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The old codger’s sitting back here looking out at the River Tree thawing out in the unseasonable warmth of the December sun and thinking about the meaning of Jesus’ journey to us.
Two …
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By Jim Martin, columnist
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12/25/25
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Gazing out at the mist-shrouded River Tree this afternoon, it occurs to the old codger — for probably the four-millionth time — that life can be complicated. If you read Bryant’s comments last …
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By Jim Martin, columnist
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12/18/25
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For four years under Joe Biden, rural America was treated as an afterthought, even as farmers battled a cost-of-living crisis that led to soaring input costs, falling commodity prices, shrinking …
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12/18/25
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When Thanksgiving is over, and the refrigerator is full of foil-wrapped food, my thoughts turn to what I’ve been craving all year.
It’s time to order my fruitcake.
Yes. I love …
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By Robin Leach, columnist
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12/18/25
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Thanks to President Trump and the One, Big, Beautiful Bill — the landmark legislation I authored that delivered the Working Families Tax Cuts — every eligible American child born between …
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By Congressman Jason Smith
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12/11/25
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After the longest government shutdown in modern history, the House is back in session. Unfortunately, one of its first orders of business appears to be siding with Big Tech over small inventors.
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Kristen Osenga, columnist
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12/4/25
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As we sit here under the beautiful River Tree this morning, we’re especially blessed to welcome our current 145th House District Representative, a wonderfully honest and committed family man …
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Jim Martin, columnist | Bryant Wolfin, state representative
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12/4/25
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Thanks to President Trump, the United States now has the most secure border in modern history. After years of chaos and record-breaking illegal crossings under President Biden, President Trump has …
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Jason Smith, U.S. Congressman
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12/4/25
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I terrorize my stylist with pleas and threats when she leans in to cut my bangs. She knows that my happiness in life is tied to what happens in the next few minutes. In one sloppy snip, she can ruin …
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Robin Leach, Columnist
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10/9/25
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At midnight Wednesday morning, Washington Democrats forced the federal government into a shutdown – putting the demands of their radical, Leftist base ahead of hardworking American families. …
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For The Republic-Monitor
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10/9/25
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Since President Trump was elected, Washington Democrats have stood opposed to his agenda. They voted against the One, Big, Beautiful Bill, which delivered no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime, no …
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10/2/25
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When you have more than one child, it becomes difficult to remember their names.
Oh, you know who’s who. And it is easy to pick them out in a crowd of other kids: “mine… …
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By Robin Leach
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10/2/25
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As I sit here contemplating our individual, beautiful and remarkably brief existences here under this God-blessed but frankly struggling River Tree as we celebrate our parched but still remarkable …
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By Jim Martin
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9/18/25
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On Sept. 10, a widely attended debate on a college campus in Utah suddenly turned into a horrific tragedy when an evil lunatic armed with a rifle murdered Charlie Kirk, the most influential …
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By U.S. Rep. Jason Smith
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9/18/25
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A couple of weeks ago, we asked where our brief journey on this earth might be taking us. The local news and a couple of pertinent personal experiences make me realize it’s time to get a little …
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8/28/25
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The One Big Beautiful Bill modernizes the tax code to strengthen family farms, rebuild rural economies, and help American agriculture compete and win on the global stage once again.
For more …
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By Congressman Jason Smith
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8/28/25
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Over the last several years, major metropolitan cities in the United States have seen a troubling trend when it comes to public safety.
Left-wing prosecutors have been elected to office on the …
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By Jason Smith, U.S. Representative
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8/21/25
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Too much time on my hands, I guess, as I sit here under the River Tree looking up at the evolving summer clouds, clouds I saw from 12,500 ft. just three weeks back. I had the privilege of a brief …
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By Jim Martin
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8/21/25
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My granddaughter scraped her leg, and her mother applied antiseptic cream guaranteed not to sting or stain. Bree hopped up afterwards and was off to play immediately.
I’m glad it was …
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8/21/25
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Last year, when President Biden said he intended to allow the largest tax increase in American history to go into effect by letting the 2017 Trump tax cuts expire, most Americans were deeply …
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Representative Jason Smith, 8th District
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8/14/25
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It’s been a little cooler here the last few days under the beautiful River TREE. Though unfortunately, in this neck of the woods, we have had to start doing a little watering to maintain the …
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By Jim Martin
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8/7/25
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Every August, I visit farms, ranches, and small businesses across southeast and south-central Missouri as part of my Farm Tour, and we are preparing to set out on our 13th Farm Tour since I was first …
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8/7/25
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I’ve lived a while and, like a lot of older folks, find myself mulling a lot as I sit here in the shade of the River Tree.
I find myself thinking about five-dollar words like history, …
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By Jim Miller | Local Resident
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6/12/25
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On June 1, a deranged pro-Palestinian terrorist carried out a violent attack in Boulder, Colorado, shouting “Free Palestine” and using a flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to seriously …
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By U.S. Congressman Jason Smith
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6/12/25
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Lawmakers need to do more to help prevent older Americans from the crisis of falls. That may sound extreme, but, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the …
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By Clinton Rice
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5/8/25
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