Kaitlyn Copley

Kaitlyn Copley

  • Joined: August 2, 2023
  • Articles: 2294

Bill “Pawnee” Fischer Fought from Normandy to Frankfurt 

Bill “Pawnee” Fischer

After graduating from BHS in 1941, Bill “Pawnee” Fischer entered Rankin Trade School in St. Louis to become a machinist. From there he worked in the Curtis-Wright airplane plant in the tool and dye department for about five months before being drafted in the summer of 1943.

He spent five months at the armored training center in Ft. Knox, Ky where the Sherman M4 tank would become his machine of focus.  He said, “We marched five to ten miles each morning and trained with tanks all afternoon.”

Looking Back – Courage and the lack thereof

President John F. Kennedy

Courage. Once, it was a quality we expected in our leaders. President Herbert Hoover put it this way:

    “The imperative need of this nation at all times is the leadership of uncommon men or women.”

Our Founding Fathers were uncommon men who exemplified courage. Benjamin Franklin summed up that courage shortly after signing the Declaration of Independence:

    “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”

    Those patriots had put everything on the line – property, status, personal freedom and even their lives –  by declaring independence from Great Britain.

Focus on Faith – That’s impossible!

Focus on Faith

Here I go again with another pop culture moment. Let me tell you about another one of my favorite movies, “The Empire Strikes Back.” This is second of the three original Star Wars movies. There is one scene in particular in this film that has stuck with me over the years. 

    A boy, Luke Skywalker, is trying to use the ‘force’ to lift his spaceship out of a thick and murky swamp, where it stuck after he crashed it there.

Culbertson has new medical record system

Letters to Editor

Dear Editor,

    As I write this letter, the entire team at Culbertson Memorial Hospital is beginning to utilize our new Electronic Medical Record system, Oracle Health Community Works. On Sunday night we officially turned on the new system. In addition to the Culbertson personnel, a large team of consultants are on-site to ensure our conversion goes smoothly.

Trivia Too – A little history on bison

Trivia Too

I remember as I was looking at my book, The Life of Thomas Beard, about telling how the French explorers stopped at different places along the Illinois River including a stop at where Beardstown is now located.  

As the buffalo were sighted from their canoes, they wrote how the unusual animals would travel in the thousands and sometimes single file and sometimes as a herd.  When they traveled as a herd, they would leave a dark path of soil on which the others could then travel on.

Virginia welcomes a new boutique

Creekside Boutique was officially opened last Friday with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Pictured above are (L-R) Mayor Randy McClure, Dustin Fritche, Cara Bell, Thad Walker, Sara Beth Fanning, Vickie Bell and Christa Stanbridge. Photo by JanetMartin

Virginia is proud to welcome another new business to the community. Creekside Boutique & Coffee Company held their grand opening on Friday the 27th. The business, located on the north side of the square, is owned by Sara Beth Fanning and will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Chandlerville Fire Department heads reinstated

Chandlerville Fire Department

It’s a mess!

   The article in last week’s Cass County Star-Gazette regarding the burning of an abandoned building in Chandlerville, had misinformation. according to Chandlerville Fire Chief Cory Simpson.

   Chief Simpson reported to this newspaper it was not an abandoned building that was burned. He also said that both he and Deputy Chief Tanner Force have been reinstated to their position.

Ashland Trunk or Treat

Wet, cold weather did not stop Ashland’s ghouls, goblins, dinosaurs, and superheroes from gathering Sunday afternoon at the Ashland fire house for popcorn, hot dogs, and sweets.