Text from our SGF Sunday email newsletter, written by Reporter Rance Burger

Fittingly, faith — or at least contemplations of faith — seemed to be top-of-mind with our readers in a week that featured Easter, Passover and Ramadan. Our most-read piece, more read than any election coverage from Tuesday night, was Steve Pokin’s column on a pastor’s proclamation that a Great Awakening is afoot. James River Church Pastor John Lindell said for reasons he cannot explain, it is starting right here in the Ozarks, and Pokin and our readers seem curious to know more.

Columnist Paul Kincaid, who is joining our regular monthly rotation of columnists, has a timely piece on the Golden Rule, as it relates to how Springfield (and especially the Greene County Sheriff's Office) treats the unsheltered. Surely, Kincaid says, Springfield has some issues, but surely Springfield is better and can be better in the way it treats other human beings.

Judy Bishop was called as a “wonderful woman” who was “always taking care of everybody.” Her daughter, Cindy Alcorn, now makes regular trips to Greene County Circuit Court hearings to watch her son, Brian Wilson, face accusations of killing his grandmother. Reporter Jackie Rehwald sheds light on Alcorn’s struggles with trying to get help for her son.

In this week’s Lives Remembered feature, Mike O’Brien introduces us W.T. Palmer, a military veteran and former police officer who lived through physical pain and mental injury, but maintained a kindness and honesty with his loved ones, a sense of trust to a fault, and compassion and caring for all.

IN-DEPTH

After contentious public hearing, city Planning & Zoning postpones vote on The Heights

Residents of Springfield’s University Heights neighborhood, and the development company Be Kind and Merciful, came to the April 6 City Planning and Zoning Commission meeting […]

MOST READ THIS WEEK

Pokin Around: James River's Lindell speaks of coming Great Awakening and miracles, starting in the Ozarks

OPINION | The only way I know how to be a columnist is to write with authenticity. My writing “voice” reflects who I am. I […]

Mother laments mental health system as her son faces charges in 2021 Springfield murder of his grandmother

The Springfield man accused of murdering his 79-year-old grandmother appeared in court this week via video from the Greene County Jail. Brandon Wilson, 36, is […]

STEVE POKIN

Pokin Around: From parking lot to blankets on grass, fans greet opening game for Springfield Cardinals

Fans at the home opener for the Springfield Cardinals are happy baseball is back and […]

Pokin Around: Subscription to assessor's info could be handy when I'm drowning in deadline

Readers often ask me, in my role as the Answer Man, about what’s going in […]

SPORTS

Lyndal Scranton: Back in town, Cardinals' Chandler Redmond chasing big-league dreams

A pay raise for minor leaguers — with the minimum jumping from $13,800 to $30,250 in Double A — eases the financial strain for players […]

Kaci Bailey named sixth basketball coach in Drury Lady Panthers history

Drury University has named Kaci Bailey as its new women’s basketball head coach. She moves to Springfield from Quincy University.

VOICES

Opinion: We’re better than this

Disgusted.  That’s how I felt when I heard about the February 10 incident of someone allegedly setting fire to the belongings of several people who […]

LIVES REMEMBERED

W.T. Palmer: ‘He couldn’t watch war movies about Vietnam because it would give him terrible flashbacks’

William Thomas Palmer was a Vietnam War veteran whose battles with the aftereffects of his military service continued for the next half-century. W.T., as he […]

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