Send us a Text Message. We wrapped up the fourth All Roads Lead Home Mural in May. We will be installing it in June--where it will reign over those traveling Highway 39 for the next several decades. The project is patriotic and literally stunning. Pictures don't do it justice. In essence, we will be dedicating this historic building back its roots …

Send us a Text Message. Endings are sometimes bittersweet. We are excited for the next leg of the journey. We want to find out what life has in store for us. I was asked to put together my best advice for this year's graduates. I read this to them this week at our Senior Celebration Assembly. I have taught at the university level for over 32 years.…

Send us a Text Message. Connections. Relationships. Journeys. The beauty in much of our work here on earth lies in the imperfect roads we take along the way. As we celebrate new beginnings and observe a few endings, let's keep looking at the possibilities we can achieve together along the way.توسط Kim McCully-Mobley

Send us a Text Message. The 4th All Roads Lead Home Mural is underway. It is classic, patriotic, colorful and huge! Soon, it will greet folks on Highway 39 as they enter and leave Aurora's city limits. The patriotic project has been designed by our own muralist---Raine Clotfelter, who is trying hard to retire. Later this year, we will dedicate this…

Send us a Text Message. My college students have been working hard. I have been working harder to keep up with them. We have talked all things leadership, philanthropy and communication. I have used the texts, additional resources, guest speakers, personal experiences, support from my field of colleagues and friends and more to help prepare them fo…

Send us a Text Message. Last week found a covey of students joining me at a meeting of the Aurora Rotary Club for their annual speech contest. Every year I am always so impressed with them. I am the Mama Duck in the room beaming at her ducklings. The criteria is simple. They pick a topic about their world that they would like to change, grow or imp…

Send us a Text Message. Our small rural community is nestled in the Ozarks region I call home. It seems we have been hit hard in recent years with tragedies involving our teenagers. One such event occurred here in the park on Easter Weekend. I'm not sure what the answers are. I wish LOVE could cure all ills. In the meantime, we need to make sure we…

Send us a Text Message. Last week was magical. I was invited to serve on a panel for Ozarks Teacher Corps. This eager group of new teachers--getting ready to embark on their respective rural school journeys--welcomed us with open arms at the Springfield Nature Center. I was able to revisit my why, see some old friends from the Community Foundation …

Send us a Text Message. My friends, Brad and Kari Boettler, agreed to allow information from a police investigation to be shared with the public in the wake of their son's January 3rd suicide. Evan Boettler was the best of the best. He was a stellar student, a role model, a fun kid with a sense for adventure. He loved his family, his friends and hi…

Send us a Text Message. Sometimes days, events, discussions and side conversations cause you to go down the proverbial rabbit hole of digging deeper into something you thought you already knew a lot about. Then, a few discoveries brings the real picture a little closer into view. A casual comment from an interested student might result in the Moble…

Send us a Text Message. This was another tough one. I apologize for the heavy breathing and the emotions. This version is the best I can do for now. I kept trying to get it just right in one sitting. This is one of those Paul Harvey "rest of the story" moments that some of you are old enough to understand. This is a story about friendship. This is …

Send us a Text Message. I spent some time reflecting on loss, growth, healing and moving on this past week. February is sometimes hard. February of 2024 taught me not to get too comfortable as some of those close to me continued to deal with some tough stuff. I lost a couple of good friends, gained a couple of angels, saw some former students, lost…

Send us a Text Message. Here is a lesson plan called My Perfect Day. Ironically--the steps of the process made for a magical day. In fact, the students managed to write my column/podcast this week all by themselves. I'm still looking for a few mud puddles, bargains and backroads.توسط Kim McCully-Mobley

Send us a Text Message. Now that the Super Bowl is over and our Kansas City Chiefs are Back To Back Champions, let's explore some Aurora connections to Chiefs Kingdom. I'd like to pay special tribute to Pat Talburt, one of our local hometown heroes.توسط Kim McCully-Mobley

Send us a Text Message. I love talking things over with former students and colleagues who hold a variety of positions in the business/professional world. At least once a week, someone shoots a dilemma my way for me to weigh in on and offer up some sage wisdom or advice. We talk about dishonesty, mismanagement and even green-eyed envy from time to …

Send us a Text Message. It was an honor to join forces once again with the Alumni Center, the Aurora Basketball Program and local fans wanting to welcome the 1993-94 Boys Basketball Team back home to pay homage to their skills, accomplishments and the overall legacy they helped to instill in our community some 30 years ago. The names of Journagan, …

Send us a Text Message. GRO Aurora is in its eighth year of existence as part of an ongoing partnership with the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. While we have graduated to a more independent level the past two years, the shared resources and the collective energy continue to bring Aurora to the spotlight for all of the good things going on here…

Send us a Text Message. The year of 1965 might seem like a long time ago to some. To me, it seems just like yesterday. I love reading about the books, the music, the cars and the people who were making the headlines for us back then. Ironically, a few of them are still around making headlines today. Cindy Munday is still student of the month materi…

Send us a Text Message. A tragedy struck my community shortly after the new year got underway in January. With the tragic loss of a 16-year-old boy--Evan Boettler--we have all managed to come together to love, serve, grieve and somehow move forward. Please join me in paying tribute to his legacy. Chase a few sunsets. Take a few hikes. Make a new fr…

Send us a Text Message. The boisterous Ethel Merman sang "Everything's Coming Up Roses" in 1959 for the Broadway Musical "Gypsy." It was a memoir of sorts brought to life on the stage. The show sent the message that sheer will and determination can put the rose-filled mindset in place to be successful. The show was based on the life of Gypsy Rose L…

Send us a Text Message. With the start of a new year comes new commitments, new strategies, new ideas and renewed energy regarding the journey and ultimately, the destination. I have been pouring over some boxes of newspaper clippings, old letters, vintage photographs and mementos of the past. I ran across some interesting information about my home…

Send us a Text Message. "...No man is a failure who has friends." That's the Mark Twain quote that appears in "It's A Wonderful Life," that classic 1946 Frank Kapra classic that features George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, who is down on his luck. The holidays can be challenging. Even when we celebrate--we are often dealing with stressful situa…

Send us a Text Message. My first hour students and I share a special bond at Aurora High School. We start the day with each other and have developed a trust. I often share past talents and stories with them in order for them to get a glimpse of the crazy lady I have become. This ain't my first rodeo and it took me a long time to get this way. My fi…

Send us a Text Message. My mother, Ina Faye McMorris Estes, would have turned 99 years old today--if she were still here. I know she is celebrating up in Heaven--with just a few of her favorite people. I hope she knows how much she is missed and how often we still talk about her. She was hard-working, strong and regal. She was anchored in faith. I …

Send us a Text Message. We will be featuring a variety of local authors from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, December 16th, at the Garden Exchange in downtown Aurora. You won't miss it! You can support local writers and get some last-minute shopping done at the same time.توسط Kim McCully-Mobley

Send us a Text Message. Where did it all start? That's a great question. Maybe it started in the hills of Northwest Arkansas. Or maybe it started on the back roads on the steps of a little, log cabin my Grandpa Herman built in the 1920s. It could have started while I was dancing a little jig to Cripple Creek, while my Grandpa Frank's fingers danced…

Send us a Text Message. Stories. They anchor us. They keep us grounded and focused. They keep us entertained and laughing. Stories can cure us and help us. At the end of the day, stories keep us alive. Grandpa Herman set the bar for me when it comes to storytelling. Who set the bar for you? What stories do you have to share with me?…

Send us a Text Message. My Youth Empowerment Project students attended a Leadership Conference in October at Ozarks Technical College in Springfield. The keynote speaker was a 19-year-old mayor from the Arkansas Delta who has plans to hit the Oval Office in the near future. Take a listen. His story is pretty inspirational. My students paid close at…

Send us a Text Message. I was able to celebrate the lives of two women I love this past month. Sharon Benton Whitehill's life was celebrated in Nixa. She was only 67 when she left us, but managed to fill her life with love, growth, opportunity, color and connections. Her legacy remains intact. Dorothy Dobyns celebrated her 100th birthday with multi…

Send us a Text Message. When the world presents turmoil, confusion and despair...look for the good. The Paradoxical Commandments tell us to forgive anyway, build anyway, do good anyway and give the world the best you've got anyway. When I get the urge to tell folks where I think they are missing the boat, stirring the pot or causing dissension in t…

Send us a Text Message. September found two leadership panels visiting Aurora High School to share their experiences, advice and wisdom with local students. Take a listen to the ideas of Shannon Walker from the Aurora Chamber of Commerce, John Paul Lee of First Independent Bank fame and Dr. Ben Yocom, our new superintendent of schools.…

Send us a Text Message. Ten years ago in September, my husband had a stroke. It was a learning experience, to say the least. It also prepared us for what we would both endure a few years later in the midst of the pandemic. Like most of you, we consider ourselves survivors. We have had some ups and downs in our journey together. Faith holds. Love re…

Send us a Text Message. When the Twin Towers were hit by planes during September of 2001, people across the world were numb with shock, grief, anger and new feelings of patriotism, pride and love for their fellow man. This is part of my memory of that fateful day, that serves as a benchmark for the War on Terror and the feelings that came afterward…

Send us a Text Message. It has been in the works for several months. The people who serve us every day have been looking for new and improved ways to add more grant funds to the table for our rural communities. It is finally happening. Hometown Partners Giving Circle is being launched to give area residents some skin in the game of collective givin…

Send us a Text Message. Kelley Field is the namesake of an important person in our community's history. He was young, vibrant and full of compassion for his fellow man--despite the horrors of war he had endured. Howard Kelley was, by all accounts, a remarkable man who loved Aurora and its people. As we welcome our Cassville visitors tonight for the…

Send us a Text Message. Twenty years ago this month, I met a man who would change my world...for the better. He is smart, funny and a heck of a dancer. I am quite certain God put him in my path for tons of reasons. I am looking forward to the next 20 years. I am celebrating him with a song he played for me...not long after we met. And, yes, I am st…

Send us a Text Message. I fell off the boat the past few weeks and was busy with grant reports, curriculum, new teacher events and some family obligations. I was asked today why I had not posted any Hee Haw popups of late. Well, these two are pretty rough; but here you go. I am hoping Jack Muench, Tom Morris and Scott Pettit are good sports and won…

Send us a Text Message. My brother went to Heaven five years ago today. I miss him terribly. But I know he is having the best time. He was quite the character. I hear stories about him everywhere I go. That Estes spunk was part of his demeanor. He played hard, worked hard and loved even harder. His big blue eyes live on in the eyes of his children …

Send us a Text Message. The concept of home is a combination of things that trigger memories and feelings of being safe, happy and loved. Mike and Mona Thach and Billy Redus were all three recipients of the awards this year at the Annual Aurora Chamber of Commerce Banquet. I love it here. I love Aurora. I love the Ozarks. There's no place I'd rathe…

Send us a Text Message. I recently met up with some classy gals from the Aurora High School Class of 1963. Their names are Pam, Connie and Pauline. Their class made a donation to our work at the Aurora Houn' Dawg Alumni & Outreach Center. They also issued a challenge for other classes to do the same in the wake of the upcoming All-School Reunion th…

Send us a Text Message. I have been taking jaunts to Roaring River since I was a child. I recently embarked on a retreat to the banks of the rippling waters. I love the lore, the people the magnetic pull of the river and the green vegetation along its banks. Roaring River adventures are looming on your to do list. Do yourself a favor and take a tri…

Send us a Text Message. With Back to School events looming on the horizon, conversations about technology and its use and abuse seem to crop up in tons of conversations. I work with incoming teachers at Aurora and always get asked about do's and don'ts of social media and promoting our school and community. Here's some information that pertains to …

Send us a Text Message. I have been singing my way through the hot summer by reflecting on old shows, old songs and old memories from days gone by. This might be one of those "you just had to be there" moments. If you want your own personal Pfffft, You Was Gone song written and performed, just let me know.…

Send us a Text Message. My backroads pal, RaVae Lewis, and I found ourselves at a most unlikely picnic spot in the Arkansas delta a few days ago. Let me tell you the story behind this dilapidated field. You won't want to miss it.توسط Kim McCully-Mobley

Send us a Text Message. I have been on a few adventures with my travel buddy, RaVae Lewis, the last few years. Covid messed us up a little bit last year; but we are always planning that next outing---Thelma & Louise style. We spent a few days meandering around the Arkansas Delta last week. I wrote a column about it and revamped it a little bit for …

Send us a Text Message. Once more, I am either offering up a spoof or parody of a sacred Hee Haw hym...called Where Oh Where, Are You Tonight? I have been working at the Alumni Center/Old Armory this week. Let's just say the spirits/ghosts and my imagination have not disappointed me. There are sounds being made that I'm pretty sure I'm not making..…

Send us a Text Message. We just wrapped up a grant project based on dental health and better hygiene. Thanks to the hard work of our partners, the grant project has been deemed a big success. Dental health has been linked to better circulation, heart health priorities and better self-esteem. Here's hoping you become dedicated to rest, brushing your…

Send us a Text Message. We will be hosting a dedication of the All Roads Lead Home Veterans Honor Garden this coming fall. A large, midnight black granite stone has been set near the flagpoles to call attention to our two World War I veterans heroes: Howard Whitsett Kelley and Harold Leo Turner. This stone has been a long time coming and has been m…

Send us a Text Message. I celebrated a milestone birthday this month and I absolutely love it. I am proud of all 62 years---even though my friend and colleague Jimmy Sexton inadvertently placed a headline about a 102 year old Aurora woman next to my head on last week's front page of The Aurora Advertiser. Ramona Lewis is a class act, for sure. Don'…

Send us a Text Message. Here you go with some more odes and Hee Haw spoofs as I pretend I am a singing/dancing/tambourine playing gypsy. 1. I was dared to do some more podcast popups...so I did them. (I once ate hand lotion for money on a dare in the first grade. It did not end well, but I did make about 75-cents. But, to my knowledge--my neighbor …