Mechanical menagerie returns to Appleton City thanks to Linda Lampkin For many years, the Southern Fun Carnival Co. stopped in Appleton City where its rides excited fairgoers with a variety of thrills. For the young, a carousel offered more laid-back fun. But in 2020, the owner passed away and the carnival was put up for sale. No more would the brightly lit carousel make the rounds of small towns in Missouri and surrounding states. Or so it seemed. Linda Lampkin, a woman with a giving heart and strong ties to Appleton City, inquired whether it would be possible to buy the carousel. The Osage ..read more

For 11 days in August, Missouri’s best food comes from the state fair Take two steps through the entrance to the Missouri State Fair and the aroma of scrumptious treats is overwhelming. From corn dogs frying in hot oil, pork burgers and juicy steaks grilling, or the more exotic smells of wood-fired pizza, red velvet fried Oreos and cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven, Missouri’s agricultural showcase is a once-a-year smorgasbord of foods whose flavors are enhanced by the fact their availability is short-lived. “Food is definitely a big reason to come to the fair,” says Steve Sims, state fair ..read more

The rows and rows of names seemed to go on endlessly for the Warrensburg teenager. The scorching summer heat pulsated off the black slabs of granite as he took in the 58,276 names listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. “It made me emotional to see all the names listed up there of people who died helping our country,” says Saul Logan. “It makes you understand what makes the United States of America what it is. It resonated with me knowing all of these veterans had families, feelings and lives back home they left behind ..read more

Electric reliability under attack by government rules by Mark Viguet  |  info@ruralmissouri.coop During recent winter storms and summer heatwaves, electric cooperatives in Missouri set records for seasonal electricity demand. Through the extreme conditions, Associated Electric Cooperative — the power generator for Missouri’s electric cooperatives — and its six transmission cooperative member-owners kept the power flowing reliably using a balanced portfolio of generation sources, including coal and natural gas power plants, hydropower, wind and a resilient transmission system. While o ..read more

Touchstone Energy Balloon celebrates 25 years in the sky photos by Jim McCarty At the Missouri State Fair, Scott Wooge has the best seat in the house. This year’s fair will mark the fifth time he’s glided over the grandstand, carnival midway and livestock barns in the Touchstone Energy Balloon. “Flying over the Missouri State Fair is fun because there’s a lot of people and a lot of activity going on,” he says. “But it’s challenging. Hot air ballooning is one of the few sports where you’re immediately looking for a place to land — you plan your flight by where you can land.” A 33-year veteran o ..read more

Mutual assistance program gets the power restored quickly Memorial Day is associated with parades, family gatherings and honoring fallen military men and women. But for tens of thousands of Missourians, the 2024 holiday will be marked by memories of damage and destruction caused by severe storms. The Memorial Day weekend storms left a trail of 500 broken poles — including 30 transmission poles. The hardest hit included Barry, Black River, SEMO, Ozark Border, Howell-Oregon and M & A electric cooperatives. While employees of those co-ops shifted into high gear, a team of reinforcements was c ..read more

Join in on all the family fun at the 2024 Missouri State Fair The Missouri State Fair is an 11-day extravaganza of family fun in Sedalia. From livestock shows to grandstand concerts, there’s something for everyone. Here are just a few ways you can celebrate the many traditions in the Show-Me State at this year’s event. Learn more at www.mostatefair.com. Cool off with your electric cooperative. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the air-conditioned Missouri Electric Cooperatives building is located across from the grandstand. Co-op employees will be on hand to answer questions, and you can perus ..read more

Cope Grass Farm works in harmony with the land Harry Cope doesn’t do anything normal. Sure, he raises cattle, pigs and some row crops on land that’s been in his family for generations. But many of the practices Harry and his children use were more common on farms 50 years ago than today. The Copes are constantly exploring new and forgotten ways of farming with the simple goal: improve the farm every year. The Copes sell their beef online and at the Lake St. Louis Farmers Market. They also supply beef to Stacked, a burger restaurant in St. Louis. “We’re not reinventing, but we’re going back t ..read more

In June, the electric co-ops lost an icon. Frank Stork was CEO of Missouri Electric Cooperatives for more than 30 years. During his time here, he led the rural electric co-ops through many challenges and received plenty of recognition. During his co-op career, Frank served as chair of the National Legislative Resolutions Committee for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. In his role as a voice for rural Missourians back home, he was invited to discuss energy policy at the White House by President Carter. Frank got his start as a co-op communicator, helping edit the South Dakota ..read more

Business student battling cancer chases her dreams This cup of coffee was just a little different. Kiley Lemasters has served customers thousands of cups of coffee as a barista, but in April, the college student and cancer fighter had the red carpet rolled out for her as she poured java inside Missouri’s most unique coffee spot. Kiley is a coffee enthusiast and aspiring entrepreneur who has been battling brain cancer since 2020. Her goal is to one day open a mobile coffee bus. With the help of her college professor, she got to see what her future might hold through a behind-the-scenes t ..read more