Megan Duncan Muddy River News Correspondent
PALMYRA, Mo. – The belles of the ball were announced over the weekend at the Marion County Fair. Elina Reed was named Miss Marion County. Elina, of Palmyra, is the daughter of Lance and Tamara Reed. Elina joined the Palmyra FFA Chapter in 2019. She is a varsity cheerleader at Palmyra High School and is…
Read Full Article I stood on the platform, suited up in gear to safely attach me to a zipline. I was about to soar above the treetops instead of falling to my death. I had prepared for this moment in the months leading to our Dominican Republic trip. Scape Park is an adventure park with nine interactive ziplines,…
Read Full Article Mark Twain Area Ukulele Club invites people to strum along at ukulele jam sessions starting Thursday
SAVERTON, Mo. — The Mark Twain Area Ukulele Club is offering ukulele jam sessions, starting Thursday, Aug. 3. These gatherings will take place the first and third Thursday of each month from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Genesis Bible Church Fellowship Hall, 12613 Saverton Drive in Saverton. There is no fee to participate. Ukulele…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Hannibal Regional Economic Development Council (HREDC) has selected Maria Kuhns as the new executive director of the organization. The decision was made by a search committee comprised of board members following an extensive search process. Hal Benedict, board president of HREDC, said, “We are thrilled to have Maria take on the…
Read Full Article LOUISIANA, Mo. – John Davis, of Ravenscraft Realty, is taking the real estate business underground. Davis recently listed a “one-of-a-kind property,” located along Hwy 79 near Louisiana on five acres, is a 575 square foot one-bed, one-bath cabin on steel stilts that sits at the base of the hillside. Underneath the property is where it…
Read Full Article “Can you spare a square?” It was mid-movie, and I sat there wishing I hadn’t drank all that Mountain Dew. I finally found a lull in the plot, got up, and said, “excuse me!” and “so sorry!” to about 15 pairs of knees. Moments later, I sat in relief, and I heard a little cough…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — The umbrellas set up over several of the public computers at the Hannibal Free Public Library are not for decoration, instead they are protecting the electronics from dripping water. Buckets sit on the floor to collect water in other areas of the library and when rain is forecasted, the library employees are…
Read Full Article I stared at her in the mirror. She looked lifeless, a little bleak. She had no certainty of the future. She couldn’t tell me who I am. She could just reflect what was already there. Blond hair. Hazel eyes. Pants size depending on the French fries-to-stretchyness ratio of the material. Height depending on the angle…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Hannibal City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to appoint Melissa Cogdal as the Hannibal City Clerk, replacing Angel Zerbonia. The council unanimously voted last month not to retain Zerbonia after an investigation for a hostile work environment. Cogdal has served as the deputy city clerk since June 2022. She took on…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — Caden Friedlein, who has cerebral palsy and wears a cochlear hearing device, anxiously waited his turn to grab a brush and slosh paint on a fence. He beamed as he talked about his favorite activity. Caden waits for the fence painting event all year long. His parents, Shawn and Amy Friedlein, and…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, MO. – When Claudia Hollister sees the start of National Tom Sawyer Days in Hannibal, she sees her childhood. The Hannibal Fourth of July festivities are a family tradition for Hollister, the second vice president for press and media relations for the Hannibal Jaycees. For her family, it was more than a drive downtown…
Read Full Article MARION COUNTY, Mo. — After recent rain, the Marion County Commission sent notice on Thursday evening that it is downgrading the recent open burn ban to a burn advisory. A burn advisory is to alert people of the potential for dangerous fire conditions. Marion County Presiding Commissioner David Lomax asked for everyone use common sense…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, MO. – Nothing says Fourth of July in Hannibal quite like a mud-covered volleyball players sloshing knee-deep and diving face first into the sludge. It’s the 44th annual Mud Volleyball at National Tom Sawyer Days. From kids to adults, it’s a tradition for many who play and who sit in the stands cheering trying…
Read Full Article PALMYRA, Mo. — Missouri Department of Transportation officials are reaching for a big goal — the number zero. The initiative is “Show-Me Zero” and MoDot hopes that will one day be the number of traffic crash fatalities in Missouri. On Wednesday evening, MoDot officials and local citizens gathered at the Sesquicentennial Building in Palmyra, Mo.…
Read Full Article I recently ran into a 20-something friend at Walmart. As she told me about her career aspirations and a possible move to another state, her cart called out to me: two bottles of wine, a frozen dinner for one, and a bag of party Snickers, which I know she fearlessly displays on her coffee table.…
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