Savanah Mandeville

Marilyn Tandy of Countryside in the City shares festive holiday decorating tips to brighten your home during a stay-at-home Christmas. Their expert team offers floral arrangements, garlands, wreaths, and themed decor ranging from rustic charm to classic neutrals and buffalo check. Whether you want personalized designs or pre-decorated trees delivered to your door, Countryside can help create a cozy, stylish holiday atmosphere.

Ozark Valley Christmas Tree Farm offers families a festive, hands-on Christmas experience with live tree cutting, hayrides, crafts, and local goods. Owner Charity Keith emphasizes the importance of family traditions and creating lasting memories, especially during uncertain times. This year, the farm has added safety measures like outdoor registers and barnside pickup, plus a whimsical toy shop to delight children.

Stephanie Witcher is a busy wife, mother, college instructor, doctoral student, and marathon runner who uses running as her stress relief and “me time.” She started running to lose weight after her first pregnancy and now inspires others through programs like “Read, Run, Repeat” for high school students. Running also brings her close friendships and motivates her to balance life’s many demands.

In 2020, Mark Boyd of Miami, Oklahoma, faced the amputation of his left leg due to a serious infection. Despite setbacks, including COVID-19 delays, with support from his prosthetics team and family, he regained mobility and independence. Mark honors his late father’s legacy through his resilience, patriotism, and dedication to his family.

Club 609, a popular Joplin restaurant and nightlife spot, opened in 1990 after extensive renovations transformed an old building into a vibrant venue. Owned and run by the Williams family across three generations, the business thrives on strong family work ethic and community loyalty. Over the years, Club 609 has stayed successful by balancing fresh updates with tradition, making it a beloved local institution.

Rose Carlile is celebrating 40 years at Candy House Gourmet in Joplin, where she began as temporary holiday help in 1980 and became a beloved full-time employee and retail manager. Known as the friendly face of the store, Rose has witnessed generations of customers and changing candy trends, all while sharing her passion and expertise for quality chocolate. Despite considering retirement, she keeps coming back to the job she loves.

Kelly Johnson’s running journey began by volunteering to walk shelter dogs at the Joplin Humane Society. She quickly realized how much the dogs needed exercise and started running with them regularly, even helping develop a running trail behind the shelter. This experience motivated her to build a dedicated running routine, running 3–7 miles daily and organizing relay teams for local races. For Kelly, the dogs are her inspiration, pushing her to run even in tough weather, knowing it brings joy to the animals and herself.

Exeter Corn Maze, owned by Artie and Robyn Cole, offers a full fall and Halloween experience with corn mazes, go-karts, hayrides, a petting zoo, and more. Since opening in 2015, they've expanded attractions based on guest feedback, adding new food options, a barnyard area, and entertainment like pig races and a fire-breathing pumpkin-eating dragon. The five-acre corn maze features a secret design each year, alongside a haunted maze, zombie paintball, and a new haunted house called The Bunker. Their commitment to reinvesting earnings keeps the event growing into a popular eight-week autumn celebration.

Laura Land, a Joplin runner, found healing through running after losing her home in the 2011 tornado and battling PTSD. Starting with just one mile in 2016, she gradually built up to marathons and now uses running as a key coping tool. Recently, she completed the Joplin Memorial half-marathon and plans to tackle a triathlon next, crediting the support of fellow runners for her progress.