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Luster checks out books for frequent library visitor Phyllis Smith. Luster says she thinks of herself as a book curator.

Jennifer Davidson

Reporter

Jennifer works as a reporter, producer and student trainer for KSMU in Springfield, Mo. She grew up on a farm just outside West Plains, Mo., and now works forKSMUfrom her hometown.

Jennifer spent five years as a freelance journalist in the Persian Gulf, reporting for NPR and producing for CNN International’s program “Inside the Middle East.”

Jennifer studied at the American University in Cairo and graduated from the University of Missouri.

  • In a sleepy town in the Ozarks, population 300, one woman is trying to turn the local public library into a hub for learning. She's one of thousands of librarians around the country working to bring a sense of community to isolated areas.
  • State lawmakers failed to override the governor's veto of a controversial measure that would have lowered state income taxes. Although Republicans had supermajorities in the House and Senate, Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon was able to rally school districts, which feared their budgets would suffer from the decline in general revenue.
  • In a rural Ozarks town, the descendants of America's most revered historical figures are gathering for the Marshfield Cherry Blossom Festival. The DNA of over 30 past presidents will be present, including that of presidents Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe and Truman. Jennifer Davison of KSMU radio reports.
  • The small, tight-knit town of West Plains, Mo., was knocked to its knees when one of its brightest and most promising young men went missing overseas in 1944. Now, 70 years later, Sgt. John Hogan's remains have been returned.