Stories from Saturday, August 5, 2017

As my son Brad and I looked over the farm pond, where in the early morning we saw dimpling rises in the weeds along the shoreline. That was all we needed to see to know there were fish working; so out came the ultra-light fishing gear and the fun started. It took less than an hour before we had all the fish we wanted to clean. It proved once again that farm ponds can save the day when nothing is hitting in the big impoundments...

Joel McDuffey hopes to one day coach basketball at the collegiate level. In the meantime, however, McDuffey is embracing the challenges presented by his new position at Sheldon R-8 after being hired as the K-12 physical education teacher and the boys and girls basketball coach for the high school and middle school...

For quite some time, methamphetamines have been the dominant drug in the world of illegal drugs in this area. For years the most common way to obtain the drug in the Midwest was to make it in your basement or garage. Over the last few years however, local “meth labs” have become almost non-existent because of the ease with which the drug can be purchased in large cities...

Hi neighbors. There is a commercial currently on television with a background song that got stuck in my head. Finally the lyrics came to me from long ago (although I still can’t remember what they were selling on the commercial.) When I finally remembered the song lyrics, I recognized it as a one of those rope-skipping or hand-clapping songs from my childhood. I turned to the Internet to see what I could find out about it and to help remember the complete lyrics...

Jefferson City, Mo. — Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is reminding Missourians that 55 locations in Missouri will be holding elections on Tuesday, Aug. 8. “Voting is a fundamental part of our democracy — it’s a way to make your voice heard,” Ashcroft said. “We want you to be involved in your government, to participate in the process. Don’t let critics of the photo voter ID law dissuade you from casting a ballot. If you’re registered to vote, you can vote.”...