Archives of Community

meet along the way: Sonja Davis

This story was first published in the May 2025 issue of The Best Years as “Community Cookbook: Make Chicken and Dumplings With Sonja Davis.” Sonja Davis of Jackson grew up learning the ropes of farm life. Her dad raised cattle and pigs on his 500-acre farm. Chickens were ordered in the spring and butchered in […]
3 days ago

meet along the way: Melissa Turner

This story was first published in the Community Cookbook series in the February 2025 issue of The Best Years. Every Sunday, Melissa Turner of Jackson prepares food for the week ahead. She chops veggies, cooks meat and makes a casserole to be eaten on Monday. A few years ago, she added soup to the schedule […]
1 month ago

meet along the way: June O’Dell

This story was first published as part of the Community Cookbook series in the March 2025 issue of The Best Years. June O’Dell of Jackson is no stranger to the kitchen. Growing up in Patton, Mo., she learned to cook with her mom Glenda, who gardened, canned and made three homecooked meals a day. O’Dell […]
1 month ago

Sponsored Content: Pickleball, your new favorite hobby

Sponsored Content If you haven’t tried pickleball yet, consider this your sign to grab a paddle and get in on the fun. It’s the sport everyone’s talking about, and for good reason: It’s easy to learn, super social and a great way to stay active without feeling like you’re grinding through a workout. At The […]
3 months ago

Artist Spotlight: Bunny Boughamer

Bunny Boughamer began drawing as soon as she was old enough to hold a crayon. Growing up in small-town Ste. Genevieve, Mo., Boughamer says being right on the river, running around the woods and being close to nature are some of her favorite memories from childhood. Today, Boughamer is in her senior year at Southeast […]
3 months ago

meet along the way: Rev. Ellen Gurnon

This story was first published as “Faces of Southeast Missouri: Rev. Ellen Gurnon” in the November 2024 issue of The Best Years. Rev. Ellen Gurnon says faith informs every part of her life. From a young child attending Sunday school and summer camps, to being elected to be a ruling elder in her 20s, to […]
4 months ago

Give Your Time to Something You Care About: Shut Up & Write!

Michelle Jenson, co-host of the Cape Girardeau chapter of Shut Up & Write!, remembers the first story she ever wrote: on three pages of notebook paper, a cat got trapped in a trash bin, and a rat rescued him. She wrote it while in the fourth grade, and it started her lifelong love for writing. […]
6 months ago

Give Your Time to Something You Care About: It Takes a Village

According to World Population Review, the state of Missouri is 31st in the nation for infant mortality, where No. 1 is best and No. 50 is worst. According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, from 2017 to 2021, Missouri had 32.2 pregnancy-related deaths for every 100,000 live births, barely avoiding the category […]
6 months ago

Give Your Time to Something You Care About: Runnin’ Wild Trail Running Club

Anna Nordwald, naturalist at Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center, started running in high school. Raised in Central Missouri, she often ran on her family’s farm or on the surrounding county roads, enjoying that the pastime allowed her to be outside. As a volleyball and softball player, she wanted to try something new, so she quit […]
6 months ago