Umbrellas opened and closed, opened and closed, but the annual Fourth of July parade in Bonne Terre went on as planned.

Gary Matheny had a tip for the 300 or so people who gathered Saturday at the courthouse for a TEA (Taxed Enough Already) party.

Wilma Peterson sits quietly in her kitchen getting envelopes ready to mail to help the Elvins Food Pantry.

Three people received moderate injuries Saturday during a two-car collision on U.S. 67 in St. Francois County.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden spent the Fourth of July with his son and other American troops in Iraq on Saturday, while the Iraqi government spokesman publicly rejected the American’s offer to help with national reconciliation, saying it’s an internal affair.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea launched seven ballistic missiles Saturday into waters off its east coast in a show of military firepower that defied U.N. resolutions and drew global expressions of condemnation and concern.

NAWA, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban militants were nowhere in sight as the columns of U.S. Marines walked a third straight day across southern Afghanistan. But the desert heat proved an enemy in its own right, with several troops falling victim Saturday to temperatures topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Ousted President Manuel Zelaya announced Saturday that he would return to Honduras to try to retake office following last week’s military-backed coup, despite the interim government’s insistence that he faces arrest and trial.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s abrupt and unscripted holiday resignation is an odd way to launch a potential presidential bid and no help for a party battered by scandal and fighting for relevancy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Determined to change the way the world views the United States, Barack Obama is onto his next foreign mission: rebuilding relations with Russia, proving to global leaders that America is serious about climate change, and outlining his vision for Africa, his father’s birthplace.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Colin Powell worries that President Barack Obama is trying to tackle too many big issues at one time and he offers this advice: take a hard look at costs and consider the additional red tape that will be created.

It’s a classic American show and tickets for it are already selling fast.

The Farmington School Board approved a budget that includes a $575,000 in increased salary and benefits for the next school year. They also opted to continue with the 2007/08 budget for the time being.

DESLOGE — Officials here might be doing a rain dance between now and the fall. The City Administrator is still hopeful the city’s new soccer field will be ready by fall. Now that the rain has finally let up, King’s Construction has been able to get on the field and get most of the dirt work done. Camp said he expects the final grading will be done this week.

Residents who are fed up with spending by government officials will participate in a national TEA Party Day Saturday in St. Francois County.

Law enforcement officers throughout the Midwest will be cracking down on impaired driving during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Perhaps she is makes you feel welcome when she greets you at your favorite store. Maybe he delivers meals to fellow seniors, even when it is pouring rain or the bitter cold seeps through layers of clothing.

The Missouri Arts Council (MAC), a division of the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED), is seeking nominations for the 2010 Missouri Arts Awards. Categories for the awards include arts education, arts organization, creative community, individual artist, arts leadership, and philanthropy.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Civic leaders in St. Louis are saying enough is enough, and the violence has to stop.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Attorney General Chris Koster is accusing officials of a St. Louis County fire and ambulance district of violating Missouri’s open meetings and records laws.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gov. Jay Nixon has submitted a request to put a statue of former President Harry Truman in the U.S. Capitol.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Columbia police are hoping some college students might help break a 20-year-old murder mystery.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri revenues declined by nearly 7 percent in the 2009 fiscal year.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge has tentatively thrown out the convictions of a Missouri mother for her role in a MySpace hoax directed at a 13-year-old neighbor girl who ended up committing suicide.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s next education commissioner pledged after being selected Thursday to improve student achievement in both urban and rural districts.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed legislation Thursday that would have relaxed a law that requires motorcyclists in Missouri to wear helmets at all times, citing concerns about highway safety and health care costs.

Work on the US 67 Big River bridge in St. Francois County, a Safe and Sound bridge project, will begin at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. During work to construct the northbound bridge deck, US 67 will be reduced to one lane, two-way traffic from the Route 8 interchange to the Orchard Road interchange. There will also be a 16-foot width restriction in the northbound lanes and 20-foot width restriction in the southbound lanes. 

The chickens are growing faster every day. Maybe it’s the heat or a conspiracy to get out of their cardboard box - I’m not sure. They’ve taken to flying up to the edge of the taped up sides, roosting and pooping over the edge. Have I said I’m tired of chicken poop? Not that it’s a hard job, but it’s constant.