#southeast Missouri

[theperksofbeing-alone]

july 2024; second river trip of the summer. ✌🏻

[mattstriathlon]

Sept 9th 2023!!

This USAT sanctioned race is held at Trail of Tears State Park, Cape Girardeau MO. This triathlon consists of a 700 meter swim, 15 mile bike ride, and 4 mile run. Registration begins 6:45 at a.m., and race starts at 9 a.m. Lunch is provided for participants.

[gunstockmaker]

Goldenrod in Missouri

[pendingwithapril]

Exploring the February 2024 Trends in Cape Girardeau County

By: April Creech, GRI, C2EX

Hey there, Buyers and Sellers! Let's dive into the exciting world of real estate metrics and see how they all come together to paint a picture of the current market. 

First up, we have the month's Supply of Inventory sitting at a comfortable 2 months. This means that at the current rate of sales, it would take 2 months to sell all the available homes on the market.

Now, let's look at the 12-month Change in Months of Inventory, which shows a positive trend of +3.63%. This indicates that there is a slight increase in the amount of time it would take to sell all the homes on the market compared to a year ago. 

Moving on to the Median Days Homes are On the Market, we see that homes are selling quickly at just 25 days on average. This tells us that the market is moving at a brisk pace, with buyers eager to snatch up their dream home. 

Next, we have the List to Sold Price Percentage at 96.3%. This shows that homes are generally selling close to their list price, indicating a strong market where sellers are getting a good return on their investment. 

Lastly, the Median Sold Price is $245,000, giving us a snapshot of the average price at which homes are selling. This can be a useful benchmark for buyers and sellers to gauge the value of properties in the market.

So, when we put all these metrics together, we can see a market that is balanced with a healthy level of inventory, quick turnover, and strong pricing. Whether you're looking to buy or sell, now is a great time to get in on the action and make your real estate dreams a reality!

pendingwithapril.com

[athleticperfection1]

SEMO Volleyball

[queenlua]

it drives me crazy how every time some random pundit pushes the "Don't Go To Some Snobby Elite Private School, Go To A Salt-Of-The-Earth Public School Instead" line:

1) they themselves invariably went to a Snobby Elite Private School and materially, obviously benefited from this (yet are somehow oblivious to that fact!), and

2) the "salt-of-the-earth" public school they choose to name is, like: university of michigan. or, university of north carolina. y'know, internationally well-regarded schools whose tuitions are just as bonkers & just as hard to get into if you're applying from out of state. like come on

[semohpa]

who up preserving that history?

Image credits to Kent Special Archives and Collections at Southeast Missouri State University

[bongaboi]

Southeast Missouri State: 2022-23 Ohio Valley Men's Basketball Champions

EVANSVILLE — Southeast Missouri State men’s basketball coach Brad Korn shared a teary-eyed embrace with his parents. After an emotional 89-82 overtime win over Tennessee Tech in the United Fidelity Bank Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship, all the family could do was shed joyful waterworks. That clinched SEMO’s first NCAA Tournament berth in 23 years and the SEMO faithful showered the players and coaches with praise.

At long last, and after four games in as many days, the wait was over. A timeline concluded with a story fitting enough for tears.

“You don’t do anything on your own,” the third-year coach said. “They get to share in that moment as well. I heard a long time ago, that surround yourself with amazing people (and) you’ll be surprised how far they can take you. I know I’m extremely blessed with these guys, this university, my family.”

The emotions of the night can’t be summed by the numbers. The six lead changes and five ties don’t come close to showing why a family cried in the stands. The Golden Eagles were about one shoe size away from snapping their 60-year danceless run.

Fifth-seeded SEMO took a two-point lead with 2.2 seconds remaining in front of 1,728 fans at Ford Center, leaving TTU needing a miracle it was painfully close to achieving. Jaylen Sebree chucked a Hail Mary pass to Diante Wood, who turned and hit an off-balance shot he thought was for the win. It was a similar play to that which ended Eagles’ coach John Pelphrey’s playing career 31 years prior.

Bucket, but his foot was on the 3-point line — “buzzer tier,” Korn called it. He sent TTU to overtime instead of the dance. Korn’s tears were nearly for a loss and Tech’s wait was almost over.

SEMO players were in tears but quickly needed to dry them. There was still overtime.

“They said, ‘Hey, remember this feeling. We’ve got five minutes to not feel this way,’” Korn said of Phillip Russell, Chris Harris and Dylan Branson. “I give them all the credit in the world for that and having the perseverance and the grit and the toughness to get it done.”

Tears fell again, but for joy and accomplishment on the Redhawks’ end. Wood watched from the opposite baseline after being an inch from ending a generational waiting period.

“I wanted to soak it all in, see how it felt, the pain,” Wood said. “(I can) come back next year, know about the feeling. Don’t want to be in that position again.”

Four games in four days. Austin Peay in 2016 was the only other team to win the OVC tournament after playing on opening night. The odds were against SEMO. Korn knew it but presented a challenge to his team before departing for Evansville.

Believe they can win the championship. Pack for four days.

Those were the options, or the players were instructed not to board the bus. That resulted in a 23-year wait ending and the Redhawks heading to March Madness.

“The guys have had a calmness, a steadiness about them all week,” Korn said. “The moment was not too big.”

“Everybody always had the right attitude,” Harris said. “We don’t want to be the outlier. It’s been so long since we actually won a championship and we see other teams winning championships all the time, so figured it’s our turn to step up.

It feels good to bring a basketball championship back home.”

A daunting task lies ahead for Korn and his Redhawks. They’ll likely be paired as a 16-seed against one of the tournament favorites or in the First Four to have the chance at playing one of the top teams. But Korn has experienced the Madness, albeit as an assistant at Kansas State.

“The balls are different, the floor is different, the arena — everything is different,” Korn said. “It’s going to be different coaching in the NCAA Tournament than it was as an assistant.

“This is what we do. This is what these guys do. To be able to have that, these guys are going to be able to see and experience, it’s at a different level. You literally walk around like royalty, people treat you so well. I’m looking forward to it.”

Amidst all the celebration, cheering and jubilation, it could be easy to forget how close it was to going the other way around. An inch, a shoe size, a step — one of those things changing is the difference between SEMO going to the tournament and watching the opposition celebrate; between tears in celebration and those in agony.

In essence, it was everything college basketball is supposed to be.

“If that’s not the definition of March Madness,” Korn said, “I don’t know what is.”

[angelwings-crossbowstrings]

Is It Easier for You to Say You Never Loved Me Anyway?

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

Setting: Commonwealth (Pre- France)

Warnings: Typical TWD violence and gore; Angst; Poorly Written Smut

Summary: “We were built to fall apart and fall back together.” - Taylor Swift

A/N: Requested by @unhingedbiatch I hope this is what you were envisioning! Also, Leah never happened. Nope.

*gif is not mine

It was two days before he was set to leave when he saw you walk through the gates of the Commonwealth. His heart roared, stomach flipping at the sight of you after so many years. He knew he couldn’t approach you until you had been processed into the community, encouraging him to find Mercer and put a word in to speed things up. He had to see you. 

Your relationship began as reluctant friends during the time at the quarry but blossomed into so much more by the time your eyes fell onto the prison. When your family found Alexandria, he was your everything. And you were his. The openness between you was never guarded, a secret garden where you each could travel when the world threatened to tear you down. 

But as they say, nothing lasts forever. 

The two of you separated after Rick’s death, Daryl unable to live with himself if he didn’t put everything into finding a body to lay to rest; you unable to remain in Alexandria under the knowledge that he was leaving you and had refused your offer to come along. He had broken your heart but you loved him no less for it.  

Now Daryl waited for you, a nervous energy culminating inside him. He still loved you. He had never stopped. He felt as if you had taken half his heart with you when you left for your own travels, never knowing where that precious piece of him had been taken or if you’d thrown it away once you realized that he was never good enough to trust with half of your own. 

When you walked out of the processing center a day later, he was there, having waited all night. When your eyes met his, they softened, your arms open before you could even reach him for the embrace both of you had yearned to return to during an absence you couldn’t take back. 

“I missed ya.” Daryl whispered into your hair, his voice a rasp. You held him tighter with a feeling of both your hearts becoming whole in the safety of one another’s arms. 

“I missed you too.”

It was as if you’d never left. 

Daryl showed you around, smiles abundant and given freely without a care of who saw him; a change you wished you’d been around to see manifest. Maybe you were seeing its birth, your unexpected return being the catalyst that gave him enough security for others to see him as you always had. 

You reunited with Carol and Judith, while meeting RJ for the first time. He filled you in on losses Aaron hadn’t already told you about. Promised you’d have plenty of time to catch up with everyone after the next day. You didn’t know then what that had meant. 

It wasn’t until later that night, you on his lap and curled into his chest while he stroked your hair, that the demons hovering unseen while the sun had lit the path outside clawed their way into the space between you. 

“Where’d ya go?” 

“West. Stayed a while in Missouri, then headed southeast. Tennessee was a train wreck but there were some good people there.” You drew your knees a little closer to your chest, making yourself appear smaller against him. “Did you find him?” Daryl dropped his gaze and shook his head. The knowledge that he had left you for something he had failed to achieve was almost too much to bear. 

“Did ya—did ya find someone out there?” He muttered, not yet finding the courage to look you in the eye. 

“No.” You leaned back your head to find him staring off the side. You knew that look. You knew him like the back of your hand. With a fingertip against the far side of his face, you encouraged him to turn toward you. “I wasn’t out there looking for a replacement for you, Daryl.” He dipped his chin in a quick nod. “Did you? Find someone, I mean?

“Nah.” You couldn’t lie: you felt like you had been holding your breath in wait for that single answer. “Weren’t lookin’ neither.” The smile you gave him was tender and reassuring, your fingertip still brushing his cheek. You had even missed the rough feel of the stubble he always seemed to keep. “M’leavin’ tomorrow.”

Your ministrations ceased. “What?”

“Maggie. She had some info; some leads for me ta follow.” The contrition you could hear in his tone was almost enough to stave off your anger. “S’somethin’ I hafta do.”

“Just like you had to leave me last time?” You swung your legs around to stand up. “Let me go with you this time.” 

He was already shaking his head. “Don’t know what’s out there. You’re safer here.”

“That’s the same bullshit you fed me last time, Daryl.” You were fuming now, pacing the area in front of him while he wouldn’t even meet your eyes. “I’ve been out there! I’m not staying behind again!”

“Y/N—”

“No! I had no say in this last time and it’s kept us apart for too long. I won’t do it again! Do you hear me? I won’t!”

“Didn’t know ya were gonna be here. Didn’t know ya even knew where to find me.”

“Aaron told me. I went to Alexandria first.” You knelt in front of him, ducking your head to urge him to look at you. “Please, Daryl. Please don’t do this to me again.”

“M’sorry.” He whispered. 

You remained there, staring at him in disbelief. You had just found one another only to be separated again. Using his knees to shove yourself to your feet, you grabbed your coat and the key to your temporary apartment. The door hit the wall from the force of you throwing it open. 

“Fuck you, Daryl.” You hissed. You didn’t bother closing the door, leaving him alone to listen to your retreating footfalls move further and further away. 

Late evening saw Daryl packing the last of the things he would be taking with him. He knew he wouldn’t sleep, so he allowed himself several breaks. He was leaning against the kitchen counter chastising himself for not following earlier when there came a soft knock on his door. He had no reluctance to answer and found you standing on the other side. 

“Hey.” You attempted a smile that didn’t quite manage to form. “Can I come in?”

“O’course.” Daryl opened the door a little wider and stood back to allow you to pass him, closing it behind you. He wasn’t sure how to approach you or why you had come back in the first place. “Y/N, I—”

You held up a hand to request his silence. “I know you’re not going to let me go. And I know why. I won’t claim to understand it, but I have no choice but to respect it.” You watched his head drop, not in relief but guilt, despair. He just knew he was losing you again. It didn’t take long for you to cross the minuscule space that separated you from him. “I’ll wait for you this time. Here, in this apartment. I’ll wait.”

Those perfect blue eyes were wide with hope when he lifted his head; they searched you for any indication of a lie. When he found none, he nodded curtly. “Be nice to have ya here, knowin’ you’re waitin’ an’ mad at myself for makin’ ya.”

“Good.” You mused, stroking a stubbled cheek with your knuckles. When you kissed him, he froze, body rigid. You knew him well enough to press onward, your knowledge rewarded when he settled and his arms wound around you. Fingers found their way into your hair while the other hand drew you closer from the small of your back. You were breathless when you pulled back, rubbing your cheek against his. “I’ve missed that.” Daryl hummed, allowing you a brief reprieve before his mouth was on yours again. 

He walked you back toward the couch until the bend of your knees hit and you unceremoniously fell onto the cushions. Daryl followed your descent, chasing your lips. Palms on his chest, you pushed him back to shed your coat, your shirt following as he pulled his own over his head. As he worked his belt buckle open, you grazed your fingertips over the scars you knew by heart. Each ridge, each pucker, all a part of him. 

When he began to push his jeans toward the floor, underwear in tow, you sat back and raised your hips to rid yourself of your own, leaving your lower half bare, only a plain black bra shielding the last bit of skin. His hands were on your ribs, pulling you onto his lap while he simultaneously seated himself. He couldn’t stifle the groan when he felt the heat of your core over his erection, a feeling he had missed and never sought from anyone else. 

When you reached behind you to work open the clasp of your bra, the feeling of his fingertips on your sternum gave you pause. A new scar began in the valley of your breasts and stretched to your collarbone. It was left unspoken where you received it; a story for another time. You guided his hand to your lips, kissing the tip of each finger before drawing the middle digit past your lips. You hummed and swirled your tongue around the skin while shrugging off your bra. 

Daryl’s mouth was on you in an instant, his hand falling away from your lips when they parted with a drawn out moan. He licked the curve of each breast with practiced expertise, suckling at each nipple while your hands fisted into his mane; gentle tugs urging him onward. 

You began to ache for him in a fresh rush of heat. His hips jerked upward, jostling a needy whine from you. “Please.” You whispered, guiding him away from your chest to slot your mouth over his, chaste but hard. You kept your lips close, brushing his while you rubbed your noses together to maintain that contact. “I've waited long enough.”

The archer made a sound in the back of his throat, a growl that vibrated all the way down to where your heat slid over his cock. He need not release his bruising hold on the soft skin of your hips. He simply lifted you, shifted until the tip of him caught on your entrance and lowered you onto him. You remembered the stretch instantly, how your body always willingly molded around him. You were made for him, just as he was made for you. 

He panted against your lips, no doubt in restraint. It had been so long, he was shocked he didn’t spill inside you before you were fully seated. You, though; you were just grateful to feel him. You were both back where you belonged, however brief it may be. 

You moved first, a gentle rocking that made him hiss between his teeth. You didn’t stop, even feeling him begin to twitch within you. You feared how soon it would be over yet how you yearned to watch him fall apart. Daryl, on the other hand, was not willing for things to end so quickly. He worked his hand to where the two of you were joined and squeezed the bottom of his shaft. 

“Cheater.” You pouted, shivering when he chuckled against your neck. You felt his hand slide away, slick and warm, fingers wet when he pressed them into your hip again. He helped you sit higher on your knees only to drag you down, his hips thrusting up to meet you. The push and pull of him inside you, had your head falling back in a series of ah ah ah. 

He suckled a bruise onto one breast sliding his tongue over to the pebbled nipple, grazing his teeth against the sensitive bud, pulling sound after sound from you while he helped you bounce on his lap. 

“I missed you.” Distantly, you knew there were tears and your cheeks were damp, a sudden melancholy blending and twisting its way into the pleasure he was eager to give you. You dropped your head forward, smiling wetly when you spotted the moisture shining in his blue eyes as well. The kiss was hard, sloppy, full of need; it was a trade-off of years of absence and love and longing. 

His movements had slowed, calloused hands guiding you in a slow rolling atop of him. “Missed ya too.” His voice cracked, try as he might to keep his composure. It seemed wrong to feel the heat in your belly. Such a moment should be savored. You wanted to stop, keep him there inside you past the morning, never letting him climb on that bike. 

Your body disagreed, slowly but surely barreling you toward that precipice. You whined, burying your face into the crook of his neck. He wouldn’t allow your hips to stop moving, urging you toward release. 

“Wait.” He whispered, so soft yet with an intensity like you’d never heard from him before.

“I—can’t. I’m so close, Daryl. I need—”

He gripped your flesh, bringing you to a halt, willing you to look at him. When you did, the naked plea in his gaze took your breath away, extinguishing the steady build of pleasure to an ache that would never again be sated until he returned you. 

“Wait for me. Please.”

You nodded, drawing him against you to openly sob against his hair. “I will. I promise.” You held him there, the quiet shake of his shoulders against you; the hot moisture dripping onto your skin while your own tears fell into his hair. 

Why did you choose to return now? Why couldn’t you have come back years ago? He had been back from his isolation for so long, fighting and protecting all the people you loved and he had done it all without you. Because you were selfish. You followed your wounded pride as far away from him as you could. And when you came back, expecting he had moved on, actually hoping he had, he was waiting for you. 

And now you would watch him leave you again. On a mission that was not his to undertake. You would never be able to talk him out of it. Daryl had this drive, this desire to protect. He felt like he owed everyone to ensure their happiness. This was for Judith and RJ. They deserved their family to be whole. Daryl had raised those kids in your absence, the role of surrogate father taken on willingly. Now he would try to return to them what they had been missing. 

And you knew you couldn’t sway him. 

So you cried. He cried. And when your tears ran dry, still on his lap with him softening inside of you, you pulled back and cupped his face, red-rimmed blue eyes seeking comfort and reassurance. You smiled, a genuine small upturn of your lips, and kissed him. 

“I’ll wait forever if that’s what it takes. You just come back to me, Daryl Dixon.”

With a sharp inhale, he nodded while whispering his knuckles across your jaw. He was committing you to memory. Every freckle, every scar, the twinkle in your eyes, every line, every curve. He’d take it all with him. 

You didn’t even react when he lifted you and gently placed you on your back, slipping out of you in the process. It took three strokes to bring him back to hardness. He guided himself to your entrance and thrust inside in one fluid motion, dragging a moan from you with you arching into his chest. 

There was only desperation now, each hard thrust begging you to fall apart. And you would oblige. The way he slammed into you, his tip angled to probe that spot inside of you, had you clawing for purchase on his back, his shoulders, his arms. 

“Daryl—oh my god, Daryl—I’m gonna—”

“Please.” He whispered against your ear. You were a goner. The pleasure was so intense that your eyes rolled back, vision alight with stars and shapes as your body vibrated to ride each wave. When you began to come down, you were thankful. His thrusts were prolonging your orgasm, a gentle thrum of pleasure that kept going and going as he chased his high. With teeth clenched, he pulled from within you just in time to paint your belly with warm ropes. He groaned above you, body trembling with the struggle of holding himself up as he spilled. He was left a panting mess of tremors that somehow found the strength to pull away from you. 

He reached for his discarded shirt to gently clean you, having absolutely no intention of allowing you away from him to take care of the mess yourself. The task complete, he tossed the article to who knows where and sat back, pulling you onto his lap. There was a mutual hum of contentment as you melted into him. 

“I promise I’ll wait.” 

Watching him ride away was probably the hardest thing you had ever done in your life. The last time had been filled with anger and a deep jab of betrayal. This time was different. You had conceded to watch this, made a promise to be there when he came back. 

He had held you, whispering in your ear while he smiled. It brought tears to your eyes. You nodded vigorously while he kissed you, laughing against his mouth. 

And then he was gone in a cloud of dust and the roar of an engine. 

But you would wait. 

You promised. 

[tanadrin]

The United States should go back to having thirteen states

On the basis that the 13-star flag was the best version, and that 50 is just too many dang states, I present my proposal for a 13-state United States of America. State names are placeholders only; presumably the inhabitants of these states would want to name them something different.

State boundaries are intended to attempt to respect both geographical features and approximate internal cultural borders of the United States, keeping contiguous regional cultures more or less grouped (e.g., the Ozarks are mostly within Texas-Louisiana; all of New England is in the Northeast; the Piedmont region is entirely within the Mid-Atlantic state, etc.). I have also tried to reduce the insane population disparity between states as much as was reasonable; but since the three non-contiguous states, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, are necessarily culturally and geographically distinct, they are kept as separate states. Also since they're each individual states with their present borders, I was lazy and only drew the 10 contiguous states.

The thirteen states are:

Northeast: About 34 million inhabitants. Capital: Boston; House delegation: 42 members; Senators: 10; EC votes: 52

Mid-Atlantic: About 41 million inhabitants. Capital: Richmond; House delegation: 51 members; Senators: 12; EC votes: 63. Contains the national capital (Washington-D.C.)

Ohio River-Appalachia: About 39 million inhabitants. Capital: Wheeling; House delegation: 48; Senators: 12; EC votes: 60

Southeast: About 44 million inhabitants. Capital: Jacksonville; House delegation: 54; Senators: 12; EC votes: 66

Michigan-Superior: About 37 million inhabitants. Capital: Green Bay; House delegation: 46; Senators: 10; EC votes: 56

Kansas-Missouri: About 24 million inhabitants. Capital: Kansas City; House delegation: 30; Senators: 6; EC votes: 36

Texas-Louisiana: About 40 million inhabitants. Capital: Shreveport; House delegation: 50; Senators: 12; EC votes; 62

Cascadia-North Plains: About 26 million inhabitants. Capital: Idaho Falls; House delegation: 32; Senators: 8; EC votes: 40

California: About 41 million inhabitants. Capital: Sacramento; House delegation: 51 members; Senators: 12; EC votes: 63

Arizona-New Mexico: About 19 million inhabitants; Capital: Albequerque; House delegation: 24; Senators: 6; EC votes: 30

Alaska: About 730,000 inhabitants. House members: 1; Senators: 1; EC votes: 3

Hawaii: About 1.4 million inhabitants. House delegation: 2; Senators: 1; EC votes: 3

Puerto Rico: About 3 million inhabitants. House delegation: 4; Senators: 1; EC votes: 5.

Total House size is 435, total Senate size is 103, and the total number of EC votes is still 538.

(Obviously in principle I would support abolishing both the Senate and the Electoral College, but if for some reason you were going to keep them, I think at minimum you would have to reform the whole "one state, two senators" rule, ergo I have gone for a form of proportionality here, although not so proportional as House delegations.)

[theperksofbeing-alone]

june 2024; the sun zapped my ass this weekend and now I’m home sick with heat exhaustion. 😅

[mattstriathlon]

This USAT sanctioned race is held at Trail of Tears State Park, Cape Girardeau MO. This triathlon consists of a 700 meter swim, 15 mile bike ride, and 4 mile run. Registration begins 6:45 at a.m., and race starts at 9 a.m. Lunch is provided for participants.

If you are not a USAT member please purchase a one day membership for $15. Search USAT and add to cart or bring your USAT payment to registration.

[probablyasocialecologist]

By combining food-bearing trees and shrubs with poultry production, Haslett-Marroquin and his peers are practicing what is known as agroforestry — an ancient practice that intertwines annual and perennial agriculture. Other forms include alley cropping, in which annual crops including grains, legumes, and vegetables grow between rows of food-bearing trees, and silvopasture, which features cattle munching grass between the rows. Agroforestry was largely abandoned in the United States after the nation’s westward expansion in the 19th century. In the 2022 Agricultural Census, just 1.7 percent of U.S. farmers reported integrating trees into crop and livestock operations. But it’s widely practiced across the globe, particularly in Southeast Asia and Central and South America. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, 43 percent of all agricultural land globally includes agroforestry features. Bringing trees to the region now known as the Corn Belt, known for its industrial-scale agriculture and largely devoid of perennial crops, might seem like the height of folly. On closer inspection, however, agroforestry systems like Haslett-Marroquin’s might be a crucial strategy for both preserving and revitalizing one of the globe’s most important farming regions. And while the corn-soybean duopoly that holds sway in the U.S. heartland produces mainly feed for livestock and ethanol, agroforestry can deliver a broader variety of nutrient-dense foods, like nuts and fruit, even as it diversifies farmer income away from the volatile global livestock-feed market.

[...]

Trees actually have a much longer and more robust history in the Midwestern landscape than do annual crops. Think of the Midwestern countryside before U.S. settlers arrived, and you might picture lush grasses and flowers swaying in the wind. That vision is largely accurate, but it’s incomplete. Amid the tall-grass prairies and wetlands, oak trees once dotted landscapes from the shores of Lake Michigan through swathes of present-day Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri, clear down to the Mexican border. These trees didn’t clump together in dense forests with closed canopies but rather in what ecologists call savannas — patches of grassland interspersed with oaks. Within these oak savannas, which were interlaced with prairies, tree crowns covered between 10 percent and 30 percent of the ground. They were essentially a transition between the tight deciduous forests of the East and the fully open grasslands further west. And in the region where Haslett-Marroquin farms — part of the so-called Driftless Area, which was never glaciated — trees proliferated even more intensely. In pre-settlement times, according to a 2014 analysis coauthored by Iowa State University ecologist Lisa Schulte Moore, closed-canopy forests of oaks, sugar maples, and other species covered 15.3 percent of the area, and woodlands (low-density forests) took up another 8.6 percent. Prairies — the ecosystem we readily imagine — composed just 6.9 percent. Oak savannas made up the rest.

10 September 2024

[pendingwithapril]

10 Essential Tips for First-Time Homebuyers: Your Guide to Navigating the Homebuying Journey

By: April Creech

Buying your first home is an exciting and significant milestone, but it can also be a daunting experience filled with complexities. From navigating the housing market to securing financing, the process requires careful planning and consideration. To help ease the journey for first-time homebuyers, we've compiled a list of the top 10 tips to keep in mind:

Establish a Realistic Budget: Before diving into the world of homebuying, take a close look at your financial situation. Determine how much you can comfortably afford by considering your income, expenses, and existing debts. Keep in mind that your budget should cover not just the purchase price but also closing costs, property taxes, and potential maintenance expenses.

Check Your Credit Score: Your credit score plays a crucial role in the mortgage approval process. Obtain a copy of your credit report and review it for any discrepancies. A higher credit score can help you secure a better interest rate, potentially saving you thousands of dollars over the life of your mortgage.

Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage: Before house hunting, seek pre-approval for a mortgage. This process involves a lender evaluating your financial information and providing an estimate of how much they are willing to lend. Having a pre-approval not only strengthens your offer but also gives you a clear idea of your budget.

Research Neighborhoods: Location is key in real estate. Research potential neighborhoods to find the one that suits your lifestyle and preferences. Consider factors like proximity to work, schools, public transportation, and amenities. It's also wise to investigate the neighborhood's safety, future development plans, and property value trends.

Identify Your Priorities: Clearly define your priorities and must-haves in a home. Create a checklist of features that are non-negotiable and another for those that are desirable but not essential. This will help you stay focused during the house-hunting process and avoid getting overwhelmed by options.

Work with a Knowledgeable Real Estate Agent: Enlist the services of a reputable real estate agent who specializes in the area you're interested in. An experienced agent can guide you through the process, provide valuable insights, negotiate on your behalf, and help you make informed decisions.

Attend Home Inspections: When you find a property you like, don't skip the home inspection. Attend the inspection to gain a deeper understanding of the property's condition. A thorough inspection can uncover potential issues that may impact your decision or provide insight into necessary repairs.

Understand the Closing Process: Familiarize yourself with the closing process to avoid any surprises. Be prepared for the paperwork involved, and make sure to carefully review all documents before signing. Knowing what to expect can help streamline the closing process and reduce stress.

Plan for Future Expenses: Homeownership comes with ongoing costs beyond the initial purchase. Plan for maintenance, property taxes, homeowners insurance, and potentially homeowners association (HOA) fees. Having a realistic budget for these expenses will contribute to a more financially stable homeownership experience.

Be Patient and Flexible: The homebuying process can be time-consuming and may not always go as planned. Be patient, stay flexible, and keep an open mind. The perfect home may not be available immediately, so be prepared to make compromises when necessary.

By following these tips, first-time homebuyers can navigate the complexities of the real estate market with confidence and make informed decisions that lead to a successful and fulfilling homeownership experience. Remember, thorough research and careful planning are the keys to unlocking the door to your dream home.

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#firsttimehomebuyer #realestate #futureexpenses #researchhomes

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Southeast Missouri State Softball

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For the second week in a row, Republicans in state legislatures are making the interesting choice of fighting for child marriage. In Missouri, where children 16 or older can marry with parental permission, a bill to prohibit anyone under age 18 from getting a marriage license easily cleared the Republican-controlled Senate 31 to one last month. But now, the bill can’t get out of committee in the state House because seven out of 14 committee members are House Republicans who oppose the bill.

Those opponents include Rep. Hardy Billington (R), who insists without any evidence or logic whatsoever that banning child marriage will lead to a spike in abortions, even as abortion is totally banned in the state. “My opinion is that if someone [wants to] get married at 17, and they’re going to have a baby and they cannot get married, then chances of abortion are extremely high,” he told the Kansas City Star this week. Earlier this week, I also had to write about a different Republican lawmaker in New Hampshire who used the same argument against a bill to ban child marriage. This doesn’t make sense—if someone of any age is pregnant and doesn’t want to be, they’ll probably seek abortion care; this actually has nothing to do with marriage.

Another opponent of the bill, Rep. Dean Van Schoiack (R), told the Star that he opposes the bill because he knows someone who got married as a 17-year-old girl and is still married. “Why is the government getting involved in people’s lives like this?” Van Schoiak said.

Of course, if we’re bringing anecdotes and lived experience into this, I think I trust state Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder (R), who introduced the bill, a little more than Van Schoiack. “As a child that did get married, I would say I have a lot more insight to this issue than what he does,” Rehder said of Van Schoiack. Per the Star, Rehder got married at 15 to a 21-year-old, while her sister at 16 married her 39-year-old drug dealer. “The government does tell people when they can get married because we do have an age limit right now. The fact that [Van Schoiack] feels that it’s OK for a parent to make a decision for a child, that is a lifetime decision, is offensive.”

At this point, I would like to note that Rehder, who is currently running for lieutenant governor, might be right about this one thing, but is wrong about… pretty much everything else. Rehder supports the state’s total abortion ban and campaigned on a pledge to promote “the Trump Agenda” in her district in Southeast Missouri.

Nonetheless, if her bill doesn’t make it to a vote before the end of the legislative session on May 17, Rehder, who’s currently running for lieutenant governor, said she plans to introduce it as an amendment attached to another bill. She told the Star she’s confident that brought to the floor for a vote, the bill would have a majority…but right now, it’s simply being held up by its Republican opponents on committee.

Rehder’s bill comes after Missouri lawmakers in 2018 raised the state’s minimum marriage age to 16 with parental approval following backlash at the time over how many 15-year-olds in the state were being married. Currently, Missouri prohibits marriage between a minor and someone who is 21 or older, similar to the state’s statutory rape laws that prohibit sexual intercourse between someone 21 and older and someone under 17. This is all pretty needlessly confusing, but what isn’t confusing is that this is part of a pattern of Republican lawmakers going to bat for child marriage—from the state representative in New Hampshire who insisted that “ripe” and “fertile” teens should be able to marry, to a different Missouri lawmaker who last year declared that 12-year-olds should be able to get married because he personally knew someone who married at 12 (I mean, I hope they’re doing well today, but somehow, I, err, have my doubts…).

Experts and advocates against child trafficking have long pointed to how laws that permit child marriage put them at greater risk. The bill in Missouri’s legislature is notably part of a bipartisan effort, introduced by Rehder and Democrat Lauren Arthur. But despite Rehder’s best efforts, their bill is being blocked by members of her own party, even as Republican politicians have spent the better part of the last few years escalating their baseless and fearmongering smears of queer people as child sexual predators. As it turns out based on the political affiliations of every lawmaker fighting tooth-and-nail for child marriage (and, consequently, adult predators’ ability to marry children), the call might just be coming from inside the house—the Missouri state House, specifically.