top of page



Area Entertainment: The Baldknobbers, the legends!
The year 1960 was a busy one for the Baldknobbers. In addition to doing their own show in the Sammy Lane Pavillion along Lake Taneycomo a few nights a week, the group also performed during the party scene several nights a week in the new Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor drama.

John & Luanna Fullerton
4 min read


Dave Says: Medical emergencies come first
Things like this can be expensive, but they’re part of life. At the same time, taking care of these kinds of issues doesn’t have to mean giving up on gaining control of your finances.

Dave Ramsey
2 min read


On the darkest night, stars still shine, though we may not always see them
This week, two friends lost a loved one, and the Ole Seagull, realizing his shortcomings, turned to Lincoln again for his wisdom, eloquence and inspiration for words of comfort.

Gary J. Groman
2 min read


Reflections: Simple habits, skills for a lifetime
What habits did your parents instill in you that have benefited you into adulthood and as a parent or grandparent? For me, a big one is...

Cynthia J. Thomas
3 min read
![Elvis: ‘Thank you, thank you very much!’ [Part 2]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d906d_3249f8ed3f184358b97f68939ecff86d~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_333,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_avif,quality_auto/0d906d_3249f8ed3f184358b97f68939ecff86d~mv2.webp)
![Elvis: ‘Thank you, thank you very much!’ [Part 2]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d906d_3249f8ed3f184358b97f68939ecff86d~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_296,h_222,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_avif,quality_auto/0d906d_3249f8ed3f184358b97f68939ecff86d~mv2.webp)
Elvis: ‘Thank you, thank you very much!’ [Part 2]
Elvis Presley’s manager, Col. Tom Parker, wasn’t a Colonel or an American for that matter. He was Dutch. “For the first half of Elvis’ career the Colonel was exactly what Elvis needed..."

Bob Ford
3 min read


Been Thinkin’ About…Televisions forever
I certainly didn't realize it at the time, but I had walked into a moment soon out of time, a television repair store, a strange threshold land between age-old craftsmanship...

Joshua Heston
4 min read


Outdoors with Larry Dablemont: The toughest fish
I like to go to a local Ozark lake and set a couple of trotlines, then take youngsters and move along the rocky, shallow banks with my trolling motor...

Larry Dablemont
4 min read


Reflections: He is risen, and He’s coming!
As I write this, I’m sitting in a favorite Airbnb we often use when visiting family near Kansas City, processing thoughts and reading...

Cynthia J. Thomas
2 min read


That’s not all there was!
To Christians, Christmas is both a commemoration and celebration of the promise that “God so loved the world that He gave His only...

Gary J. Groman
2 min read


Reader’s Corner: Learn more about Yellowstone National Park
Kimberling Area Library friends and volunteers invite you to join them for Learning On Wednesday, May 14, when Sharon Clarke will share...

Cynthia J. Thomas
1 min read


Memories from the Homestead: Hall photo postcard No. 336
The Deer Lick is mentioned several times in Wright's novel. It's first revealed to readers in chapter six, "The Story." On page 56, Old Matt explains to Dad Howitt the memories of his deceased daughter Maggie...

John Fullerton
3 min read


Dave Says…You’ve got to get on the same page
Here’s the thing. If you’re putting other money into a business account, that’s a decent sign you’re not making money in the business.

Dave Ramsey
2 min read


Stock Market Insights: Trying to read the market? It feels like hiking without a map
It struck me how much this moment mirrors the decision facing investors right now. Wall Street is at a crossroads—and it's not a gentle fork in a well-worn trail.

Joe Shearer, CPFA
3 min read


Breakfast at Tiffany’s: God’s relationally redemptive character
Hindsight is 20/20. Now I can see that the people most impacted by any attempt on my part in fulfilling the great commission were the ones I built solid relationships with.

Tiffany Gravett
3 min read


Reader’s Corner: C of O professor’s book celebrates working homemakers
Mother Teresa said, “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” In some ways, that sounds easy enough to do...

Cynthia J. Thomas
2 min read
![Who stepped on my blue suede shoes? [Part 1 of 2]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d906d_f3654d78982c43ae85bf5d4ae91f18b6~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_333,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_avif,quality_auto/0d906d_f3654d78982c43ae85bf5d4ae91f18b6~mv2.webp)
![Who stepped on my blue suede shoes? [Part 1 of 2]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d906d_f3654d78982c43ae85bf5d4ae91f18b6~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_296,h_222,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_avif,quality_auto/0d906d_f3654d78982c43ae85bf5d4ae91f18b6~mv2.webp)
Who stepped on my blue suede shoes? [Part 1 of 2]
So, I was excited when pulling into Tupelo, Mississippi, because the signs were everywhere, “Welcome to the Birthplace of Elvis Presley.”

Bob Ford
3 min read


Dave Says…Now’s the time to invest in you
If I were in your shoes, I’d park the proceeds from your cattle sale in a high-yield savings account.

Dave Ramsey
2 min read


Outdoors with Larry Dablemont: Goggle-eye
Biologists from that long-ago time also did a study of growth rates, which showed that rock bass on the Black and Jacks Fork Rivers were three years old when they reach six inches in length.

Larry Dablemont
4 min read


Been Thinkin’ About…A cup of peach tea
I really don't mind, mind you. I did not write for the book to become, generically, the "great American novel." I don't even know what "the great American novel" means.

Joshua Heston
4 min read


Yesterday’s Echoes: Plan fiddles ‘The Plood’ while local officials and community leaders dance to the tune
In terms of the ticking time bomb that hangs over the Branson area, not only in terms of those who will be directly impacted by any more “high water,” but by those businesses...

Gary J. Groman
4 min read
bottom of page