INDIANAPOLIS, IN—Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds on July 10 was named chair of the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NGLA) at the group’s annual meeting in Indianapolis, Ind. Reynolds, a second-term lt. governor, has previously served as chair-elect, treasurer, and chair of International Relations Committee and the Policy Resolutions Committee of the NLGA – all positions which she was elected unanimously by…
Read MoreCategory: Opinion
Nostalgia is better than a really good memory
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Sometimes the feelings of nostalgia are acute, whether exhilarating or painful. Most of the time, nostalgia hits in small doses, like an itchy throat that goes away after a cup of tea. This kind of nostalgia can happen when I come across a photo of my 50-year-old son at the age of 3 riding his…
Read MoreBranstad signs into law $9.6M to IDALS for water quality initiative
“Water Quality” officially added to title of Department’s Division of Soil Conservation DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey on July 3 thanked Governor Branstad and the Iowa Legislature for their continued commitment to partnering with farmers to make significant long-term progress in protecting Iowa’s soil and water resources. The Governor signed into law $9.6 million to support…
Read MoreLetter to the editor, Mike Miller
To the editor, Your opinion piece about the party and the police/sheriff’s deputies’ response reminds me of spring or summer events roughly fifty years ago when older ( college kids) organized an party at either a gravel pit or a farmstead and the law intervened. Some of us went to court on Easter Sunday morning instead of being in church.
Read MoreLetter to the editor, John Thompson
Letter to the editor, This Fourth of July please be considerate to veterans by treating them like tough, brave veterans. The yard signs and other warnings urging restrain with fireworks around veterans are making rounds on social media. Don’t share them. Don’t pander to them. Decry them. The victimization of veterans is actually harming veterans. The fireworks are not.
Read MoreWhat didn’t happen is an important story to tell
We journalists don’t write about things that didn’t happen. Our readers learn from us of events that took place. We share facts as we have them, verified by trusted sources. It’s our job. Our credibility depends on it. Sometimes, though, what didn’t happen is as big and just as important as what did happen. A party in Hardin Township last…
Read MoreWill O’Malley be an extension of Obama?
~a column by Colleen O’Brien On Sunday at a farm northwest of Carroll, a reporter asked Democratic Presidential candidate Martin O’Malley a question similar to the above headline. The candidate managed to keep himself from rolling his eyes. To the reporter and earlier, during his speech and in conversations with supporters, he said these things: “I admire President Obama, and…
Read MoreTree Tracings
~by Valerie Ogren, Greene County Genealogical Society Meeting notice: The next meeting of the Greene County Genealogical Society will be the annual “Christmas In July” on Saturday, July 4, at noon in the Pizza Ranch meeting room. Some members may have other plans during a holiday weekend, but postponing the meeting conflicts with County Fair. Come if you can and invite a friend or…
Read MoreWhat exactly do you mean?
~a column by Colleen O’Brien We who live in the English language are lucky — our choices are plentiful. As of January 21, 2014, the Global Language Monitor says we have a lexicon of 1,025,109.8 words. I’m not sure what eight-tenths of a word is . . . a contraction like “don’t” or “ain’t”? Or maybe abbreviations like Mr. and…
Read MoreSometimes what looks like a win is really a loss
Greene County school board loses as P-C board walks away from a stare down We’ve all heard quotes about the disappointment of lost opportunities. Use your favorite here….. for the opportunities lost when the Greene County Schools board of education voted 6-1 last month not to ink an operational sharing agreement with the Paton-Churdan Schools for a transportation director. Superintendent…
Read MoreWho was that girl?
~a column by Colleen O’Brien In the process of cleaning out a house, I find myself spending way too much time reading through old diaries. They are irresistible in their revelations. Even though I was only 21 in the first diary I peruse, as I read today I am surprised at my naiveté. I forget how really uninformed, innocent and…
Read MoreDrainage Association director talks about DMWW lawsuit
Impact will be to make attorneys a lot of money, he says John Torbert, executive director of the Iowa Drainage District Association, has updated the boards of supervisors in the member counties for 14 years. This year, his update has more interest due to the lawsuit filed by the Des Moines Water Works (DMWW) against Buena Vista, Sac, and Calhoun…
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