If there is one piece of advice Pam Schnieders could offer others diagnosed with breast cancer, it is to listen to your body and advocate for yourself if you feel like something isn’t right. She followed her own advice after she found a lump in her breast in 2007. “They did a mammogram and an ultrasound and...
Ashley Patterson connects community with ways to fight back against cancer Story by Samantha Pogue For more than a decade, Ashley Patterson worked in the sports industry for various gyms and health and fitness centers in St. Louis and California the state. However after moving back to her native...
Story by Samantha Pogue Jeremy Hart got a phone call in mid-June and received news he could barely keep to himself. “He just can’t keep secrets,” his fiance Heather Ellis said with a laugh. “He texted me and in all caps said, ‘I HAVE REALLY EXCITING NEWS!’” “But then I said, ‘You...
Creativity, dedication and perseverance make award-winning JCPS teacher Jeni DeFeo a real life super hero Story by Samantha Pogue • Photos by Julie Smith As a child of the ‘80s, Jeni DeFeo absorbed herself in pop culture. The sweet, fruity aroma from her Strawberry Shortcake collection often...
Master Gardener Jane Davis pairs artistic skills with her green thumb Story and photos by Sally Ince Walking through her lush green foliage adorned with bird baths, leaf molds and concrete statue bunny rabbits, Jane Davis began pruning overgrown vines from her home garden. On top of maintaining...
Story and photos by Josie Musico Karen Helmrich is not one to be accused of making normal jewelry. Now, the area designer’s store in downtown Fulton lives up to its business name. Creating Unkamen – pronounced “uncommon” – is a jewelry and jewelry-supply company. “We were sort of an uncommon...
Jennifer Winkelman’s passion for pups is seen both in her training work and her philanthropic efforts Story by Samantha Pogue • Photos by Julie Smith In the late ‘90s, Jennifer and her family faced one of the hardest times in their lives. After fighting a more than 20-year battle with cancer, Jennifer’s...
Capital City CASA therapy dog Olive has helped 100-plus children Story by Samantha Pogue Since 2016, a young 16-year-old teenage girl has worked with the Capital City Court-Appointed Special Advocates(CASA), which connects children in the legal system who have been abused, neglected or found in...
Animals of all kinds find sanctuary at Where Pigs Fly Farm and Pigs Aloft Museum Story and photos by Sally Ince “When pigs fly” is what Cindy Brenneke told her brother years ago when he asked when she would return to the farm life. Yet, her love for animals did exactly that. Cindy grew up on a farm...
