Magazine News
Home for the Holidays – Shop Local and Celebrate Christmas in Style with Countryside in the City
By Savanah Mandeville • Photos by Mandy Edmonson Due to COVID-19 and social distancing, more of us than ever may be spending the holidays at home rather than traveling to see family. Why not lift your spirits by bringing the holidays to you with fun, festive home...
Get to Know Buck Owen: School Resource Officer
By Kathleen Swift School resource officers (SRO) play an important role in our schools. They work with school administrators in developing school safety plans to ensure students have a safe place to learn. But, they do so much more in supporting our students. Buck...
A Return to Simplicity : Create family memories at Ozark Valley Christmas Tree Farm
By Savanah Mandeville As the Christmas season marks the end of a year full of uncertainty, it’s more important than ever that we cherish the time we get to spend with our loved ones. That’s why more and more families are really embracing the Christmas experience this...
Comfort and Joy Celebrating the Holidays with the Baker Family
By Kathleen Swift • Photos by Artistic Expressions Photography Like many working moms, Paula Baker, president and chief executive officer of Freeman Health System, is busy all year long. Adding the holiday celebrations to already-busy schedules means planning ahead...
Why I Run Wonder Woman: How Stephanie Witcher juggles family, career, doctoral studies… and finds the time to run
By Savanah Mandeville • Photos by Mandy Edmsonson Stephanie Witcher is no stranger to multi-tasking. This busy mama is a wife, mother of two, an English instructor at Crowder College, and a doctoral student working toward her Doctorate of Education in Higher Education...
The Power of Family – Mark Boyd’s family and his Grand Prosthetics family helped him stand tall again
By Savanah Mandeville • Photos by Tera Miller This year hasn’t been easy on anyone, but for Mark Boyd of Miami, Oklahoma, 2020 came with setbacks and obstacles many can only imagine. Mark will be the first to admit life knocked him down this year, but instead...
Club 609 Celebrates 30 Years
By Savanah Mandeville Photos by Mandy Edmonson On any given Friday or Saturday night, Club 609 is one of the most poppin’ places in town. Rewind 30 years, and that was exactly the case in 1990. “We held our grand opening night in September with friends and family to...
Lift as You Climb: Teddy Steen
By Kathleen Swift • Photo by Artistic Expressions Photography George Washington Carver famously advocated the philosophy, “Lift as you climb.” He meant that as we go through life, we should use our experiences and talents to help others. Teddy Steen has applied that...
Love at First Bite Rose Carlile celebrates 40 years at Candy House Gourmet
By Savanah Mandeville • Photos by Tera Miller If you’ve been to the Candy House in Joplin sometime in the last 40 years, there’s a good chance you were greeted with a smile by Rose Carlile. On October 15, Rose will celebrate 40 years at Candy House Gourmet in Joplin....
Art as Life
By Kathleen Swift • Photos by Tera Miller You won’t find a couple more immersed in life and in art than David and Alice Lynn Greenwood-Mathé. This dynamic couple have turned their 1890s home into their personal studio and art gallery. Both David and Alice Lynn are...
Hope in the Time of COVID-19: Horses of Hope Gala
By Kathleen Swift “Horses of Hope, like many worthy charities in the Four States, has had a very difficult 2020,” said Vallerie Sweeten, co-founder, head certified therapeutic riding/driving instructor/physical therapist assistant at Horses of Hope. “In April 1997, a...
Christian Heady: Through It All, He’s Strong
By Kathleen Swift • Photos by Artistic Expressions Photography Cancer is always a devastating diagnosis. And, when you are 11 when you get this diagnosis, it changes everything. For Christian Heady, it meant going from being active in middle school football and other...
Faces & Places
Connect2Culture’s Meet, Greet and Thank You Cocktail Reception
Connect2Culture’s Meet, Greet and Thank You Cocktail Reception Happy hour, hors d’oeuvres and honoring the local arts community…Sharon and Lance Beshore partnered with Connect2Culture (C2C) to host a gathering of creative individuals, organizations and businesses at...
Comedy for Camp
Comedy for Camp Guests at the Fourth Annual Comedy for Camp laughed for a good cause Saturday, March 30. The event, hosted by Soroptimist International of Joplin, was held at 6 pm at Wilder’s Event Center, 1208 S. Main in Joplin, to benefit Jasper County Foster...
Jasper County Collector Steve Holt Retirement Party
Jasper County Collector Steve Holt Retirement Party Thank you for 30 years of service, Steve Holt! The Jasper County collector celebrated three decades of public service with a retirement party at the Carthage Courthouse Friday, February 22, from 1-3 pm. Public...
Fifth Annual March O’ the Kidney
Fifth Annual March O’ the Kidney The Fifth Annual March O’ the Kidney walk was held at 8 am March 9 at Northpark Mall. This one-mile walk is held to raise awareness and funds for those suffering from kidney disease, a life-threatening condition that affects millions...
Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Business Expo
Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Business Expo, presented by Omega Mod Group, was a HUGE success. “We had an amazing turnout from the community, with over 2,300 people attending and almost 100 vendors. These two things combined with a high energy made the...
Carthage Business Expo and Home Show
Carthage Business Expo and Home Show The annual Carthage Chamber of Commerce Business Expo and Home Show was held from 10 am to 3 pm Saturday, March 9, at the CRM Auditorium, 1900 S. Grand. The expo serves as an opportunity for businesses and members of the public to...
Grand Lake Boat and Sport Show
Grand Lake Boat and Sport Show The 22nd Annual Grand Lake Boat and Sport Show was held at the Grove Civic Center March 7-10. This yearly tradition ushers in spring and is a chance for families to plan for their summer on the Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees. Visitors got...
Carl Junction Business Expo
Carl Junction Business Expo Follow the call of the disco ball! The Carl Junction Area Chamber of Commerce partnered with Aire Internet to present this year’s Business Expo from 9 am to 2 pm Saturday, March 2, at the Carl Junction Community Center, 303 N. Main....
Kayla Weston’s Birthday Party at Spencer’s Sweet Call
Kayla Weston’s Birthday Party Happy 13th Birthday, Kayla Weston! If you ask Kayla or any of her friends what it’s like to grow up in Webb City, they’d tell you they love going to Cardinals ball games, catching a movie downtown and shopping at the local...
Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce 2019 Business EXPO: A Portrait of Success
Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce 2019 Business EXPO: A Portrait of Success Love a good success story? The Joplin Business EXPO was picture perfect! The 27th annual event, hosted by the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, showcased area businesses to the community....
Go Red for Women®
Go Red for Women® Freeman Health System employees painted the health system red Friday, February 1. Freeman Heart & Vascular Institute physicians, staff and Paula Baker, Freeman president and chief executive officer, wore red for the American Heart Association’s...
Chamber Celebrates Carthage at Banquet
Chamber Celebrates Carthage at Banquet The Carthage Chamber of Commerce celebrated the past year with a Casino Royale theme at their 2019 Annual Banquet Friday, Jan. 18, at the Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer reception hall. Over 400 Chamber...