Rep. Todd Richardson of Poplar Bluff, the Missouri House speaker, visited the “I’m a Citizen, Too” class during the last day of summer school on Friday, June 26, role-playing with students how a bill becomes a law. Richardson’s guest appearance in the enrichment class has become an annual tradition since he was first elected to serve the 152nd Congressional District in 2010. Last year he was able to host the students at the state Capitol in Jefferson City. For at least 25 years, Jan Desgranges, a retired R-I educator, has led “I’m a Citizen, Too,” teaching students, grades 5-8, how to become productive citizens. Fourth grade teacher Shiela Boyles of Lake Road Elementary has co-taught the popular class since the 2006/07

They are society’s most vulnerable citizens. Unlike adults, they cannot chart their own course in life yet. According to the State of Missouri, about 23 percent of the state’s children live in poverty. That is a matter of concern, and the Child Concern Center in Poplar Bluff does its best to battle those figures. Child Concern Center Executive Director Derrick Miller has made it is personal mission to help these children and their families. He explains the group was formed in 1975, and to this day exists because of the efforts of its dedicated volunteers. They basically seek to turn one person’s junk into another person’s treasure. The group has a store at 601 Poplar Street, and for every $5

It’s a busy summer for Maggie Thorn, and I think it is fair to say she is at a major crossroads in her life. She’s ready to go “all-in” for her country music career. Area residents will have the chance to see that first hand Friday at Crabb & Company at Lake Wappapello as she kicks off the holiday weekend with a performance there, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. “I just got back from a tour of Europe as part of my studies,” explained Thorn. “It was really exciting. We were there for 21 days and had the chance to tour Italy, Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic. I was in a group of 20 other Belmont students, and we learned

Sometimes, the universe just seems to align itself in perfect order for a set of events to come about. For organizers of the Iron Mountain Market, that’s the way it seemed when they realized that July 4 was going to fall on a Saturday, a natural market day, and then that it also happened to be the market’s monthly Yard Sale Day. “We got to thinking about it,” explained organizer Rhonda Belcher, “and we thought….hey….why not just make one huge day of it! We can even watch the fireworks from the market at the train depot!” So…the event has turned into a “Block Party”. “We just felt this was the perfect time for neighbors and friends to visit with one

It’s going to be a day full of music, beauty pageants, and fireworks next Saturday as the Ripley County Chamber of Commerce sponsors its annual Fourth of July Celebration at Doniphan’s Riverfront Park. Music is going to take center stage at this event following the pageant, and will include Black River Blues Bad, Nashville entertainer Scott Shipley, Bad JJ, and Jayen Andrews, who was the winner of the Billy Yates Hearts for the Arts Scholarship. Darin Stevens of the Black River Blues Band says the “Red, White and Blues” entertainment program is a dream of his that has been several years in the making. “Thirty years ago, the band I was playing I opened the Fourth of July Show at

So what is the verdict on this past weekend’s Music on Main event? Well….the temperatures were hot, but so was the music. “There were times when the street was so full, you could hardly walk through,” said event-organizer Randy Bailey. “The kids were having a blast in the Kids’ Zone, and folks gathered around for the Stars on Main Karaoke, and the two music stages looked and sounded great. We hosted a lot of very gifted local and regional bands.” Bailey said the event brought together the perfect mix of culture, music and vendors. Asked if weather hurt attendance, both from having to be rescheduled from its May date, and then Saturday’s hot and humid weather, Bailey said he didn’t