Hi friends and neighbors of the Mail. Fall is upon us now and for many outdoor enthusiasts of our community that means the beginning of many of our hunting seasons that we are so very blessed with in our great state of Missouri. In my younger days on the farm we always planted about 28 acres of wheat. Doves by the hundreds would ascend upon our fields and dine on the freshly planted seed. Each year we would place square bales in the corners of the field to make a little fort to try and hide ourselves when shooting at the doves. We assembled a small army of shotgunners and secured a pickup load of shotgun shells. We scattered out and the fun began. In my opinion the doves already knew from last year we were horrible shots and they just loved to torment us. A couple of doves would fly around the field and we would shoot a dozen shells and miss every time. Then sometimes they would make us wait for two or three minutes and then they would have a conference and decide to send out a kamikaze charge. All of us once again would shoot and empty our weapons. Then before we could all reload they sent out another 20 or 30 of their friends to come flying out of the woods and this time flying directly over just to taunt us. They seemed to know when we could not shoot at them! By the end of our outing we all had sore shoulders and ringing ears and a pile of spent shells. Accidents do happen you know and we would usually harvest maybe one or two birds each. We proudly field dressed our game, soaked the birds in salt water overnight and would have a get together and wrap a piece of bacon around and grill them over charcoal and brag what great hunters we all were. If you are a hunter or just love to admire our abundant wildlife we all know the biggest season which generates the most excitement is deer. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent each year to locate and secure a big buck to hang on the wall with huge antlers. Friends: today our county has thousands of deer and in some counties we are overrun with an abundance of deer to the point that our conservation commission has an extra season for harvesting our abundant four footed creatures. Have you ever thought about how our Missouri Conservation Department learned how to restore our deer, otter, elk, black beer, duck, quail, and all of the fur bearing animals that are very abundant and they all need harvesting seasons to control excess numbers. When I was a kid during the 1950 and early 60’s deer were almost extinct. Now look where we are today. Oh let’s not forget bald eagles. Three winters ago I saw 30 sightings within 5 miles of where I live. Have you ever wondered how the term conservation came about? Let’s find out! There’s an Ozarks urban legend about an individual 250 years ago that is the daddy of modern conservation of today. O K folks: you know the drill. Sit back, close your eyes for amoment and let me tell you this story from the past. Once there was a man who had a large farm deep in our Ozark mountains. He had a large family and it took an abundance of food each day to keep everyone fed. Our man’s name was Conci Vashion. Now Conci was not the normal everyday farmer of his time. He had a vision to save his land for future generations and practiced and developed many of the modern farm practices we have today such as rotational grazing and growing crops. In addition to his farming practices he also realized that the wildlife on his land were also important to maintain healthy numbers. He fenced his land into a big V. Each fall he would get all his neighbors and family members together and have a deer drive. more

Please call one day in advance for pick up/delivery for the lunch of the day. (417) 620-2034. Our cook, Annie Barker, will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. more

The Niangua Fall Festival is back for its second year of fun for the whole community. The festival will take place Saturday, Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Niangua Community Building located at 172 State Highway F. The resurgence of the fall festival in Niangua was spurred by conversation amongst members of the community last year. A group of citizens got together and decided to host a festival to foster a sense of community. more

Community Days returns to Conway on Friday, Sept. 8.  more

Our parking lot will be closed for resealing on Friday, Sept. 8, but we Will be open. more

Dalton Aaron Johnson appeared in court before Judge Evans on Aug. 15. He pleaded guilty to a Class A misdemeanor of Resisting Arrest. more

We will be playing CornHole on Friday, Sept. 1. Join us for the fun! more

Please call one day in advance for pick up/delivery for the lunch of the day (417)620-2034. Annie Barker, our cook, will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Except on Holidays. Menu subject to change with notice. Suggested contribution for Seniors 60 years of age & older is $5. Younger Adults $7. more

After a two-day trial and deliberation, a jury found Elkland resident Dale P. Lang guilty. He was convicted of two felony counts of first-degree statutory sodomy on Aug. 22. A sentencing date has yet to be determined.  more

The fourth Ozarks Homesteading Expo took place at the Webster County Fairgrounds Friday and Saturday, drawing a crowd estimated to be double the size of last year’s event. With its inaugural expo taking place in Neosho, this was the third year organizers have held the event in Webster County and they don’t see it stopping anytime soon. more

On Aug. 23, after being passed by the Missouri General Assembly, Governor Mike Parson signed the Siddens Bening Hands-Free Law, which went into effect on Aug. 28. So what does it mean for the people of Missouri? more

An AirBnB in Marshfield was a stopping point along a 3,500 mile route for Philip Deutschle, who’s in the midst of traveling cross-country by foot. Though he joked that the trip spurred from a momentarily lapse in sanity, the newly retired science teacher from Salinas, California is an author, world traveler and man on a mission. more

On Aug. 11, the Marshfield R-1 school news Facebook page posted that grades k-12 would receive free breakfast this year as part of the Provision 2 Program. more

(JEFFERSON CITY, MO) – Today, Governor Mike Parson announced judicial appointments to the 3rd, 11th, 31st, and 39th Judicial Circuits. more

Groundbreaking at Choices Pregnancy Center more

Did you know- more

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds deer hunters of regulation changes for the upcoming 2023-2024 deer-hunting season. The changes include a new firearms early antlerless portion, a new firearms CWD portion, changes to firearms antlerless permit numbers, and the addition of 14 new counties to the MDC CWD Management Zone. more

This time of year is full of back to school jitters. Emotions can land all over the place; anywhere from the solace of returning to a familiar routine, to the dread of going to an environment which offers little personal control, and so many nuances in between. These can all be traced back to having this one particular time of year as their source. Since everyone receives education in some form, it’s a topic relevant to us all. more

The Marshfield Bluejays continued showcasing their athletes for the fall season by having another night of Meet the Jays in the high school gym. Audiences only had to pay the entrance fee of a single pack of gum to meet the girls golf, boys swimming, and volleyball teams. more

Did you know we are a cooling center during heat waves? (Or any time you need a place to cool off!) more

One of the best parts of living in a small town is seeing ‘old school’ history honored and preserved. The Marshfield Community Center, which was built in 1916 and previously served as the town’s original school building, has undergone a lot of changes over the past year. more

Please call one day in advance for the pickup/delivery of the lunch for the day. (417) 620-2034. more

Get ready to immerse yourself in an evening of theatrical magic as Marshfield Community Theatre (MCT) proudly presents its One-Act Festival. This fun event is more

On Aug. 10, The Fordland Clinic held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in partnership with the Rogersville Chamber of Commerce to celebrate its new dental wing. more

As the new school year approaches, many districts in Webster County will welcome students and staff back to their buildings. more