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There was a time when 4-H Club was a “country kids” club. As a matter of fact, there was a time when the whole country was divided basically into two classes of people: town and city folk, and country folk. That’s no longer the case with society, and it certainly is no longer the case with 4-H. “The organization has really changed a lot,” explained Monie Jackson Bremer, who has been a leader of the Star Banner 4-H of Dexter for 16 years. “It’s no longer just about farming and farm animals.” Now the organization has become more urban, to fit the changing demographics of rural and urban America. “Now we also teach kids about entrepreneurship, and technology. We even

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” Chronicles 7:14 That was the verse before a crowd of about 50 people who gathered Friday evening at Northpoint Nazarene Church. Pastor Greg Gilberto had called the Prayer Summit in hopes of beginning a healing process for the city of Poplar Bluff. “I have never done this before,” Gilberto told the gathering. “But I feel this is something we need to do.” Gilberto has been disturbed by what he described as a feeling of a “wet blanket” laying over

Fourth grader Ethan Hudlow of Oak Grove Elementary School received media attention last week when news broke that the 9-year-old was registering to vie in a World Cube Association sanctioned Rubik’s Cube competition April 25 in Texas. So far Ethan’s record for solving the Rubik’s Cube is 24 seconds, he says, and even more impressively, his SINGS (Serving the Individual Needs of Gifted Students) teacher Patty Reed just peaked his curiosity in the puzzle a few months ago. “This experience hasn’t just taught Ethan about solving the Rubik’s Cube, he has learned that he is capable of doing something very amazing,” Reed stated. “I’m anxious to see what problem he chooses to tackle next.” Reed recalled how in September

About 10 years ago, my family received a gift from a friend: a small book and three ornaments. The book described traditions from around the world involving ornaments at Christmas. Our family immediately fell in love with the story of the German families who hide a pickle in their tree and on Christmas morning the one who finds the pickle gets a special surprise from Santa. What we quickly found out is "finding the pickle" is much more fun than any prize. Before we ever got to Christmas morning, the kids had played hide-and-seek with the pickle multiple times each day. And thus, our new tradition began. My kids are now 13 and 16 and as we were trimming