Steve Hunter shuts down campaign committee, gives money to White, Schaaf

For the first time since around the turn of the century, there is no Grass Roots for Hunter campaign committee.

The committee, which supported the political efforts of former Rep. Steve Hunter, R-Joplin, shut down in December. At the time of its termination, Hunter was listed as planning to run for statewide office in 2014, but that was just a formality to keep the committee open.

Hunter's last candidacy was for federal office when he ran for Seventh District Congress, a race which was eventually won by Billy Long. Hunter has also spent time as a lobbyist since he was term-limited out of the House of Representatives.

According to Missouri Ethics Commission documents, Hunter contributed $1,589.61 to Rep. Bill White, R-Joplin, and $1,589.62 to Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph.

2013 in Review: Remembering Stan Musial

(From January 20, 2013)

One of the joys of my childhood began at age six when my dad introduced me to the joys of St. Louis Cardinals baseball on radio.

Until that time, my acquaintance with the Cardinals and other major league baseball players was solely through the cards on the back of Post cereal boxes.

Now I could listen night after night as Harry Caray and Jack Buck detailed the adventures of my favorite baseball team, whether they were in St. Louis, New York, or my favorite games, the ones I listened to after everyone else had gone to bed from Los Angeles and San Francisco. Even when the skies were cloudy and every other word on KMOX-AM was interrupted by static, I kept listening.

I don’t remember the opponent the Cardinals were playing the first night I listened, but I remember as clearly now as on that summer day in 1962, Harry Caray’s call when catcher Gene Oliver hit the game-winning home run. “It could be, it might be, IT IS…a home run.” That was Caray’s signature call, but I did not know that at the time.

I was hooked.