If you hear tornado sirens at 1:30 p.m. today, don't panic. It's the statewide tornado drill.

The Girl Scouts are turning 98.

I'm certainly not into trout fishing. But considering I received at least three press releases on the opening of Missouri's trout parks Monday (March 1), it seems as though trout fishing is a big deal to many people.

During the fire board’s meeting yesterday evening (Monday, Feb. 22), fire chief John Callahan said a representative from the Missouri Department of Transportation said that if the district wants a traffic light on the highway near the fire station, the district would have to fund the $150,000 project.

Snow days are fun – for a while.

During the Wednesday, Feb. 17, Smithville R-II Board of Education meeting, the board gave FFA students and adviser Johnny Viebrock permission to apply for a grant that would help fund a greenhouse building at the Smithville High School campus.

When I arrived at Smithville Primary Elementary School for some classroom Valentine’s Day parties on Thursday, Feb. 11, there wasn’t an open parking space within a few blocks of the school.

Evidently, National Pancake Week begins Sunday, Feb. 14, and ends Sunday, Feb. 21. I’ll have a pancake story in the Wednesday, Feb. 17, paper that tells all about pancakes and their tie to local people and local fundraisers.