DES MOINES – Iowa Gov. Terry E. Branstad on Friday reflected on the legislative session by issuing the following statement: “The future of our state is bright. This year, we worked with the Iowa Legislature to build consensus and come together for Iowans on taxpayers’ priorities.
Read MoreCategory: Opinion
Letter to the editor – John Thompson
Early voting for the primary election began the morning of April 28th. If you have already made up your mind on all the candidates you plan to support, you can support them more by voting at the auditor’s office. Candidates can then reallocate their limited resources to focus on the voters left to cast ballots.
Read MoreCO-EXIST, folks. What’s the alternative?
~a column by Colleen O’Brien There is so much consternation from one of our wanna-be-presidential contenders planning to build walls against the Latinas/Latinos (or make them build the walls against themselves), and also wanting to refuse immigrants from Muslim countries. The candidate is a raging xenophobe — afraid of and possibly hating foreigners.
Read MoreThe Behn report
April 22, 2016 This week in the Senate: We passed SR 112 on Wednesday, commending the results of Taiwan’s 2016 presidential election. This resolution reaffirms Iowa’s support for increasing Taiwan’s international profile, and strengthening and expanding sister-state ties between Iowa and Taiwan. We are still unsure when adjournment will be. We’ve been moving budget bills each day and will be…
Read MoreErnst encourages support of 4-H
Senate passes bipartisan measure recognizing benefits to nation’s youth, promise of new initiative WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate has unanimously approved a bipartisan resolution co-sponsored by Sen Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) in support of 4-H and its recently-launched “Grow True Leaders” campaign. The measure, which was authored by Sens Roger Wicker (R-Miss) and Heidi Heitkamp (D – N. Dakota) recognized the…
Read MoreWanna be a sailor, an explorer, maybe just a deckhand?
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Touring the Nina and the Pinta, replicas of two of Christopher Columbus’s famous ships, made a disbeliever out of me. I walked across the gangplank of the tiny boat –the Nina, 65 feet long and 18 wide — that once held 25 crew members, a month’s supply of live animals to butcher, dried food, fresh…
Read MoreQ & A with Sen Grassley: Tax Freedom Day
~from Sen Chuck Grassley (R-IA) Q: What is Tax Freedom Day? A: As tax filing season winds down for the year, taxpayers can look forward to reaching another milestone on April 24. That’s the day, 114 days into the calendar year (excluding Leap Day), that the nonpartisan Tax Foundation says taxpayers have worked to meet their federal, state and local…
Read MoreThe Behn Report
~by Senator Jerry Behn, District 24 April 15, 2016 This week in the Senate, we only debated a few bills each day as we try to get budget bills through the legislative process. Hopefully, we’ll see these bills come to the floor soon so we can move closer towards adjournment. Third grade retention and reading proficiency: On Wednesday the Senate passed…
Read More‘What makes a good poem? And how can I write one? Even if I did – what’s the point?’ -Anonymous
~a column by Colleen O’Brien April has been celebrated as National Poetry Month since the Academy of American Poets started it in 1996. Inspiration for it came from the establishing of Black History Month (February) and Women’s History Month (March). For 20 years April’s poems have blossomed exponentially and become so popular, as well as inspirational, that poem writing in…
Read MoreLetter to the editor – John Thompson
To the editor, Fourth District Republicans met Saturday to elect delegates to the national convention and to pick the leadership of the state party for the next two years. Four years ago the Ron Paul campaign had a well-organized delegate grabbing strategy and used the opportunity to replace the board of directors. Insiders feared that the same strategy by the…
Read MoreLetter to the editor – Churdan library board of trustees
To the editor – The Churdan Public Library is very honored to be one of the first recipients of a Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation grant! We have been working very hard for the past two years to raise funds to expand and remodel our library. Our project has a total estimated cost, in 2013 dollars, of $250,000. We have…
Read MoreDreams come true
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Recently I read in the newspaper that a delivery truck for a potato chip company stopped along the shoulder of an interstate in Florida and was struck by a passing delivery truck full of Busch beer. Beer and chips at the ready. Happy Hour on I-95.
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