Jeff Kessinger

A powerful theater experience has been crafted with care by Sarah Jenkins and Imari Stout at High Tide Theatrical — an it only runs this weekend. I'm thankful for a production about mental health that isn't a band-aid and aims to create connection to remind us we are never alone.

My wife just said, “Well, I went through this short-lived Steppenwolf phase…”

Sheesh. You think you know someone, you know?

As a fan, I don't get too worked up over DI v DII games. They can be hard for my untrained eye to analyze. I was just happy to watch some basketball.

I was voter No. 57 at my polling place, which had been open for 8.5 hours. Just abysmal turnout. Don’t give away your power! Vote!

Go vote, babies!

Great time for sports in my house. Looking forward to watching these Bears and Lady Bears.

I'll be honest. I'm probably going to start the Christmas music this week, even with 70-degree weather in Springfield. Don't deny yourself a little joy if you need it. Life is hard and weird and you deserve to feel good.

I don’t usually dress up for Halloween, but this year I was feeling like a little stinker. 🦨

Weekday CUSA has been a lot of fun, mostly because the Bears are 2-0 on Wednesdays. Can they make it three in a row?

We did it, babies. We made it to Winter Grind season!

From the inbox: A poll says Springfield's National Cemetery is the scariest graveyard in Missouri. "Civil War soldiers from both sides rest here, and legend says visitors sometimes hear murmured voices that sound like men swapping watch duty."

Keisha McMillen is hesitant to call herself a visual artist, so I'll do it for her. Her work is part of a cool new traveling exhibition called "Nevertheless, She Persisted." You can see it now, for free, at the new C-Art Gallery on Historic Commercial Street.

Gonna try to stay up for all of this one, but we'll see.

I am no longer on vacation.

Fun way to eeeeease back into things after a week off.

I felt so honored to be invited to a preview of Queen City Shakespeare Co.’s Shakespeare on Tap: Romeo & Julie-ale. I’m still laughing. There aren’t many tickets left for this fundraiser, so if you’ve been considering it, you’d better add to cart now.

I am on vacation.

When Springfield Contemporary Theatre closed earlier this year, I felt sad Springfield wasn't going to get to see Mosaic Arts Collective's version of "Hairspray." Shoulda known the forces of nature that are Amanda Snead and Nki Calloway would find a way to make it happen.

High Tide Theatrical's annual tradition is back: "The Rocky Horror Show" opens tonight. It's the last time you'll see Grace Billingsley play Janet. I appreciate her sharing with me what this character means to her and how her father helped encourage her on her path.

I had so much fun meeting Andrea Copeland and Lori Casey from I Love Springfield, MO! And learning about the 2025-2026 Ozarks Coffee Trail. There are 40 stops and some cool prizes. I’m looking forward to visiting some old favorites and trying out new spots!

Had to sneak downtown for a second to see how things are coming along on Overlay's 2025 mural. It's incredible how different that area feels now that some of the mural is up. Can't wait to see the finished product.

Whoa!

2025 Overlay Volunteer Application Form Overlay 2025: Volunteer Application Form Thanks for your interest in Overlay Mural Art & Culture Festival. We are gearing up for our returning event on October 3 & 4, 2025 and we’re on the lookout for...

Big community events don't happen without volunteer help and right now, Overlay is in need of volunteers. Want to help create magic in downtown Springfield? Here's where you can sign up!

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Thinking of all my LDS friends today.

I think of Overlay as SGF's scrappy, underdog festival. Meg Wagler and team have some fun things planned Oct. 3-4 and tickets are very affordable. I'm so excited to see the 6-story mural Overlay gives to the community.

Also, if you need a boost, Meg's a good one to chat with.

New web series from Missouri State students shares the experience of non-immigrants - Springfield Daily Citizen Amaka Onyeka, a Missouri State University graduate student from Nigeria, has some big decisions in her future.

Took a walking break today and bumped into Amaka Onyeka, who I wrote about last October. It was so lovely to catch up for a second and, as always, I was stunned anyone remembers me. I’m so grateful for all the connections my work as a journalist has helped me make.

sgfcitizen.org/springfield-...

First half North Division Champions.
Second half North Division Champions.
Franchise record for wins.
Texas League Champions.

What a summer.

“I love you. I would rather die than hate you.” — MLK

I’ll tell you this much: I don’t trust a porch swing.

Being so involved in news social media M-F gets heavy. Really heavy sometimes. I can't avoid it because it's my job. For my mental health I'm staying off most platforms on the weekend, but I do hang out on Instagram a bit. I'd love to connect with you there, too. My @ is queencityfamilyman.