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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
Iran Begins 6 Day Funeral on July 4th for Former Leader Khamenei with Dead Tyrant’s Coffin – Successor Is Noticeably Absent
Ayatollah Khameini’s coffin arrives at his funeral in Tehran. Khameini was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes earlier this year. funeral screengrab Iran began a weeklong funeral on Saturday for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, months after an airstrike killed him at the start of…
WATCH LIVE NOW: President Trump’s Historic 250th Independence Day Address Starts Now at 11 PM ET – Delayed by Weather – Trump Responds: “I Don’t Care if it’s 2:00 O’Clock in the Morning… LETS HAVE SOME FUN”
President Trump delivers remarks at Mount Rushmore on July 3, 2026 President Trump is set to deliver remarks at the Lincoln Memorial tonight on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, in what will be perhaps the most monumental speech of…
Joe Biden Receives Massive Blowback For Posting Anti-American Fourth of July Message on America’s 250th Celebration
Joe Biden received massive blowback for his anti-American Fourth of July message on the 250th celebration on Saturday. In a message posted to social media, Biden (or his staffer) claimed America is just an idea. Joe Biden also scolded Americans for not fully living up…
Mayor Zohran Mamdani Ordered New Yorkers to Cut Back on AC — But City Hall Was Kept as Cold as 54 Degrees
New York City Hall was kept as cold as 54 degrees during this week’s heat wave, despite Mayor Zohran Mamdani urging residents to set their air conditioners to 78 degrees to reduce strain on the power grid. According to an investigation by the New York…
Obituaries
Robert “Bob” “Butch” Richard Long
Robert “Bob” “Butch” Richard Long, 74, passed away peacefully on July 1, 2026, surrounded by his family.
Patricia Ann Downs
Patricia Ann Downs, 71, of Sedalia, formerly of Richmond, passed away Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at the Four Seasons Living Center in Sedalia.
Pauline Marie (Kruse) Plackemeier
Pauline Marie (Kruse) Plackemeier, age 99, was called to her eternal rest on July 1 2026, at her home in Carrollton, MO.
Opinion
Reclaiming True Conservatism: Principles That Built America
At its core, conservatism is about preserving the proven traditions, values, and institutions that have sustained human flourishing across generations. As Edmund Burke, the father of modern conservatism, observed, society is a partnership: “not only between those who are living, but between those who are…
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…
Devotionals
Don’t Stop Now!..
Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God…
The Only Thing That Counts..
1 Corinthians 2:4 “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” The apostle Paul was a speaker par excellence, schooled by the finest scholars the world could offer. He could…
He Knows..
Job 23:10 “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” Scripture needn’t be lengthy to be powerful, and here, in Job’s threefold declaration, is inspired proof. He knows. What does God know? As the…
Through God’s Lens..
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” As Christ-followers, our goal is to daily follow the will of God. Yet sometimes our perspective makes discipleship harder than it…