Viewpoint

Almost a month ago, I trepidatiously wrote about a light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, and this week marked another optimistic benchmark in the pandemic recovery. For the first time in nine months, Barry County’s active cases have fallen into the single digits. Numbers have been below 20 through the last month, and this week, only six new cases were reported, bringing the county’s active total to seven...

Tuesday marked a first for me since moving to Missouri more than seven years ago. Typically, we have at least two, if not three or four, elections per year in our counties. From municipal elections to county and national primaries and general elections, there are usually plenty of ways throughout the year to exercise our most American of rights — voting...

Dear Editor: Yvonne and I appreciate being able to receive our second Pfizer COVID-19 shot on March 25 from the Barry County Health Department in the Cassville Park, even though it was raining.  We appreciated Roger Brock, the administer of the Barry County Health Department, David Compton, Barry County Emergency Management Director, the Barry County Health nurses and the city of Cassville employees, who assisted with the clinic...

Sunday is a day signifying a measure of rebirth to many, a celebration that was overlooked last year by panic, fear and a overload of anxiety. We did not know for sure what was happening as a new major illness spread across the globe. I know we recently had a column about this and we talk about it a lot, but it has played a major role in our lives, affecting every area from worship to simply being around other members of our family...

The last week has been one where local law enforcement and first responders have put in plenty of hours and deserve some recognition. On Friday, authorities and first responders spent hours in Purdy knocking down a house fire, a blaze attributed to cooking grease getting out of control...

Monett lost a great friend this weekend with the death of City Commissioner Jerry Dierker. From the sidelines, one might not have ever known he was there, because Jerry Dierker was not a man to call attention to himself. But in 25 years, a record very few elected officials in Monett have met, his decisions and support made a major impact...

I have been waiting to write this piece, afraid I might upset the karmic universe, but after about a month, I think it’s safe to say there’s a light at the end of the dark, year-long tunnel of COVID-19. It was a year ago on Tuesday that schools were shut down because of the virus, but it was not until months later that our area really began seeing the cases climb...

Dear Editor: During 2019, our older son was a working high school student and living at home, who then joined the U.S. Marines in January 2020. Although his younger brother received the so-called “stimulus recovery checks,” Jimmy did not receive anything. When we inquired Rep. Billy Long told us that “as a working student living at home, Jimmy did not qualify.”...

In the past two weeks, I have received two pieces of correspondence that gives credence to the claim that people these days interested in news are prone to seeking out the kind of news that fits their worldview. There has been a fair amount of talk in this space about letters to the editor recently, and when I returned to the office after the couple weeks of winter weather, I had one waiting on me at my desk...

Seven years ago, I set the earliest alarm of my life. It was March 1, and I got up at 5 a.m. to attend my first Opening Day at Roaring River State Park. Outside of overcoming my sleepiness, as I was not much of a morning person in those days, I was excited to cover an event I was told was a local tradition, something you can’t miss if you want to know anything about Barry County...

Dear Editor: I write to request that Congress create a grant program to support recreation, sports and amusement venues that provide live entertainment yet were excluded from “Shuttered Venue Operators Grants” program (Section 324 of Public Law No:116-260)...

It has been a long couple of weeks in our area, and an even longer last week south to the Gulf. After a week of battling icy conditions, with only the weekend reprieve, Sunday came in with one of the biggest flurries in years — the most snow since I have lived here...

I have a bone to pick with the Farmer’s Almanac. The “Bible of weather” never seems to be correct for southwest Missouri, especially this week, when it predicted “mild” weather and “rainy periods.” Parents may not have been prepared for students to have a full week out of school. I was surprised Monday when my kindergartner got to stay home, and looking ahead to next week, I told my wife she’d better get used to it...

This week marked the start of a month-long celebration that does not get much mention or recognition in our area — Black History Month. The celebration originated in the 1920s with historian Carter G. Woodson declaring the second week of February “Negro History Week,” as it coincided with the Feb.12 birthday of President Abraham Lincoln and Feb. ...

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began almost a year ago, local residents have the opportunity to “stick it” to the virus by receiving vaccines. This week, Barry and Lawrence counties both received batches of inoculations, a first for Lawrence County...

Dear Editor: This letter has two purposes. They are to answer Mr. Kutz and inquire if all writers are considered equally no matter where they live. My husband and I have owned and operated a business in Monett since 2003 and are subscribers to this paper...

Dear Editor: This is the second year in a row that the Second Amendment Protection Act (SAPA) has progressed through our Missouri legislature (with many co-sponsors), and the Missouri Sheriffs Association opposing it both times. With the publicity attached to the legislation, it would seem likely that the many co-sponsors have taken into account, either yea or nay, what the Missouri Sheriffs Association has to say...

A letter to the editor printed last weekend caused a stir on our Facebook page Monday, illustrating the perceived murky waters between the opinion page and the rest of the paper. The history of opinion pages dates back to 1841, when Horace Greenley founded the New York Tribune and declared a page of his publication the “Editorial Page.” Previously, early press in the U.S. was overwhelmingly partisan, often subsidized by political parties and arguably more propaganda than actual news...

Dear Editor: I am one of the 81,283,098 people who voted for Joe Biden. I do not love Joe Biden. I do not think he will be one of the greatest presidents ever. I just feel he was a much better match to my values. John McCain, Bob Dole, the Bushes and Mitt Romney were honorable men with a good set of morals and ethics. I have voted Republican at times. Trump never displayed morals or ethics. ...

This last year has been a tough one for all, but it has undoubtedly been exponentially tougher for our men and women who dedicated their livelihoods as first responders. From our law enforcement to our firefighters, our linemen to our ambulance district staff, and especially for our healthcare workers, 2020 was unlike anything they had ever seen...

Dear Editor: I am very disturbed that some Republicans and the conservative media are once again shifting the blame to other groups, instead acknowledging that Republicans stormed the U.S. Capital in an act of insurrection. Their silence is endorsing the  unhinged president in the White House. Trump urged his supporters to come to Washington, D.C., and rallied his base of terrorists on before they attacked the Capitol and democracy. Then he said he loved them...

This past week, my wife and I celebrated our delayed honeymoon in the Smoky Mountains, and while we enjoyed our time away, our drive home on Wednesday quickly threw us back into the real world where the smoke was not so beautiful. The events in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021 will live in infamy, as a fire stoked by the highest levels of our government grew out of control and resulted in the first breach of our nation’s Capitol since British forces burned the building during the war of 1812...

A lot of you have heard the phrase “Stop the presses!” or have seen it on TV and maybe thought it was fictional. It is a phrase that has lived for many generations, but it is far from fictional. This phrase is a definition of control in the newspaper business...

Most of us can probably agree, no one is wishing for 2020 to hang around any longer than it needs. This has been a roller coaster of a year for so many, including for myself and at the paper. Personally, I managed to get married this fall, despite the COVID-19 pandemic doing its darnedest to spoil everything. As for the paper, we had one longtime employee, Murray Bishoff, retire, and our sports editor of 10 years, Jared Lankford, is leaving on Wednesday in pursuit of greener pastures...

’Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the newsroom, Typing hands were a’clatter with Santa wishes to zoom through. Each year we ask second-graders their wishes for toys, And most of them tell us they were good girls and boys. There are 338 letters we will deliver this year,...

Dear Editor: Regardless of where we fall on the pandemic opinion spectrum, we all need to have at least a basic understanding of the pitfalls associated with the statistics that are being quoted. We each want what’s best for the country, but as various authorities request, even demand, that the public accept their recommended treatment protocol, there are some fundamental data issues which they need to address. ...

Topics of social debate tend to come and go, but there has certainly not been a debate as fervent as the one ongoing since March — to mask or not to mask. Heated comments on both sides of the debate have been front and center in the community, drawing countless comments on our social media pages, letters to the editor and calls to our office...

When I was a young’n, maybe 9 or 10, one of my mother’s best friends had a single daughter, and one December, she announced a change in her Christmas gifting protocols. That year, she declared that because Jesus only received three gifts on the first Christmas, her daughter would likewise receive only three gifts. ...

Changes this week to COVID-19 quarantine guidelines in schools have given administrations some options for allowing students to stay in class in-person, but the changes have not come without some raised eyebrows. Gov. Mike Parson, the Department of Health and Senior Services and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced the changes on Nov. ...

The days of turkey and thanks are upon us, and even though this cluster of a 2020 is flowing as slow as burnt gravy, there are still plenty of things to be thankful for. I’ve come up with 20 things myself, in honor of this magical year, which I’m writing in the style of Jimmy Fallon’s “Thank You Notes.” If you are reading, just imagine the heartfelt music typically played by The Roots when Fallon performs his notes. ...

What are the qualities of a pastor? In Greek, the term “pastor” translates to “shepherd,” so traits that help a pastor guide his congregation are highly esteemed — to be loving and compassionate, honest and accountable, loyal and humble. These are all qualities that most exhibit when claimed to be called by a higher authority, and Pastor Jimmie Copley was most definitely called by a higher authority...

There’s no way to put into words how difficult it has been this week for the Monett and surrounding communities after the loss of Monett Superintendent Russ Moreland. The news came as a shock to everyone. It was unbelievable at first, and many, myself included, are still having trouble wrapping our heads around the tragic and untimely passing of a man so respected and loved by anyone who interacted with him...

Dear editor: Due to COVID-19 and some family members testing positive for the virus, we have decided to postpone Mike Schlichtman’s memorial service until late spring or early summer 2021. We sincerely appreciate the outpouring of love and support we’ve received from the Monett and Cassville communities since Mike’s death on Oct. 6...

I read a story this week about a long line for early voting somewhere in the country. A passerby in a vehicle shouted out to the line asking how long they had been waiting to cast their ballot, and a man responded, “Four years!” As divided as the country is, there’s no telling if the man waited four years to “Trump” the pundits again, or if he was just “Biden” his time to make a change in the White House...

They say there is no force equal to the strength of a determined woman, and I learned last week the cliché couldn’t be more true. On Oct. 16, my now-wife, Jordan Troutman (Privett), and I said our “I do’s” at Dogwood Canyon in Lampe. It was a beautiful, intimate, laugh-filled ceremony and reception. ...

Most people with a dedicated career can point to one moment in time, an event or a person, that pushed them to become who they are today. For me, that moment came in my sophomore year of high school. I picked up an issue of The Tiger newspaper from one of the stands at Little Rock Central High School and I fell in love. The photos, the design, the writing — the whole package appealed to me...

I struggle to find the words to say ‘Goodbye’ to a man that made an impact in a variety of ways, was a friend to many in many places, lived life to his fullest, was a man of God, loved his family, and was just overall, a happy guy. Mike Schlichtman, 57, of Steamboat Springs, Colo., formerly of Cassville, died Tuesday morning, Oct. 6, in a plane crash southwest of Evansville, Ind...

Some days in life are better than others, and professionally, it will likely be a long time before any day can top last Friday. I was driving on I-49, headed back home after going to Ozark, Ark., to pick up some decorations for a surprise virtual bridal shower my family and I were throwing for my fiancé. My mind was focused on that endeavor until an email came across my phone that made me do a double-take...

Dear Editor: I’m a native Missourian and am incredibly concerned about the November elections. It’s with pride that I say I grew up on a dairy farm southwest of Monett and am a graduate of Monett High School. Seeking and telling the truth was paramount in our family...

A growing movement has been developing online that aims to bring attention to an ongoing issue in the country — child sex trafficking. The hashtag #SaveTheChildren has been gaining steam, bolstered by the death of Jeffrey Epstein and the arrest of Ghislaine Maxwell on accusations of high-level child sex trafficking...

As much as I try to avoid it, here I go again discussing the topic of the year — COVID-19. Frankly, I’m tired of talking about it, hearing about it, thinking about it, writing about it and any other “-ing” about it that you can come up with. But, no matter how much I want to ignore it, COVID is a daily topic of conversation...

A bit of news — which may seem unexciting to some — hit my desk this week, making me pause and think. Spurred by the Daughters of the American Revolution, Monett Mayor Mike Brownsberger signed a proclamation naming Sept. 17-23 as Constitution Week in Monett. It urges residents to “reaffirm the ideals of the Framers of the Constitution had in 1787 by vigilantly protecting the freedoms guaranteed to us through this guardian of our liberties, remembering that lost rights may never be regained.”...

We have made it a practice to keep the subjects of our columns local. We will probably continue to do that, with some exceptions, and this will be one of those. We all began Jan. 1, 2020, with our normal optimism and with a chance at a new lease on life. ...

In case you missed it, break out your leash, open the treat bag and deliver some past due belly rubs in celebration of National Dog Day. The observance on Wednesday provided an opportunity to talk about something other than the latest stress-inducers (looking at your back-to-school week and ongoing COVID-19 pandemic), but rather, a stress-reliever...

These past five months have been a whirlwind of news, facts, figures, developments, rules and lifestyle changes, all thanks to COVID-19 (coronavirus). Disagreements about virtually every aspect of the virus, from its viability to mask effectiveness and so on, can leave a bad taste in the mouths of family and friends who all just want life to return back to normal...

In 10 days, if they have not already, local schools will be thrust into an experiment of epic proportions. Thousands of students in the bi-county area will enter the doors of their places of learning they vacated five months ago, and in more uncertain circumstances since when they left...

Dear Editor: We used to sing with delight, “Have you ever, ever in your long legged life, seen a long-legged sailor and his long-legged wife?” Keeping the tune in mind, teachers and the public are asking about this opening year for schools. Having been in a classroom as a student or teacher, we have never seen anything close to what is going on and the mysteries facing our children this Fall...

I love election day. Whether it’s municipal, primary or general elections, there’s nothing quite like the anticipation in the news room waiting for results to begin rolling in. From the time polls close at 7 p.m. to the time we get results, usually between 8:30-9 p.m., it’s usually a waiting game — but not on Tuesday...

The two largest school districts in Barry County released their back-to-school plans on Thursday, and unlike how all districts in March did the exact same wellness break, this fall will look different depending on the district. Monett released a 10-page document detailing the most pertinent questions, such as the options for seated or virtual instruction, masking for students and staff, transportation protocols, the triggers for a change to out-of-school instruction, and a whole host of other details people may or may not have considered.. ...

I would like to begin this column with a description of a person that held many titles. Those titles included counselor, minister, best friend, a type of person that you can confide in and one that would drop everything to serve you in your time of need 24 hours a day, seven days a week — special person that always had the mindset of servitude...