Greene County Genealogical Society ~by Valerie Ogren Meeting notice: The next meeting of the Greene County Genealogical Society will be Saturday, Jan. 3, at 10 am in the Jefferson public library. Valerie Ogren will give you a few tips on “Saving Your Stuff”. Since we focused during 2014 on gathering family history, now we must learn how to save it.
Read MoreCategory: Opinion
The ghosts of youth
~a column by Colleen O’Brien The ghost of Christmas past – as in long ago and far away Christmases — visits more readily the older I get. Adult Christmases were about our kids, and those years were very busy, for it wasn’t just the kids, it was the job and the house and the school pageants and the parties. Then,…
Read MoreThe best gifts
~Denise O’Brien Van When I was a little girl growing up in Jefferson, I got the most wonderful Christmas presents. Lots of them were identical to the gifts my sister Colleen received–red chenille bathrobes, cowgirl outfits, patch quilts made by Grandma Mae, doll buggies and books we were meant to share.
Read MoreConsumer alert: Iowans report surge of government imposter scams
DES MOINES – Dozens of Iowans daily are reporting government imposter scams to the Consumer Protection Division and local law enforcement throughout the state. “Iowans report that callers claiming they’re with the IRS or local authorities warn the recipient of the call to act immediately to clear up some sort of supposed fee, taxes or debt,” attorney general Tom Miller…
Read MoreCops/killers
~a column by colleen O’Brien My husband was a cop who came to dislike cops. I did not know this until some time after he’d become a law enforcement agent. But when we never went to the cop parties it dawned on me that something was up. I knew about them, the parties, because I knew sheriff deputies’ wives, but…
Read MoreReading with rules
~a column by Colleen O’Brien A new “movement” called Slow Reading was recently launched. Its name sounds like a knock-off of the Slow Food movement, which has been going on for 25 years. The Slow Food wave started in Italy as a protest to a proposed McDonald’s at the Spanish Steps in Rome. A few gastronomes suggested the world needed…
Read MoreYear-long salute to soil underscores need to focus on its health
DES MOINES – It’s responsible for nearly all life on the planet, but rarely gets the respect it deserves. On Dec. 5, this living and life-giving resource finally had its day—across the state and across the globe. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization launched the International Year of Soil on World Soil Day (Dec. 5) to raise awareness of the…
Read More“Despite the high cost of living, it continues to be very popular.” -Anon.
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Don’t you wish you’d said that? Quotes such as this one tickle me even as they make me wonder why I can’t come up with them. I can laugh at some of them for years. Who thinks them up? Comedians sometimes, writers, quick wits; maybe now and then an ordinary person with an extraordinary thought,…
Read MoreTree Tracings
Greene County Genealogical Society ~by Valerie Ogren Meeting notice: The next meeting will be Saturday, Dec. 6, at 10 am in the Jefferson public library. One of our newest members, Bob Tucker, will present a program “The Hoppes Family from Switzerland to America.” Bob has done extensive research on several of his family lines and we appreciate his willingness to share…
Read More‘Celebrate Iowa’ Gala Dec. 12 at State Historical Museum
Celebration of Iowa’s art, history and culture features legendary Hollywood producer and Honorary Iowan Norman Lear DES MOINES – Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds invite Iowans to attend the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs’ (DCA) third annual ‘Celebrate Iowa’ Gala Dec. 12 in Des Moines. The Celebrate Iowa Gala is a showcase of Iowa’s most iconic experiences in…
Read MoreWell, Thank God ‘That’s Over’ and we can get on with Thanksgiving
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Try this on: You are the majority, of a particular skin color – White – in a town where everyone in charge is of a different skin color – let’s say Black. You live in a town in middle America; I’ll call it “Jefferson” – a busy little county seat. Blacks own most of the…
Read MoreCollege: The next stepping stone after high school?
Editor’s Note: Logan Hoyt is a 2014 Greene County High School graduate and is now attending Iowa State University with a double major in management information systems and supply chain management. Hoyt is a Christina Hixson Opportunity Award scholar and was asked by the Hixson program to share his insight on furthering one’s education after high school with his hometown…
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