My wife and I are proud parents of two adult children who are venturing out to find their ways in life. Our occasional worries of “Did we do our best?” in rearing them are pushed aside when they begin to take it on themselves to give back to us.
Summer is here, and the library is already sharing “A Universe of Stories” with members of the Summer Reading Club. And it’s not too late to get involved.
It’s that magical time of year again when we come together as a community and celebrate one another. That’s right, folks. It’s time for Best of Monroe Reader’s Choice.
It has been suggested that body language may account for between 50 and 70 percent of all communication between people. When watching animals, I would surmise that body language is even more important.
To the Editor:
Every time you can get away with paying $1.07 for a couple of boxes of lemon cake and sugar cookie mix, it’s a good day. Last week, though, I told the cashier when she rang it up it was pretty much breaking my heart.
Just what is a children’s book, anyway? And which ones are right for your child?
Another school year is rapidly drawing to a close, and I’ll be enjoying a brief summer respite from my job driving Bus 32 for the Amory School District.
I’ve done up and married a Yankee.
By GPA rankings, I graduated somewhere in the middle of my class of 47 Oak Hill Academy seniors, so giving a ceremonial speech then was one less thing I had to do on May 24, 1996.
I recently had the pleasure of hearing a sermon on embracing change. The preacher likened keeping the church locked up tight against change to an empty, shut up house that reeks of must, and how nice it is when you can open the doors and windows and let the light in. When that never happens,…
A few weeks ago, I got to meet a young and really happy Chihuahua named Sweetie for a story. In Angelia Goode’s fourth-grade class, Sweetie seems to be the class favorite. While math problems and numbers are the center of attention in her class, Sweetie is hanging in there really close.
Last week, our sports editor, Melissa Meador, said in conversation Monroe County has a graduating high school class this year producing an incoming Yale freshman and a pitcher who is a potential MLB draft candidate. That statement sparked the sometimes overlooked fact that Monroe County is a…
“No man is an island unto himself.”
About 14 hours after the tornado hit Hamilton April 13, I saw a completely different scene than from the early morning hours before then. Whereas flashing blue and red lights lit up the sky as first responders poured in throughout the night, volunteers were coming in droves the next afternoo…
Giving a gift subscription of the Monroe Journal to a distant friend or family member can bring about some interesting, if not surprising, feedback.
I enjoyed an opportunity to attend the Lenten luncheon at St. Helen’s Catholic Church in Amory recently. I feel a special affinity for my friends there since my wife and I serve at a neighboring church a couple of blocks away.
To the Editor:
I had the opportunity to go to Washington, D.C. last week as a chaperone with the Amory High School band for its performance at the World War II Memorial on Independence Avenue. I will admit, the real reason I signed up to be a chaperone was not because I wanted to look after a bunch of high…
If you’re reading this, Mallory Johnston, sorry if it reads like a broken record sounds. After bumping into her near Walmart’s produce section recently, we got on the subject of how Facebook for this generation of grandmas packs the same excitement as scanners did for my late grandma’s age group.
It’s almost Railroad Festival time!! A fun way to kick off the annual festival is to hear from two real-life hobos at the Amory Municipal Library at noon on April 9.
As stressful as some work weeks may be, I honestly think this newspaper could sometimes run itself easier than one of the community events I’ve helped plan in the past.
It was no surprise to read the latest news of wealthy people bribing their children’s ways into prestigious schools.
My volunteer work at our local nursing homes grew out of visiting resident members of our church close to 20 years ago. Some interesting experiences during those years have become Kodak moments that will stay with me as long as my memory remains.
Thinking back to four Spring Break trips to Panama City beginning with my senior year in high school, I can’t remember the planning to be too thought consuming. These days, however, a Saturday trip to Tupelo or Tuscaloosa gets me through the week. And when those occasional trips to Birmingha…
Medication should be affordable and accessible for everyone no matter their economic status. The cost of medication is becoming too expensive to purchase for a lot of Americans. The United States allows drug makers to set their own prices for medication and allows every drug that’s proven to…
The House met as a whole throughout the week last week to discuss general bills that made it out of committee and onto the calendar. Thursday, Feb. 14, was the deadline for representatives to discuss these general bills. Any bills not discussed in session by this deadline died on the calenda…
My family and I live alongside Highway 25 South of Becker, and we get a regular dumping of litter along our share of the roadside that varies from fast food wrappers to whiskey bottles to road kill.
In one way or another, somebody at the Monroe Journal has managed to snap a welding picture for print the past several Februaries for Career and Technical Education Month. When we published our first industry-centered magazine last year, you can guess what the cover shot was.
Books are a great way to learn and to travel. The pages of a book can take you to distant lands and even imaginary lands, and books encourage empathy by allowing us to see the world through other eyes.
Last weekend I finally saw “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the biopic about the band Queen. Movies rarely surprise me these days, but this one was different in some ways.
In the back and forth soap opera that is recent zoning issues in Aberdeen, it’s nice to know there’s an escape from it all by flipping on the television. Last week, though, Aberdeen was on there twice at a national level through good and bad representations.
Mississippians know all too well how fast weather conditions can change throughout the state. With winter officially here, it is important to stay prepared for any weather event that Mother Nature dishes out.
Don’t sweat the small stuff! That’s a phrase we use a lot while planning the Eldridge Toy Run. Sometimes what we think is a huge stumbling block really isn’t, if we step back and look at the whole picture.
The first time one of my English students from a previous year stopped by my room and said “We miss you Ms. Sherrill,” my heart swelled. Then I asked how they were doing in their new eighth-grade English class. I heard, “We’re not learning anything,” and “I hate going to that woman’s room.” …
On January 8, 2019, the 134th Mississippi State Legislature began the fourth and final session in its four-year term.
One fact people may not realize is the Amory Municipal Library keeps a continuing display of local art, craft and collections near the front entrance.
With every toast and warm welcome to the New Year, there has got to be at least 10 times as many sentiments from those not wanting to rush into its routine. For every one of you who was off school or work for the holidays, last week was the start of an uphill climb back to normalcy.
Mark Twain once said that of all God’s creatures, there is only one that cannot be made slave of the leash. That one is the cat.
It’s hard to believe it’s 2019 already. When I was younger, that seemed like such a science-fictional date, and now here we are on top of it.
From time to time, it’s easy to get sucked into the online edition of large daily newspapers across the country. You can add Tupelo, Starkville and Columbus, multiply them by Biloxi and still never have as much activity going on as several metropolitan areas.
This fall, the state wildlife commission cast what could be a lethal blow for wildlife and deer hunters in Mississippi. Until October 2018, hunters had to be at least 100 yards from a supplemental feeding station before a deer could be harvested. Effective Oct. 11, the Mississippi Department…
I was invited to come by River Place Nursing Center a couple of weeks before Christmas to get some photos of preschoolers visiting from Uptown Kids Childcare and Learning Center to deliver blankets and candy canes to the residents. Among the children were Charli Kate Adams and her brothers, …
I looked forward to Christmas as much as anyone when I was a child. As an American, the holiday is naturally expected to occur by the young, and it anchors the annual interchange of communication and enterprise among grown-ups. We still do send out Christmas cards, but I must confess that “r…
Happy Holidays from the Amory Municipal Library! Hopefully everyone is having a Merry Christmas and looking forward to a brand New Year starting soon.
I’ve caught myself browsing through department stores a little more often the past few weeks. What I thought was going to be the hardest Christmas shopping season to date has actually turned out to be the easiest one so far.
Throughout our nation, rural hospitals are struggling and facing financial difficulties. Gilmore Memorial Hospital, unlike many hospitals that are facing closure, has been given a new lease on life.
The stress and pressures of today’s society are greater than ever. So, it no surprise that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that suicide rates have increased more than 30 percent in the U.S. since 1999.
Ask any elected official in Mississippi if people living in rural areas deserve the same quality of life as people living in cities and you will probably get a quick “yes” but, that isn’t what current state policy says.
Last week, I found myself at a funeral home twice in five days’ time. It’s not the first time that happened and certainly not the last time it will.
From the county officials to the poll workers to the media to the candidates themselves, everyone can agree turnout for Nov. 6’s general election was phenomenal. The past couple of years have certainly made us all dial more into politics.
