresden. It was a wonderful moment and aligned with the Club’s mission to serve more kids, more often. more

Once upon a time, during a moonlit night, an unsuspecting woman descended the steps of her backyard deck and stepped onto the stone patio. Her three rambunctious dogs raced past her, eager to hit the grass and sniff out the perfect place to pee before bedtime. more

When Thomas Williamson was on trial for multiple murders in Pettis County in the late 1880s, the Sedalia Democrat and the Sedalia Bazoo, which closely followed the trial, noted that his brother testified that Thomas had suffered from mental problems since he had recovered from typhoid fever several years before. more