Editorials
West Nodaway, Nodaway Holt on right track
Two school districts in our county, West Nodaway R-I and Nodaway-Holt R-VII, are considering whether to shift to a four-day school week next year. And no matter what decision they come to, both districts will have reached their conclusions the right way. The grim reality of education in Missouri right now dictates taking proactive steps…
Read MoreNew Year’s resolution
More than four thousand years ago, ancient Babylonians (is there any other kind?) would pledge to do better in the coming year, making the first recorded New Year’s resolutions. Although their resolutions were more along the lines of finally paying off their debts and swearing fealty to their ruler rather than going to the gym…
Read MoreA year of progress
It may not always have felt like it, but 2021 was a year of progress for our little corner of northwest Missouri Yes, COVID-19 continues to ravage our everyday lives and shape them in ways we couldn’t have predicted a year ago. But although numbers have been generally rising and our schools especially have faced…
Read MoreThe meaning of Christmas
Merry Christmas. With rising cases of COVID-19 and shipping delays that have hampered even Santa’s schedules, it might not seem like a Christmas that will be easy to make especially merry. But trying times have a way of returning us to our deepest beliefs and our truest values. Prior to 2020, The Year That Changed…
Read MoreForum Editorial: Fairgrounds is good conversation to start
Although it’s far too early to have a real conversation about the possibility of a dedicated fairgrounds in Nodaway County, there are some basics that have held true for the idea, and that have stopped it from becoming a reality before now. There is no proposal yet — only a proposal to think about a…
Read MoreShop local this holiday season
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. With the wonderful efforts of so many, led by Downtown Maryville, the Greater Maryville Chamber of Commerce and Nodaway County Economic Development, our downtown looks the part of the holiday season — though the weather may feel more like Easter than Christmas. It’s hard not to walk…
Read MoreSchool district owes explanation for ‘Legally Blonde’ mishandling
The Maryville R-II Board of Education and district administrators have so far decided not to publicly elaborate on the factors that led to the postponement of Maryville High School’s production of “Legally Blonde The Musical” last week, or to explain why district officials seemingly went to considerable lengths to ensure no one would be around…
Read MoreForum Editorial: Vaccination quickest way out of pandemic
At this time last year, cases of COVID-19 were skyrocketing in our community. Our family, friends and neighbors were getting sick, filling hospital beds and dying in record numbers, and we would reach a peak of 365 active cases on Nov. 14, 2020 — the highest total throughout the pandemic. Our community, like every community,…
Read MoreForum Editorial: Tourism change would set dangerous precedent
Last week, City Council member Dannen Merrill proposed expanding the Maryville Tourism Committee to allow up to three of the resulting five at-large members to live outside of city limits. This is a perfectly reasonable idea to discuss. Conversations about how to be more inclusive, more welcoming of other perspectives and more responsive to any…
Read MoreEditorial: Mental health board is a necessity
The initiative undertaken by the 4th Circuit Leadership Team on Mental Health and Criminal Justice, led by Associate Circuit Judge Bob Rice, is a monumental effort — and one more than worth making. Last week’s meeting that brought together leaders from five counties to discuss the plan to create a regional mental health board was,…
Read More