Wally Kennedy

At this time of year, you'll often see me walking the aisles of local garden centers looking for annuals for pots, perennials for the patio and start-ups for the vegetable garden.

Talk about stormy weather. There were dangerous late-night storms on Monday that produced tornadoes in Joplin and Carthage.

You never know when what appears to be a successful restaurant or hotel will close its doors. The latest example of this is the recent closing of Fazoli's, 4027 S.

May 31—Who could have guessed when the Frisco Building at Sixth and Main streets was constructed 111 years ago that it would someday become the unofficial dormitory for students enrolled in Joplin's medical and dental schools?

Aug. 2—This was not a good time for two of Joplin's leading hotels to lose their Hilton branding. This week will probably be the busiest week this year for the hotels operating in Joplin's hotel district along South Range Line Road. It's Marian Days in Carthage, where thousands of Vietnamese Catholics have gathered from across the country. We're talking 50,000 to 100,000 visitors. They are not ...

Sep. 27—The Party City store in Northpoint Center at the northwest corner of Seventh Street and Range Line Road is closing, but it will remain open through early December as it gradually liquidates its inventory.