Show Me Missourah

04/06/2025

Tune in tomorrow for a brand new episode of Show Me Missourah.

This episode is on the history of Douglas County

09/10/2024

This week in Missouri history saw Jefferson City surrounded by confederate forces led by former Governor Sterling Price, and rightful Governor Thomas Reynolds who upon the death of Claiborne Fox Jackson became the rightful elected Governor.
However, General Price decided to forego destroying the city he grew to love during his time as Governor, and this week in 1864 spared the City of Jefferson.

19/09/2024

Today in Missouri history was the end of an Ozarks vacation for the Fab 4.
After playing a massive concert in Dallas they were in search of some relaxation and ended up at the Ledgerwood Farm in Oregon County for a stretch of fishing, shooting, swimming, go kart riding, and relaxing before heading onto New York.
The group who would become known as the Beatles ended their Oregon County vacation on this day in 1964.

19/09/2024

Today at 1:00 on the This Week in Missouri Politics midweek update we will give you the latest in the unfolding scandal at the Dept. of Insurance and Beck and I will unveil the greatest stein Ive ever received. Join us at 1:00.
Brought to you by United Electric Cooperative, Inc. & Courtyard by Marriott.

17/09/2024

On this date in Missouri history the first institution of higher education designed specifically for freed African Americans welcomed their first class.
The effort began with the soldiers of the 62nd US Colored Infantry. A until heralded for their bravery in the Civil War. It continued when it moved to its current location in 1870, and college level work began in 1877.
However, Lincoln University - Missouri welcomed its first class on September 17th, 1866.

16/09/2024

This week in Missouri history was the birth of one of America's greatest military heroes.
Born in rural Linn County he began his military career leading a detachment of African-American soldiers which earned him a version of his future nickname.
He would later go on to lead American forces in WW1, where on Bastille Day where he remarked, "Lafayette, we are here".
After the war Linn County's own General Black Jack Pershing was honored as General of the Armies of the United States.
So the next time someone asks you to meet them in the Pershing Gallery, now you will know why.

13/09/2024

In Broad Daylight was a 1991 made for TV movie starring Brian Dennehy based on the 1981 murder of Ken Rex McElroy in Skidmore, Missouri.

The fanatically uncompromising Len Rowan and his family insult and terrorize the citizens of a small town for years.

10/09/2024

This week in Missouri History Bradbury Robinson threw the first forward pass in football history.
Robinson was a star for the St. Louis University Billikens and this week in 1906 he completed the first forward pass in football history.

06/09/2024

This Week in Missouri Politics Column: There will never be another one like Kathie Conway

You meet a lot of folks in this line of work, candidly a lot of really good folks. Just like in any walk of life you connect more naturally with some folks than others.

I had a hard time writing about Kathie because she is one of the people I’ve met covering politics that I consider a friend. Someone I confided in, and it’s hard to write about her in the past tense.

She was not just a friend, but one of those rare mixes of people who are a friend, a mentor, a motherly figure, an example, and someone who you would always want to stand in the back of the room with at a political event and gossip with.

And she was a tried and true Cardinals fan. We always saw eye to eye on that.

To most folks Kathie was a very talented and high profile legislator. She was from St. Charles County, but don’t get the wrong idea. Kathie was a part of the Tom Dempsey era St. Charles County politics.

She was a talented legislator. Kathie had the respect of all of her colleagues, with a large group of Democrats who respected and admired her.

Of course everyone remembers the group of blonde women who ran in a pack and who no one really wanted all fired up about them at once.

One of that crew is former Rep. Sheila Solon, who was kind enough to share a few of her thoughts with me, “Kathie was an inspiring colleague, but more importantly, my friend. Kathie was fiercely loyal, equally kind, opinionated and stubborn. Kathie was true to herself. Each and every day, she was herself, a conservative Republican, who put this state and its people above politics. No one worked harder on our state’s budget than Kathie. Her intelligence and strong work ethic earned her respect from both sides of the aisle. She leaves those of us who loved and respected her so saddened by the loss, but even more grateful to have known such a magnificent person who always put others first. She made us all better people for knowing her”.

I truly enjoyed talking baseball and politics with Kathie, but I’ll probably remember our talks about family more than any other. We never had a good visit without her telling me some story about what her and Pat were up to, or asking about Gussie and Millie.

However, it wasn’t politics, or the Cardinals, that was her passion, it was her son Ryan. Ryan is a talented lawyer and an official in the Parson administration, but all that pales in comparison to being Kathie Conway’s son. She loved him more than anything in the world, my heart is broken for him.

A friend of mine, and a huge fan of Kathie’s, Robert Knodell, gave me a few thoughts about her, “My heart breaks. Kathie was a tremendous public servant and person of courage, but so much more than that. I watched her mentor so many legislators. Especially female members, many of whom advanced to powerful positions in the House and beyond. I heard Kathie say many times, “public service isn’t about what you SAY when the microphones are on; it is about what you DO when you think nobody is looking.” I will miss her integrity and courage, her gallows humor when the Cardinals or Blues weren’t playing well, and above all her friendship.”

In the end I suppose its often hard to maintain your passion while living a world that demands pragmatism. Kathie had a knack for coming into situations and negotiating compromises to actually impact the state.

While I watched her brandish her reputation for pragmatism, but if you wanted to see her red lines, I saw one with Eric Greitens. She stood silent about him for a long time. However, when she, “had enough of him” that was it. With her background investigating s*x crimes she was a very respected voice in her caucus.

When she got there, there wasn’t a more passionate or effective advocate of seeing a corrupt Governor removed from office.

Kathie was one of a kind, and I suspect there will never be another one like her.

05/09/2024

Today in Missouri history celebrates the birth of one of America's most famous outlaws. Jesse James was born on this date in Kearney and would go onto become one of world's most famous outlaws.
He was gunned down by an assassin, shot in the back by a man paid a blood bounty by Governor Crittenden.
However, the legend of the World's Greatest Outlaw will never die.

28/08/2024

Today in Missouri history was the first every Missouri election. Missourians chose between William Clark of Lewis & Clark fame and Alexander McNair.
In a big upset McNair defeated the famous explorer with 72% of the vote on this day in 1820.

27/08/2024

Today in Missouri history the Ozark National Scenic Riverways were established. Originally the Act of Congress was passed to protect the Current and Jack's Fork Rivers, but later expaned to over 80,000 acres, and sees tens of thousands of visitors every year.
It all began on this date in 1964.