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Weekly Trivia Question
Which Missouri town hosts the annual Pershing Days festival in honor of General John J. Pershing?
(Hint: He was a famous World War I general.)
Last Week’s Answer:
Last week’s answer, “Which Missouri town is home to the famous giant fork sculpture?” is Springfield, where the 35-foot fork stands outside an office building.
Hometown Business Spotlight
Hometown Business Spotlight: Gordon Building Center
When it comes to creating, building, and improving your home or commercial space, Gordon Building Center in Salisbury, Missouri, is your trusted local resource. They provide a broad range of innovative building materials and solutions designed to add value, enhance ...
Local News
Chariton County Schools Buzz with Achievements, Competitions, and Upcoming Events
Chariton County’s small school districts are wrapping up a strong quarter filled with academic honors, athletic successes, student leadership, and community engagement. Thunder Baseball Co-op Heating Up The Thunder baseball co-op, which includes students from Brunswick R-II, Keytesville R-III, and Northwestern R-I, has kicked off…
Chariton County Schools Celebrate Final Four Wildcats, Thunder Team Spirit, and Student Achievements
Chariton County schools are celebrating student achievements and exciting athletic milestones this week! From the Brunswick Wildcats advancing to the Class 1 Final Four in Columbia, to Keytesville and Northwestern students supporting their Thunder teammates, and Salisbury students excelling in music and science competitions, the…
Hometown Business Spotlight: Salisbury Meat Market and Processing
Located just a quarter mile outside Salisbury on Highway PP, Salisbury Meat Market and Processing has been serving Mid-Missouri for over 43 years. This family-owned and operated business combines traditional craftsmanship with modern services, offering custom meat processing and a well-stocked retail shop full of…
Keytesville R-III School District Names New Principal, Seeks 7–12 Mathematics Teacher
The Keytesville R-III School District in Chariton County, Missouri, has announced a significant leadership change for the 2026–2027 school year. In addition, the district is now accepting applications for a 7–12 mathematics teacher position at Keytesville High School, offering a unique opportunity for educators seeking…
State News
HJR 173/174: Promised Income-Tax Relief or a Sales-Tax Trap for Rural Missouri?
A custom combine crew rolls through a 200-acre soybean field outside Keytesville, wrapping up harvest for a local farmer. The bill comes to around $7,000 for the job. Right now, that labor charge is not subject to Missouri sales tax. But if voters approve House…
Senator’s Wife Serves as Executive Director of Nonprofit Receiving Steady $350,000+ in Government Grants
CHILLICOTHE — Public records show that Karie Black, wife of Missouri State Senator Rusty Black (R-District 12), serves as executive director of a Chillicothe nonprofit that receives hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in government grants administered by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary…
Who Does Rusty Black Actually Represent? $640K+ From Outside Donors Floods His Campaigns
Chariton Beacon Investigation — Missouri State Senator Rusty Black (R-District 12) was elected to represent 18 rural counties in north Missouri — a district defined by family farms, small towns like Chillicothe and Trenton, livestock auctions, and working-class communities. Yet a comprehensive review of every…
Governor Mike Kehoe’s 2026 State of the State Address: Fiscal Discipline, Tax Reform, and Potential Challenges for Rural Missouri
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — On January 13, 2026, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe delivered his second State of the State address, marking one year since his inauguration. In a speech centered on themes of resilience, government efficiency, and long-term growth, Kehoe outlined a vision for Missouri’s…
US & World News
WATCH: Ken Paxton Gives Victory Speech Vowing to Pass Save America Act, SLAMS Dem Opponent “James Talafreako”
Ken Paxton gives victory speech after clinching the Texas Republican Senate nomination – May 26, 2026 Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton spoke to supporters on Tuesday after whooping RINO Senator John Cornyn in the Texas Senate Primary race. Paxton smoked Cornyn, leading by nearly 30…
Massive American Flag to be Draped Across the Hoover Dam for America’s 250th Celebration
Screencap of Twitter/X video. An American flag the size of a football field is going to be displayed on the Hoover Dam, along with red and blue lighting, as part of the America 250 celebrations this summer. The Hoover Dam is a symbol of American…
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov Speaks With Secretary Rubio, Urges US to Evacuate Diplomats and Citizens Ahead of Further Massive Strikes on Kiev
AI-Generated by Grok – Russia’s Lavrov and US Rubio against the background of Kiev on fire The US deserved a personal alert from the Russians. After the Ukrainian attack targeting a college dorm that killed 21 students, mostly young women, the Russians vowed ‘strategic’ attacks…
Trump Appoints Bondi to New Role
President Trump appointed Pam Bondi to a new role on a White House AI panel. Bondi will serve on the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, according to Axios. Axios also reported that Bondi was diagnosed with thyroid cancer shortly after she was…
Obituaries
Marilyn Joan Lee
Marilyn Joan Lee, 86, of Sedalia, MO, formerly of Marshall, died Saturday, May 23, 2026, at StoneBridge Villa Marie in Jefferson City.
Duane Smith
Indian Grove resident Duane Smith, 68, died Sunday, May 24, 2026. Celebration of life will be at a later date. Inurnment will be in Asbury Cemetery in Keytesville. Memorials suggested to American Heart Association. Breshears Memorial Chapels in charge of…
Judith Evelyn Skaggs
Judith Evelyn Skaggs, age 87 of Lathrop, Missouri, passed away Friday morning, May 22, 2026 with family at her side.
Cynthia Newsome
The Newsome family is deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Cynthia Newsome.
Opinion
Partiality is Detestable
Partiality is the act of giving preference to one over another. In Leviticus, the Lord is commanding that those who rule should not show favor to the poor in order to show favor to the great. The term poor is one that can be interchangeable…
The Irony of Peace: Watching Iran Through a Lens of Prophecy and Uncertainty
As I sit here, half a world away, in Mendon, Missouri, scrolling through the latest headlines at 2:43 AM, the situation in Iran commands attention. Protests that erupted late last month over economic hardships have morphed into a nationwide cry against the regime, met with…
Yes, You Can Legislate Morality — And The Bible Commands It
For years, Christians in America have been met with a familiar phrase whenever moral issues enter the political sphere: “You can’t legislate morality.” The saying sounds wise, even tolerant. It gives politicians an escape hatch and allows society to avoid the uncomfortable task of drawing…
The Pro-Life Establishment Is Actively Thwarting Abolition—Why Christians Must Take a Stand
For decades, many Christians have assumed that supporting the pro-life movement meant standing for the protection of unborn children. We donated, we lobbied, we voted—but what if the very organizations we trusted were actively preventing abolition of abortion? Pastor Jeff Durban, founder of End Abortion…
Devotionals
The American Spirit..
Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Much has been written about the extraordinary virtues and values of the American spirit. How is it that our nation came to express…
An Aroma of Sacrifice..
John 12:3 “Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” Once contained in a bottle, now covering the feet…
The Fragrance of Worship..
Psalm 29:2 “Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” Worship often evokes images of stained-glass windows or dimly lit cathedrals, accented by candlelight, but true worship is not dependent on a setting or atmosphere….
Take It To The Streets..
1 Corinthians 5:9-10 “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need…