Editorials

We like to think our mission statement is right there in the name: The Forum. We strive to be a place — whether it’s in the physical newspaper, through our website or on social media — where people in our community come to learn about each other and exchange ideas. Key to the mission is…

If you’re ever interviewed by a journalist — by any journalist, anywhere about anything — you’re probably going to hear the same two bookended questions: At the beginning of the interview, you’ll be asked, “How do you spell your name?” And at the end, you’ll be asked, “Do you have anything to add?” That last…

We here in northwest Missouri try to be generous and help how we can. Right here in Nodaway County, we have more civic organizations aimed at making a difference than you can shake a stick at — we even have multiple organizations whose sole purpose is to raise money for other organizations looking to do…

As we begin a new year, it’s natural to both look back at the year we left behind and ahead to the one that awaits us. The month itself, of course, is even named for the Roman god Janus, the two-faced god who could see into the past and the future. Northwest Missouri can look…

At any other time of year, we’d set a “goal,” or make a “promise” or maybe even something as formal as a “plan.” At New Year’s, though, we make a resolution. Just the word itself conjures up an obstacle in our way that is so difficult to surmount that we can’t merely intend to overcome…

There’s something about Christmas that can bring out the best in us. Maybe it’s when we wish strangers a “Merry Christmas,” or when we’re a little more patient with those who tend to try our patience. Maybe it’s when we tap into the inherent spirit of generosity, of giving, of community that is the core…

Last month, the city of Maryville announced a new initiative that will provide a clearer, data-driven picture of street conditions and allow for more orderly maintenance into the future. The citywide street survey will measure cracks as small as a millimeter and will help Public Works track which stretches of road are in need of…

T his week, filing for candidates to appear on the April 2023 ballot opened across Missouri. Locally, that means every public school district in our region has an opportunity open for leaders who are interested in helping to shepherd our schools into what sure looks like a new era of rural education. It’s a precarious…

With Thanksgiving firmly in the rearview mirror, we are smackdab into the Christmas season. In Maryville, the true start to the Christmas season was marked this week with the lighting ceremony downtown. The Downtown Maryville tradition is part of celebrating A Very Merryville Christmas this year, followed by the Christmas parade on Friday. Those and…

Last week, the Northwest Missouri Cooperative Mental Health Board met for the first time. There is a long way to go until the board starts making an impact on the future of our region, but getting to its historic first get-together is already an achievement in and of itself. Rural Missouri’s first such co-op, the…