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Hosts have free rein when it comes to planning a holiday menu. Despite that freedom, many hosts feel obligated to prepare some holiday season staples their guests will surely expect when they sit down at the dinner table.

December is a season of giving, and that charitable spirit is evidenced by the uptick in donations over the final month of the year. Perhaps inspired by Giving Tuesday, which is celebrated annually on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, donors tend to be especially generous in December. According to Donorbox, which provides an online fundraising platform to facilitate charitable donations, 31 percent of yearly charitable giving happens in December.

There is no shortage of options to find every item on your holiday shopping list. Shopping malls, online retailers and mom and pop stores along Main Street can be great spots to grab holiday deals, but shoppers also can find great gifts at holiday fairs and bazaars.

The holiday shopping season is a profitable period for retailers. So it should come as no surprise to consumers that many stores now begin stocking shelves with Christmas decor and other holidayrelated items as early as September, reminding shoppers that the countdown is on until the holidays arrive.

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National Child Safety and Protection Month is observed in November each year, dedicated to raising awareness about the various dangers that children may encounter in their everyday lives. This initiative emphasizes the importance of safeguarding children and educating parents, caregivers and the community about effective measures to ensure their well-being.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) thanks the thousands of deer hunters who participated in its mandatory sampling efforts in 43 counties this past weekend to test for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in harvested deer. Thanks to hunter participation, MDC collected tissue samples from more than 18,500 hunter-harvested deer on Nov. 16 and 17 for CWD testing.

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows deer hunters harvested 68,312 deer during the November firearms deer season opening weekend, which took place on Nov. 16 and 17.

A holiday wreath sale is being planned to help an Excelsior Springs High School freshman participate in a beauty pageant. Kathleen VanVacter is advocating for her stepdaughter, Kirsten, who wants to compete in the 2025 National American Miss (NAM) Pageant.