Miss Chelsea’s Dance Academy competition team recently traveled to St. Louis to compete at the Dupree Dance Convention and Competition. The local dance troupe brought home more than 20 trophies, and earned first overall.

Comics have rules. Middle school has rules. Everyone has rules. Flint, the main character in the novel “Squint,” likes to keep a list of rules. He uses them to help him navigate the treacherous territory…

Attorney Jerry Hathaway and Sheriff Bryan Murphy serve as two of the judges for a pinwheel coloring contest sponsored by Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). The pinwheel campaign involved area schools from multiple counties, as…

Carri Sailor, owner of Rookies Sports Bar and Grill, has a vision for St. Patrick’s Day in Iola. She dreams of a downtown square filled with festivities. Businesses and organizations working together. Maybe a parade.…

By Amanda Belknap THIRD PLACE Chris and I met at Iola High School in 1999 on my first day of my freshman year. He was a junior and came running in, jumped up on a…

By Dan Davis Somewhere in the Kansas City, Kansas neighborhood of Rosedale there is a small house. The exact location will not be disclosed so as to dissuade treasure seekers and amateur archeologists.  Carl and…

By Rachel Luke My name is Rachel Luke. I met the love of my life, John Luke, when we were in high school. We have been together for 14 years and married for 12. We…

By Jean Anderson “Three strikes, you’re out!” Right? That’s what I had decided about the “game of marriage” – and since those previous swings had resulted in some pretty serious damage — not just to…

By Edna  and David Donovan SECOND PLACE I was from Westphalia  and David was from Drexel, Mo.   In August of 1963 David came to visit his aunt and uncle while he was on leave…

Roger and Billie Collins By Melissa Genoble Let’s take a journey back 32 years to Roger’s 27th birthday, Feb. 1, 1989. It was a day unlike any other. It was the day he met the…