When I first came to Seymour more than 25 years ago, about three months into my service here, former owner Gary Sosniecki gave me the assignment of snapping a photo of local U.S. military veterans placing flags on the tombstones of fellow service members at local cemeteries for the upcoming …

I’ve been insulted by Stephen King.

So, here I am, working my regular beat early Sunday morning when I get this call about three sheep roaming around on South Water Street.

Jay Wasson was in Seymour last Friday.

When I went to pick up my favorite skin lotion at the Family Dollar here in Seymour, this sign greeted me.

Longtime downtown Seymour business owner Ken Pennington was in the office Friday morning.

Editor, Webster County Citizen:

Monday morning, which was Labor Day, discovered was a crime committed by someone who certainly didn’t need to take the day off.

You know, I’ve learned some things about this fiasco on North Frances Street.

To all the people of Seymour:

Roughly 90 years ago, soon after being named chancellor of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler began his purge of opponents, namely Jews, by tracking their monetary assets at all German banks.

Yes, I’m a bit hacked off with the city of Seymour.

I discovered one of Seymour’s hidden treasures Friday.

By dictionary definition, a “donnybrook” is “a scene of uproar and disorder, often the source of a heated argument.”

Clueless Joe More than a century ago, in 1920 to be exact, one of professional baseball’s greatest players, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, was given a lifetime ban from the sport at its highest level, as Jackson was implicated in the infamous “Black Sox” gambling scandal of 1919 when his Chicago Wh…

Although I was in my “town clothes” today to do some shopping in Seymour, immediately upon entering the city limits and heading south on Highway K, I was convinced that I was in the country and changed into my farming attire.

Editor, Webster County Citizen:

A flashback from more than 55 years ago came into the office Thursday morning, courtesy of Terry Penner, the city of Seymour’s community-development director.

Seymour’s business community sat in silence late Friday when word began circulating that we had lost longtime business owner Lil Norris, a fixture on the Seymour square since 1972.

I’m not a smart toad, but I did grow a fancy mustache and grew out my hair to look like a mad scientist.

Editor, Webster County Citizen:

Let’s cut to the chase to open this week’s prose.

Since my good pal Steve Richards, superintendent of the Seymour R-II School District, hasn’t yet unveiled a full-scale drawing of the local district’s new gymnasium, I got out my pencil box, protractor and slide rule, then came up with my own design for the new gym.

A couple of years from now, southern Webster County’stwo high schools, at least the ones with campuses in WebsterCounty, will have new gymnasiums.

This week, the House was in Jefferson City for a Special Session called by Governor Parson. This Special Session served two primary purposes: the first, renew a tax on healthcare providers known as the Federal Reimbursement Allowance (FRA) tax, which is matched by federal dollars at a higher…

I gotta admit, this one plain frosts me.

There are nine different buildings on the west side of the Seymour square.

Webster County, we have a problem with COVID-19.

I’ve gotta say, this alleged crime baffles me.

I was a bit surprised to learn last week that it’s not illegal to drive a riding lawn mower on the streets of Seymour.

The 2021 Legislative Session ended at 6 p.m. this past Friday, May 14. I am so honored that another bill I sponsored was truly agreed and finally passed and is now headed to the Governor’s desk. This bill, HB 432, includes several provisions to help vulnerable persons in our State. One of th…

There is now only one week remaining this Session. This week, both the House and Senate truly agreed and finally passed all the budget bills for the upcoming fiscal year and sent them to the Governor’s desk by the required constitutional deadline. I was honored to help with the budget bills …

I’ve enjoyed seeing visitors from the district at the Capitol these past few weeks. On Tuesday, fourth graders from Seymour Elementary came to the Capitol for a tour of the building, including the whispering gallery. Governor Parson also surprised them and led a tour of his office! I love mo…

There are only three weeks left for this Session, so the Capitol has been busy this week trying to pass the budget and legislation. The Senate has started their mark-ups of the budget bills, meaning they’re adding increases or decreases to the appropriations that we approved in the House a f…

This week, the Missouri House and Senate delivered two bills that I’m sponsoring to the Governor’s desk for his approval and signature. These two bills, HB 429 and HB 430, began as the foster care tax deduction and adoption tax credit to give more financial assistance to families who provide…

The House and Senate continue to move quickly this Session to pass meaningful reforms into law. This week, the Senate gave overwhelming bipartisan approval to my HB 429 and 430, which would give much needed financial relief to Missourians serving as foster care and adoptive parents. The bill…

This week, the House passed a majority of the bills that will fund state government for the upcoming fiscal year. The spending bills that we did not get to this week will be considered after Easter. The topic that took up much of the House’s discussion this week was Medicaid expansion. As th…

Editor, Webster County Citizen:

The House of Representatives and Senate came back from Spring Break this week and went straight to work. The House Budget Committee, which has a constitutional deadline each year to write the state’s budget, voted on amendments to the Governor’s proposed budget. The House Budget Committee wi…

The House was busy this week as we worked to pass several good reforms before leaving for next week’s spring break. One of my greatest privileges as your State Representative is teaching our youth about the political process. I look forward to returning to Jefferson City along with my collea…

I’ll open this week’s column with a one-liner that often appears several paragraphs into my prose.

A lot of exciting things took place at the Capitol this week. I am so honored to have been appointed Vice-Chair of the House Special Committee on Redistricting. This committee is responsible for redrawing Missouri’s congressional districts based on the 2020 Census. As the Census was delayed …

My bills regarding foster care and adoption were the first House bills to be heard in a Senate committee this session. The first bill, HB 429, would add a tax deduction for expenses incurred while providing care as a foster parent. The second bill, HB 430, would expand the state’s existing a…

It was a snowy week here in Missouri, and I hope that you and your families are staying warm and safe. The House only held technical sessions with no committee hearings on Monday and Tuesday due to weather. My colleagues and I returned to the Capitol for normal business on Wednesday and Thur…

Just exactly what kind of a death-trap organization is my employer?

Readers with school-aged children likely are ready for the “February Freeze Out” to end.

This week at the Capitol started with me leading prayer in the House Chamber on Monday. I’m honored that my colleagues asked me to say a prayer for the legislature this year. My bill to establish the Birth Match Program, which would help the state to better identify newborns who might be pla…

Editor, Webster County Citizen: