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The closing days of Missouri’s legislature were among the most dysfunctional I’ve covered in more than one half century. Filibusters by Senate Republican conservatives blocked action on a number of issues. Ironically, the issues killed included conservative issues to allow firearms on public transportation and to increase the vote percentage required for approval of a…

The end of the school year has arrived, and every year during this time I find myself considering my own past, present and future as an educator. This year, things are different. While I’m returning to school in the fall, I will do so as a high school administrator, principal at Union Star R-II. The…

On Memorial Day, our nation honors military service members who have given their lives for our country. Families, friends, and communities pause to remember the many great sacrifices of our military and ensure their legacy lives on in the freedoms we all enjoy. We recognize these heroes who, in President Lincoln’s words, “gave the last…

Yesterday, as I was out admiring my blooming flowers, I heard some young voices from the surrounding backyards. And it dawned on me, the first week of summer! Kids are out of school. I reflected upon my “first weeks out of school” so many years ago. I remembered the relief from the pressure of waking…

Every day, on her commute into work, my boss sees the sign letting her know that she’s in Maryville — and I know it drives her bonkers. The population, she reminds me every few months, still hasn’t been updated since the 2020 Census. The sign still says there are 11,972 people in Maryville. There aren’t,…

Society walks a fragile line. Some of us are ready to approve of any social change that comes along. Some of us are ready to knock down any social change that reaches our ears. Our country is divided about 50-50 between those two general ideals. I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I truly…

Most would agree change is necessary and inevitableWithout it looms stagnation, but any goal regarding social improvement should be prompted by the recognition of wrong-doing or pressing need. There is usually plenty of that. If you are older like me, you will recall in the 1950s-60s and beyond black people were virtually left out of…

It’s never too early to start planning for retirement and our online tools can help. Go to www.ssa.gov/myaccount to access your personal my Social Security account to get an estimate of your retirement benefits based on your earnings record. Once you have an account, you can use our Plan for Retirement tool to see how…

This is bittersweet to be writing as this is my last “Inclusive Insights” column for the Maryville Forum. As you may or may not know, I accepted the position of vice president of inclusion, diversity and engagement at Northern Arizona University. In this final article, I would just like to say thanks to a few…

There were days in the summertime when I would stay outside from the morning hours until it got dark and Mom called us inside. You probably did the same. It was a special time, but I didn’t know it then. Never again in my life would I find a way to finish my breakfast, step…