When I was tasked with writing this column, I couldn't have anticipated the extraordinary honor that would be bestowed upon Smith-Cotton High School. Just last week, the students of Team SCREAM etched their names in history as the first robotics team in Missouri to secure a FIRST World Championship banner. Their victory, as a part of the winning alliance at the 2024 FIRST Robotics World Championship in Houston, Texas, is a testament to their exceptional skills and dedication, and it brings immense pride to all of Smith-Cotton High School.
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By Pastor Jonathan Wallenbeck
Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church
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4/25/24
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Even though details and plans are still being worked out, dates have been set for a number of educational events in the upcoming months.
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By Gene Schmitz
University of Missouri Extension
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4/24/24
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Author’s note: I apologize for an error in last week’s column. I mistakenly deleted a part of a paragraph that explained the upper-class’ use of language, specifically the word “lady” to refer to an upper- or middle-class female who followed society’s rules for behavior and dress, and the use of the word “woman” to refer to a working-class female no matter how properly she behaved.
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By Rhonda Chalfant
Contributing Columnist
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4/23/24
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Chocolate chip cookies, the Slinky, Play-Doh, Post-It notes, and potato chips. The one thing they all have in common is this: They’re losers.
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By Gwen Rockwood
Syndicated Columnist
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4/23/24
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This week, the Sedalia Democrat announced its upcoming transition to a twice-weekly newspaper from its former schedule of Tuesday through Saturday publication.
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By Liz Schleicher
Contributing Columnist
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4/19/24
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A few things:
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By Deborah Mitchell
Contributing Columnist
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4/19/24
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I worked outside this past weekend, clearing last year’s plant debris from my native beds, and as I raked, I found myself dreaming of summer foods.
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By Angela Palmer
Guest Columnist
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4/19/24
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Public art is a great way to capture a city's history, culture, and local accomplishments. It can serve as a highlight reel for those in the community and as a teaching tool for visitors. It can make vibrant use out of otherwise ordinary urban spaces and bring joy and mental well-being to those who gaze upon it. No matter how temporary those feelings may be, they're better to experience in small amounts versus not at all.
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By Dustin Schmidt
Contributing Columnist
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4/19/24
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One of the most important considerations for us as a society is the question, “Is progress always better?” For much of my life, I heard that progress and innovation are always better. With every year that passes, we collectively assume that we have become more enlightened and advanced. But is it true? Are we becoming more enlightened? Is progress and newness always better?
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By Dr. Jeremiah Greever
Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church of Sedalia
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4/18/24
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I’ve been meaning to write this column for some time, but just never got around to it.
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By Doug Kneibert
Contributing Columnist
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4/16/24
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Early Sedalia was well aware of class distinctions. For example, in 1870, Col. A.D. Jaynes, George R. Smith, Albert Parker, Cyrus Newkirk and O.A. Crandall agreed to build expensive – $8,000 to $10,000 – houses on Broadway between Washington Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue, creating what was then Sedalia’s premier neighborhood.
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By Rhonda Chalfant
Contributing Columnist
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4/16/24
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As losses go, this isn't a big one. I shouldn't even care. Still, I'm sad about it. It's hard to accept that the best jeans in my closet – and possibly the world – are on their last threads.
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By Gwen Rockwood
Syndicated Columnist
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4/16/24
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I have written about my love for a good nap before, and that is something I try to do daily to recharge my batteries, which seem to run down faster these days.
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By Jack Miller
Guest Columnist
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4/12/24
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Good wine is what you like. If you say you don’t like dry wines, red or white, it is only because you have not been properly introduced to this world of exquisite wines, particularly when paired with various foods.
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By Turf D. Martin
Guest Columnist
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4/12/24
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What a spring for Major League Baseball. The uniforms are literally falling apart as the players wear them, pitchers are injuring themselves at a heretofore unknown rate, and suspicions are flying over Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and his involvement (or lack thereof) in baseball's biggest gambling scandal since ... oh, who am I kidding. The MLB is a revolving door of scandal. Always has been.
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By Liz Schleicher
Contributing Columnist
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4/12/24
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One of my friends complimented me on my cooking skills once. I said, “Anyone who can read can cook. That is what recipes are for!” She told me it was probably true, but somewhere along the way, the cook had to have some feel for what was happening on the stove.
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By Deborah Mitchell
Contributing Columnist
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4/12/24
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Isaac Newton Hughes, generally called Newt Hughes, was arrested and charged with complicity in the robbery of the National Stock Yards Bank in St. Louis on Jan. 6, 1902, according to articles printed in both the Sedalia Democrat and the St. Louis Republic.
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By Rhonda Chalfant
Contributing Columnist
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4/9/24
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I'm lucky that my first professional writing job was in a newsroom because it taught me something important: You don't need a perfect environment to get work done. You don't need silence, an organized room, a particular candle, or a big chunk of time.
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By Gwen Rockwood
Syndicated Columnist
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4/9/24
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I’ve been married just shy of 12 years. That’s (barely) long enough for me to feel qualified to give the young’uns some advice as we head into the 2024 wedding season. So here it is, ladies and gentlemen, brides and grooms:
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By Liz Schleicher
Contributing Columnist
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4/5/24
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It’s official, we have celebrated Easter. He is risen, He is risen indeed! Spring has sprung and you can now wear white. Whites, pastels, linens and florals can all be worn from now until Labor Day, the first Monday of September. You will then need to pack away your swimsuits and your white jeans. That is, if you follow this outdated fashion rule.
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By Sherry Broyles
Contributing Columnist
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4/5/24
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