TOP STORIES

Gremaud crowned homecoming queen

St. Vincent’s 2026 homecoming queen Addison Gremaud was crowned at halftime off the Indians football game vs Cuba. Gremaud was crowned by Adam Brickhaus. They were joined by parents Brent and …

St. Louis non-profit donates piano to PHS

The Perryville High School music department lost an important piece of equipment, a baby grand piano, in the March 2024 tornado that damaged or destroyed most of the school. Two years later, thanks …

ROCKTOBERFEST

Local News

PHS HOMECOMING COURT

PHS announces 2026 Homecoming court

Perryville High School has announced its 2026 Homecoming Court. The court will ride in the Homecoming parade on Saturday, Oct. 17, and the King and Queen will be crowned during halftime of the …

Seatbelt law ordinance fails to pass

The ordinance proposing changes to Perryville’s seat belt laws failed to pass on second reading at the October 6 meeting, while other measures were passed. Currently, Perryville’s seatbelt …

Out with the old

On September 28, the historic Chester Bridge was demolished in front of a crowd of Illinois and Missouri residents of all ages, some of which were around for the opening of the bridge in 1942. …

More than a cup of coffee

There is a life-sized Chewbacca standing watch inside Villainous Grounds. Nearby, a BB-8 droid keeps company with Baby Yoda and Baby Groot. A sizable flock of novelty rubber ducks occupies its …

2026 ST. VINCENT HOMECOMING COURT

SPORTS

Saxony Lutheran wins on ‘pink out’ night

JACKSON — Saxony Lutheran won 42-13 over Vienna-Goreville Friday night, but the victory and the score was not the most memorable part of the evening. The Crusaders hosted “pink out night” …

Pirates fall short behind backup

The Perryville Pirates fell to 3-4 with a 44-21 loss against Potosi Friday night. The Pirates were without usual starting quarterback Lucas Buchheit, who suffered an injury late in last week’s …

Crusaders 2nd at SEMO Tournament

The Saxony Lutheran volleyball team played in a pair of tournaments in the closing weeks of the regular season to prepare for the upcoming district tournament. In the SEMO conference tournament, …
OBITUARIES

Keith Wiliams

Keith Williams, 69, of Friedheim, Missouri died Thursday, October 8, 2026 at his residence, after a short illness. Visitation will be from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Monday, October 12, 2026 …

Lyam Corke

Lyam Patrick Corke, of Farmington, entered eternal rest on October 8, 2026, at Children’s Hospital at the age of 11. He was born on August 20, 2015, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Daniel and Michelle …

Irma Dreyer

Irma W. Dreyer, 89, of Perryville, Missouri passed away Wednesday, October 6, 2026 at her home. Friends may call 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Monday, October 12, 2026 at Ford & Young Funeral Home …

Joe Giesler

Joe Giesler, age 67, of Arnolds Park, Iowa, passed away on September 23, 2026, surrounded by his loved ones. The family warmly welcomes friends and relatives to a Celebration of Joe’s Life on …
STATE NEWS
Trump order sets up new women’s health research initiative at NIH, White House task force
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday establishing a Women’s Health Division within the National Institutes of Health.  The new division is set to work with the …
Missouri Democrats gain ground in polls, but congressional races remain uphill battles
Missouri Republicans’ advantage among voters has narrowed sharply this year, but that shift may do little to change the state’s congressional delegation on Nov. 3.  An August St. Louis …
Six years in, The Missouri Independent is growing because of you
Six years ago, when we launched The Missouri Independent, I made what was probably a pretty lousy sales pitch. Don’t trust us. Not yet, anyway. I asked Missourians to judge us by our work. To hold …
No Kings shifts strategy from streets to ballot boxes with early voting day of action
Organizers launched more than 2,500 No Kings events across all 50 states and the District of Columbia Saturday, this time focusing their efforts on the midterm elections. From roadside rallies to …
Washington stopped measuring hunger. Missouri is seeing more of it.
For more than three decades, the federal government released an annual comprehensive report on the state of hunger in America. But that ended in 2025 when the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced …
OPINION
Columnists
Nick Palisch
Corn Sweat: It’s a real thing
Every summer, it happens. You step outside expecting another warm July afternoon, but instead you’re greeted by air so thick it almost feels like you could wear it. You immediately start …
Nick Palisch
What is a backyard weather observer?
When most people think about weather observations, they picture massive radar sites, satellites orbiting Earth, television meteorologists standing in front of green screens, or government agencies …
Jim Martin
Cacophony of chaos
Sittin’ here under the River Tree this spring morning, especially with the cacophony of chaos around us, seemingly everywhere, the old codger can’t help thinking about what we call “faith”. …
Robin Garrison Leach
IDC about FOMO
Text Abbreviations and acronyms splotch the pages of our modern vocabulary. They wedge themselves into conversations and communications. I LOL when I read funny things. A few times, I’ve even …
Letters to the Editor
    • Song and dance

      To the editor: I see Jason Smith is still singing and dancing for Supreme Leader. Every week District 8’s Congressman picks up some …

    • Saddle Club deserves pat on the back

      To the editor: The Perry County Saddle Club needs a pat on the back for putting on such a great Mule Show on Saturday. If you missed …

    • MORALS AND PRINCIPLES

      Dear Editor In 1 Corinthians, Paul warns us gently but seriously to avoid influences that could lead us away from the truth. “Do not be …

    • RHETORICAL YING-YANG

       Dear Editor The rhetorical ying-yang between Paul Flentge and I reminds me of the class discussions I was lucky enough to monitor. In …

    • WALKING, TALKING CONTRADICTION

        Dear Editor Oh, for the love of God, Jason Smith. I had to wince at most of your April 9 contribution because if I pat myself on the …

    • DUMBER THAN BEFORE I READ IT

      Dear Editor Thank you, Congressman Jason Smith (R). Your March 26 column left me dumber than I was before I read it. I had to deny so many …

    • THE BIGGER PICTURE

       Dear Editor It seems controversy still continues with our local hospital to some degree. Frequently, the “bigger picture” can be …

    • WHEN THEY SPEAK, THEY REPRESENT US

      Dear Editor When we elect our government officials, from the local mayor to the president of the country, they represent us. Of course, we …

    • CHANGES WE WILL SEE IN THE FUTURE

      Dear Editor This letter is in support of Prop K.I.D.S. My life’s profession has largely been education. I could tell you a great deal …

    • SUPPORT PROP K.I.D.S.

      Dear Editor My name is Shadrick Shafer, and I have been a proud Perry County resident for 20 years. I am writing to ask for your support of …

WEB EXTRAS
Hit by an uninsured driver? What to know
TheZebra.com reports that 1 in 3 drivers are uninsured or underinsured, increasing financial risk for insured motorists in accidents. 
8 personal banking tasks you should automate to save time and money
Mercury reports on automating personal banking tasks to save time and money, highlighting eight tasks like automatic savings and payment setups.
How a smarter home can help families reclaim their time
(BPT) - It's a Thursday evening at home, and all you want to do is relax with your family. However, the mental list of possible to-dos stops you from being fully present with your loved ones. …
10 best cities to rent rather than own a house in 2026
TheZebra.com reports that Salt Lake City, Denver, and Austin are among the top 10 U.S. cities where renting is more affordable than buying.
6 Ways to Create a More Sustainable Bathroom
(Feature Impact) Conserving water, energy and resources is key to running an environmentally friendly household, and one of the best places to start is your bathroom. As one of the most frequently used rooms in the house, it's a small space that makes a big difference. Every flush, shower, twist of the tap and restock of restroom essentials is an opportunity to manage your ecological footprint.
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