WorldAtlas · Lebanon, MO
On the first morning of March, anglers line the spring branch at Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon, Missouri, waiting for the siren that opens trout season. Rituals like that run through the small towns of the Ozarks. Some towns are built around lakes and others around trout streams, colleges, or old stretches of Route 66. Homes in each sell for less than their state's median price, according to the Census Bureau. Most also have a hospital in town or within a reasonable drive. Lebanon, Missouri The glowing neon sign of the Munger Moss Motel has welcomed travelers on Route 66 in Lebanon since the 1940s, and the local library houses a small Route 66 museum. Mercy Hospital Lebanon provides care in town. Homes have a median value of about $159,000, well below the Missouri median. The main draw for many residents is Bennett Spring State Park, about 12 miles west, built around one of the largest springs in the state. The spring feeds a cold, clear trout stream.
Marshfield Mail · Marshfield, MO
Nearby: Marshfield, MOMarshfield High School will honor local veterans with a special Veterans Day ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. The program, scheduled from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., will bring together students, veterans, and community members for a morning of military traditions, music, and recognition. The ceremony will begin with the presentation of colors by the Marine Corps Maneuver Support School Color Guard from Fort Leonard Wood. James Rupe, commander of the Webster County Veterans Memorial Association Honor Guard, will welcome those attending. Marshfield High School Student Body President Coby Rost will lead the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance. The Marshfield High School Band will perform the national anthem, a musical tribute recognizing the military branches, and “God Bless America.” Retired Master Chief Petty Officer Todd Clark will serve as the featured speaker. Natalie Cruise will perform “Taps,” a military tradition honoring those who have served and remembering those who have died.
Farm Talk · Strafford, MO
Nearby: Strafford, MOLile in El Salvador, extracting teeth. Every farmer or rancher knows that the work doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. They put livestock first, make sure the hay is baled before the storm rolls in, and trade a full night’s sleep for calf checks every two hours during calving season. For Jan Lile, that service and commitment is nothing new.Her 20 years in the United States Air Force taught her lessons that continued to shape her life long after her time in the military. Today, she spends her days caring for the cattle and working alongside her family on their farm near Strafford, Missouri. Although she has traded in her uniform for a pair of work jeans, the dedication she developed during her military career stays the same. FARM TALK recently spoke with Lile about her journey through breast cancer that was featured in the Oct. 28 issue. This is a continuation of her story that reflects on her time in the Air Force and life after retirement.
Marshfield Mail · Mansfield, MO
Nearby: Mansfield, MOMore than 1,000 students from across the Ozarks attended the eighth annual Laura Ingalls Wilder Children’s Literature Festival in Mansfield on Nov. 5–6, where award-winning children’s author Marc Brown, creator of Arthur, received the festival’s top literary honor. The two-day event featured 10 authors from across the country, including several from the Ozarks, and drew students from Marshfield’s Shook Elementary and schools throughout southwest Missouri. For festival chairman Nicholas Inman, the event was especially meaningful. Not only has he helped guide the festival since its beginning, but the celebration also started in Marshfield. “It actually has a Marshfield connection because the festival began here eight years ago as part of the Cherry Blossom Festival,” Inman said. The festival moved to Mansfield during its second year, giving students the opportunity to visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum while taking part in activities centered on reading and writing.
Houston Press · Houston, MO
Nearby: Houston, MOBenjamin’s, 2424 Dunstan, is coming to Houston in spring 2027 and the force behind it is the team at Local Foods Hospitality Group. Owners Benjy Levit (the Benjamin) and Dylan Murray are transforming the space that is currently Local Foods Market into a modern steakhouse. However, Local Foods Rice Village and Local Foods market will still operate at the same address with a new enclosed, and climate-controlled, patio. The opening of a fifth concept makes the Rice Village structure sort of a Local Foods Group compound, with its Italian trattoria Milton’s upstairs along with Lee’s, its companion bar. Milton’s and Lee’s are named after Levit’s parents and the space originally was the home of Benjy’s, the group’s first project, for 25 years. The upcoming Benjamin’s is a natural maturing for the hospitality group as it continues its success with other critically-acclaimed concepts such as the Michelin Bib Gourmand-rated Maximo, led by James Beard Award-winning chef Adrian Torres.
Daily Republic · Springfield, MO
Nearby: Springfield, MOSPRINGFIELD, S.D. — After decades of watching retail businesses close, Springfield has a new storefront on Main Street that offers something the community hasn't seen in years. Vance and Heather Branton opened the Springfield General Store on Oct. 3, bringing together outdoor recreation supplies, apparel, gifts, locally made products and a cafe. The couple believe it is the first new retail business to open in Springfield in about 30 years. For the Brantons, the project was about more than opening a store. It was an opportunity to preserve a prominent downtown building, fill a gap in the local retail market and show that Springfield and Bon Homme County are worth investing in. “When the bank told me they were building a new bank, I said ... ‘before you sell this to anybody, please let me know, because this needs to be retail. We can’t have another building just shuttered here in downtown,’” Vance said.
The Nevada Independent · Springfield, MO
Nearby: Springfield, MODespite its well-established reputation as a sanctuary for the LGBTQ+ community, Nevada tends to leave transgender people looking for medical care feeling duped. What seems like an oasis for gender-affirming care is really just a mirage of a better life. Silver State Equality State Director André Wade has described Nevada as "poised to welcome providers and seekers of gender-affirming care," but providers who are willing to offer services to trans people, especially youth, are few and far between. In 2023, Nevada passed SB163, mandating that certain medical insurance policies, including Medicaid, must cover gender-affirming care to treat gender dysphoria. Despite enacting these protections, many medical providers operating in the state remain afraid to offer services to trans people due to aggressive attacks from red-state attorneys general, federal scrutiny and the lack of shield laws protecting our healthcare professionals across Nevada. State Sen.
Cedar County Republican · Springfield, MO
Nearby: Springfield, MOFounded in 2026 in Springfield, Missouri, A Bed for Izzy (ABFI) is a nonprofit organization that provides medically necessary safety beds for children and adults with developmental disabilities who cannot safely sleep in a traditional bed or crib. These beds can be life-changing for individuals who struggle with nighttime wandering, limited safety awareness, seizures or other challenges that make traditional sleeping arrangements unsafe. As an entirely volunteer-run nonprofit, ABFI raises funds through individual campaigns for each person it serves. Once a family is approved, the organization shares their story and works to raise the funds needed to purchase a safety bed suited to their specific needs. The beds cost between $10,000 and $20,000, and insurance companies deny the vast majority of requests. The organization is currently conducting a fundraising campaign for Wyatt, an 11-year-old boy from Stockton.