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For the love of Branson: Hillbilly Vaudeville
In one of my recent articles, we talked about the uniqueness of a Branson show and everything it contains. Always a gospel number, always a patriotic segment, and it is always interrupted by the hillbilly comedian.

Marshall Howden
3 min read


Reader’s Corner: Read like the Founders
Don’t own any such writings? No problem. That’s what libraries are for. There’s also a great selection at the Freedom Encounter Theater’s bookstore in Branson!

Cynthia J. Thomas
2 min read


Reflections: Aspiring influencers, then and now
Teaching first-graders in an area after-school program a few years ago, I was surprised during a “when you grow up” lesson assignment to see how many, even at that young age, included being an online “influencer” in their future goals, albeit without actually using that word. “I wanna be a You-Tuber” showed up more than once; another young man wanted to create online cartoons; still another wanted to be a champion gamer. Asked why, most responded something like “So people wil

Cynthia J. Thomas
3 min read


Been thinking about…all the king’s horses
Night falls with the rain but the light in the room is warm and dim, the music moody, calming after an exhausting week. The sound of a baseball game echoes lowly. The dogs are making comfortable noises from rug and couch. As I sit at the kitchen table to write, again, the mind wanders. “I have an idea,” Dustin Burkett is saying. His earnestness is contagious, his talent inspiring. We are sitting at another kitchen table, cold winter light streaming, conversing about the Sta

Joshua Heston
4 min read


Yesterday’s Echoes: The soldier’s commitment – honoring their word to their country and each other
Every day, our Soldiers pay the price of war and do their duty. And what a price it is, a price not only in lives lost but bodies, lives and families maimed forever, both physically and mentally.

Gary J. Groman
4 min read


Memories from the Homestead: Uncle Ike's trip to Kansas City - 100 years ago, May 1926
Apparently, a lot of last-minute details were arranged so that Uncle Ike could attend the event.

John Fullerton
4 min read


Reader’s Corner: Diskey the Wonder Dog
If you’ve attended special events around the Branson area, you may have seen “Diskey the Wonder Dog” performing some amazing feats. Now readers can enjoy Diskey’s adventures in other settings, and pass her legacy on, thanks to a book series by her owner, Russ “Allright” Rosencrans. Thank you, Russ, for sharing your story of hope and healing. “I Wasn’t Done Yet” By Russ Rosencrans Most people look at retirement as the finish line. For me, it kept turning into a restart.

Cynthia J. Thomas
2 min read


Breakfast at Tiffany’s: Camping? Nope!
BY AARON GRAVETT “A man's heart deviseth his way: But the LORD directeth his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 When we were children, camping was such an adventure. The campfires, the swimming, the fishing, the stories told - they were vacations we remembered for life. Even though Tiffany and I are empty nesters, we decided to go camping for three days and two nights. We planned, got all the supplies, and then got all the packing done. Then as we loaded the car there was an excha

Tiffany Gravett
2 min read
![The fuss about peptides-liver and kidney ‘helps’ [Part 2]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d906d_9be3371f55b9448d8786e3635525e1cb~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_259,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,lg_1,q_30,blur_30,enc_avif,quality_auto/0d906d_9be3371f55b9448d8786e3635525e1cb~mv2.webp)
![The fuss about peptides-liver and kidney ‘helps’ [Part 2]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d906d_9be3371f55b9448d8786e3635525e1cb~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_230,h_222,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_avif,quality_auto/0d906d_9be3371f55b9448d8786e3635525e1cb~mv2.webp)
The fuss about peptides-liver and kidney ‘helps’ [Part 2]
Kisspeptin research has indicated that this peptide plays a therapeutic role in fighting or managing fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by breaking down and eliminating adipose (fat) deposits in the liver.

Jody Johnson Godfrey
2 min read


Breakfast at Tiffany’s: Fanfare or faithfulness?
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:5-8 Last Saturday was a day I had anticipated and dreamed of for years—my college graduation. It was

Tiffany Gravett
3 min read


Stock Market Insights: Oil, fertilizer and the new desert trade routes around Iran
Shipping fertilizer over a huge landmass will never be as cheap or efficient as shipping by sea, but it is starting to lessen the global fertilizer shortage.

Dr. Richard Baker
3 min read


Reader’s Corner: Strengthen your memory
For many people approaching their senior years, declining memory is a primary concern. Whether you’ve noticed it yourself as you navigate daily life, or perhaps are a caregiver watching it happen to an elderly parent or other loved one, it is a frequent reality, estimated to affect at least 1 in 10 Americans. The good news, though, is that there is a proven way to help! On Wednesday, June 10, Kimberling Area Library and Senior Age will present “Introducing Stronger Memory

Cynthia J. Thomas
1 min read


Been thinking about…coffee breaks
It is best not to estimate the countless gallons of coffee I’ve drunk in, say, the last 35 years, but just the same, I know it’s a lot.

Joshua Heston
3 min read


Could Branson residents pay for 76 CID’s double-dipping?
At the April 24, 2026, meeting, the Board was presented with a cooperative agreement, unanimously approved by the CID Board, for the city to provide services to the CID beyond the basic municipal services that similar businesses and residents in Branson receive, for its approval.

Gary J. Groman
2 min read


Memories from the Homestead: Garber school teacher Gertie Oliver Bass
On the trip back to Missouri, Johnnie had stopped the wagon for the night and took the mules to a nearby creek for water, leaving little Gertie and the family dog in the wagon. Suddenly he heard the dog barking and rushed back to the wagon to find two Indians about to steal Gertie. The dog is what had saved her.

John Fullerton
3 min read


Memories from the Homestead: A look back at the Garber notes from J.K. Ross, September 1908
As I started reading these columns by Ross over twenty years ago, I was always excited when he would mention my great grandfather Calvin Jones.

John Fullerton
3 min read


Reflections: That’s a lot of sacrifices!
During my study of the Old Testament books of Ezra and Nehemiah, one thing that stuck in my mind was the list of sacrifices. “For the dedication of the house of God, they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and a sin offering for all Israel of twelve male goats, one for each tribe of Israel” (Ezra 6:17). That number pales in comparison, though, to the lists from King Solomon’s dedication of the first temple, described in I Kings 8, when the numbe

Cynthia J. Thomas
3 min read
![Peptides and how they affect our health [part 1 of 3]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d906d_9be3371f55b9448d8786e3635525e1cb~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_259,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,lg_1,q_30,blur_30,enc_avif,quality_auto/0d906d_9be3371f55b9448d8786e3635525e1cb~mv2.webp)
![Peptides and how they affect our health [part 1 of 3]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d906d_9be3371f55b9448d8786e3635525e1cb~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_230,h_222,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_avif,quality_auto/0d906d_9be3371f55b9448d8786e3635525e1cb~mv2.webp)
Peptides and how they affect our health [part 1 of 3]
Peptides are amino acids that are short chain (two to 100) and are the building blocks of proteins and are considered “major messengers” in the body’s cellular control function, metabolism and hormone production. Some of the key functions of peptides are: 1) They are smaller than proteins so they are more easily absorbed by the body. 2) They occur naturally in our bodies and control blood pressure, immune function and digestion. 3) Types of peptides include insulin, c

Jody Johnson Godfrey
2 min read


Breakfast at Tiffany’s: Learning to shut my mouth…
A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. James 1:6-8 The story of John the Baptist’s angelic birth announcement carries with it a great lesson on faith—or, more accurately—the lack thereof. Gabriel the angel appeared to John’s father, Zacharias the priest, telling him the joyous news that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son who would be great in the sight of the Lord. He was to prepare the way for Messiah and be filled with the spirit and power of Elijah. This news

Tiffany Gravett
2 min read


Outdoors with Larry Dablemont: Filled with suckers
Fighting the white bass for a few hours was fun, but I would have given a good rebel lure for a big treble hook. Those suckers that we hillbillies have always referred to as ‘yaller suckers’ would have been lots of fun with trebles and a grabbin’ outfit

Larry Dablemont
4 min read
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