Archives of Community

Showing Heifers: Michaela Roth shares how caring for cattle gives her rest

Journey’s nickname is Dino, then there’s Lady of Tice, whose nickname is Trace, and then there’s Heart, who goes by her registered name. These are the names of the registered Hereford heifers Michaela Roth and her husband Alex show at fairs and cattle shows throughout the region. The endeavor is one of community and relationship: […]
4 days ago

The Nice List: Arts Council of Southeast Missouri

Sponsored Content First Friday with the Arts. Multi-disciplinary art classes for students who are part of the Boys and Girls Club. Art programming for adults with disabilities. Creative workshops for veterans. All-levels art workshops. The annual Christmas Arts and Crafts Extravaganza. These are just some of the ways the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri fosters […]
4 days ago

The Nice List: Old Town Cape

Sponsored Content Shopping for the holidays in downtown Cape Girardeau is more than checking off a list — it’s an experience wrapped in hometown charm. As the streets glow with twinkling lights and shop windows sparkle with festive displays, you can feel the spirit of the season around every corner. Stroll along Spanish Street or […]
4 days ago

meet along the way: Laura Irvan

This story first published as “Survivor Stories: Surviving Breast Cancer” in the 2025 issue of Survivor Stories, inserted into the Southeast Missourian Oct. 9, 2025. While laying in bed one night reading at age 34, Laura Irvan felt a lump in her breast. Although she didn’t think much of it at the time, she called […]
4 weeks ago

meet along the way: Val Grant

This story was first published as “Community Cookbook: Make Cornbread with Val Grant from Sikeston, Mo.” in the September 2024 issue of The Best Years.  Violet “Val” Grant grew up in a large family in Sikeston, Mo. Her mother, Hattie, birthed 18 children, with Grant coming close to the end at No. 16. Her dad […]
4 weeks ago

meet along the way: Jayne Ervan

This story was first published in the September 2024 issue of The Best Years. Jayne Ervin, owner of Jayson Jewelers, grew up in Cape Girardeau with a city grandmother and a country grandmother. She says her city grandmother, Grace Erlbacher Dace, was a classy lady, always well-dressed, with hair and nails to match. As a […]
4 weeks ago

meet along the way: Mary Rowe

This story was first published in the October 2025 issue of The Best Years as “Community Cookbook: Make pecan tassies and kolackys with Mary Rowe of Marble Hill, Mo.” Mary Rowe of Marble Hill, Mo., grew up the fourth child out of 10. Since her father was in the Navy, they often moved throughout the […]
1 month ago

meet along the way: Rhonda Weller-Stilson, MFA

This story was first published as “Faces of Southeast Missouri: Rhonda Weller-Stilson, MFA” in the September 2025 issue of The Best Years. Rhonda Weller-Stilson, MFA, first took the stage in the second grade when she played a fairy in a play at her public school in Cincinnati. She continued theater throughout high school and into […]
1 month ago

meet along the way: Dara Drury

This story was first published as “Community Cookbook: Make Senior Center meatloaf with Dara Drury of Cape Girardeau” in the August 2025 issue of The Best Years.   Mondays through Fridays, Cape Senior Center kitchen manager and head cook Dara Drury feeds approximately 400 people in Cape Girardeau County, from Scott City to Whitewater to […]
2 months ago

Sponsored Content: Teen Challenge Extends Ministry to Women Through New Deborah’s House

For 55 years, Adult & Teen Challenge Mid-America has transformed men’s lives in Southeast Missouri, helping to free them from addiction and reintegrate into society through spiritual, vocational, academic and transitional residential services. Now, the Bible-based recovery program is expanding its ministry to women. “It’s like God’s bringing it full-circle — we’re going to be […]
3 months ago