The way traditions evolve has been on my mind this holiday season. Tradition is often seen as something static and unchanging, but that isn’t really true. You can carry forward the essence or foundation of something important while still allowing it to grow and change to meet new needs...

This year represents the fifth presidential election that I’ve covered since coming to the Daily American Republic in early 2005. I’ve covered nearly 60 elections in the same time, between the annual municipal and school board elections, primaries, general elections and special elections...

I want to thank everyone who has called or reached out in the past week to share their thoughts with us on the changes that came with September. This was our first week of five-day digital, three-day print. We have certainly had people who were frustrated by the change. ...

“Liar” “Uneducated” “Not human” Imagine for a moment sitting in a room with friends, neighbors, co-workers and strangers, being called these things week after week by someone in power. That was what about nine months was like for me in 2014-2015 as the newly appointed city reporter during Heath Kaplan’s term as city manager...

A little while I ago, we shared that we were making changes to our entertainment and comics content. I know it’s been a while, but things have moved slowly in discussions with the national companies that provide this content. This content was purchased from two companies, one of which received the bulk of the subscription dollars that pay for the installments. ...

The Daily American Republic is pleased to welcome 10 more area residents to our growing group of Difference Makers. Each year, we honor 10 individuals nominated by community members for the good works they do to improve our area. The 10 people are selected from dozens of nominations turned in to us over the summer...

I’d like to take a few minutes to talk about organization and planning. The people who want to devote time and energy to planning ahead often have a tough road, because we all tend to be much more focused on the moment. The worries we have now, the deadlines we already have, the chores at home we haven’t gotten to, those are all much more present in our worries than the possible disasters that may befall us later, or the big projects coming down the road...

What happened to the weekend comics? “I want to go home,” my 5-year-old nephew said, moments before his pre-school class was ready to take the stage for his graduation, with what looked like the beginning of tears on his tiny cheeks...

I grew up with Garfield and Peanuts, both the cartoons and the comic strips that have been a staple for newspapers for decades. I could certainly connect last week with Garfield’s musings on the value of a good night’s sleep, but not overlooking the “noble nap,” since they came on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Woodstock’s unsuccessful attempts to play tennis also made me smile, not just because it was of the humor but because of how relatable it all is...

Where can I get health insurance for $112 per month? That’s one of the most common questions that popped up recently on a Daily American Republic social media post about figures released by an online bill payment service called doxo...

An article was circulated this month from the Phelps County Focus about Missouri’s first female mayor. Mayme Hanrahan Ousley was 34 and living in St. James. It was 1921, two years after women were given the right to vote with the 19th Amendment...

If you’re calling from an unknown number and I don’t answer, leave a voicemail. I know in this day of text, instant messenger, Snapchat and more apps and social media functions than I can keep track of, that probably seems like an outdated way to communicate to some...

The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is known as Giving Tuesday. As we all turn our attention to the Christmas holiday season and look at gift-buying options, our local non-profits ask that we consider non-traditional gift giving. These agencies and projects help improve life in our region year-round. They are happy with any gift, large or small, that helps them continue in their missions...

You may have heard — if you speak to people, use any type of social media or news outlet — that Matthew Perry died a couple of weeks ago. I grew up with Must See TV on Thursday nights, before streaming and on demand. Plus we lived in the country and only had about three reliable channels. So the show “Friends,” was a familiar and happy part of my childhood...

The wind chill was expected to get down to 22 overnight Tuesday and of course, that’s the morning that my furnace decides to go on the fritz...

Last weekend’s Buff up the Bluff collected more than 52 tons of unwanted items from residents. It was 6 tons more than the year before. The annual event allows residents to drop off everything from unwanted appliances to old furniture, at no cost. Curbside pick up is also offered for residents aged 65 and older...

I stopped in at a local restaurant earlier this week on the one afternoon of the week when it seemed like it must have been the most popular place in town. There were long lines and long wait times, which was clearly frustrating to the patrons...

I get a lot of random emails. It’s a hazard of the job. News staff are on all the mailing lists, whether it’s a jam club on the East Coast, or an event notice for a random community activity in Washington state. I regularly update my junk mail filters but my deleted items for any given week will number in the hundreds...

I want to thank the students of Sierra Osage and Sears Youth Center for their contributions Thursday to our annual Difference Makers banquet. Assistant Editor Samantha Tucker and I had an opportunity to tour the campuses on a recent, extremely rainy day...

The Daily American Republic on Friday launched episode 4 of our new weekly podcast, The Scoop. Our show will post episodes each Friday and is available as a free access item. This week marked our first official guest, Dr. Aaron Cornman, the new superintendent of Poplar Bluff schools...