Proposed federal rule will impose barriers to the advancement of innovative, state- and local-driven conservation practices that would advance our common goal of water quality DES MOINES – Gov. Terry E. Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Secretary Bill Northey, along with relevant state leaders on Oct. 16 sent a letter and submitted comments to United States Environmental Protection Agency administrator…
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“Life does not have to be perfect.”
~a column by Colleen O’Brien This above quote came to me through a friend who apparently has a connection with Hallmark. Doesn’t one get over thinking life should be perfect the first time you do the best coloring job in the coloring book but your sister gets the compliment? This actually happened, of course, or I wouldn’t be mentioning it.…
Read MoreThe role of country weeklies in today’s media mix
~by Denise O’Brien Van It’s National Newspaper Week( Oct. 5 – 11), and I’ve been thinking about the role of country weeklies in the swirling pool of American media. Country weeklies reflect the values of their communities. They question accepted practices and challenge assumptions and shine a light on the faults and ambitions of their readers.
Read MoreOctober is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
~by Greene County sheriff Steve Haupert Living in rural Iowa, we think that domestic violence does not happen in our peaceful rural culture. We are small communities and we tend to think that this is not happening in our county. As incidents of domestic violence increase from year to year, organizations around the state increase their efforts to put a…
Read MoreFight or flee; tend and befriend
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Friendships between women shape health: the more friends the better our health. This, from a study on friendship among women at the University of California, Los Angeles, did not strike me as news, even though it was on the news page. Women soothe each other’s lives, help with child-rearing advice and homemaking hints, fill the…
Read MoreA eulogy for two old boys
~a column about Jefferson by Colleen O’Brien Two of my neighbor’s 70-year-old silver maples went down this past week to the woodcutter, the trees rotten to the core. The craggy giant silver maples were brought down because they were old and falling apart in high winds; or crashing to the ground on perfectly calm days, clearly a danger to people…
Read MoreBranstad okays overweight harvest loads
DES MOINES – Gov. Terry E. Branstad on Oct. 1 signed a proclamation to allow the transportation of overweight loads of soybeans, corn, hay, straw, silage and stover. The proclamation takes effect Oct. 1 and expires after 60 days. “I am pleased today to sign this proclamation to allow Iowa farmers to move their crop yields in an effective and efficient manner,”…
Read MoreBanned books in the land of the free and the brave
~a column by Colleen O’Brien This week — September 21-27 – the country celebrates Banned Books Week. This does not mean we celebrate books that have been banned but that we celebrate the country’s freedom to read, to allow all books good and bad in their writing as well as all books good for us and bad for us in…
Read MoreTree Tracings
Greene County Genealogical Society by Valerie Ogren Meeting notice: The next meeting of the Greene County Genealogical Society will be Saturday, Oct. 4, at 10 am in the Jefferson public library. Guest speaker will be Ces Melson-Brunow. She will give us some helpful hints on “Telling Your Stories”. She grew up in this community and, with her husband John, relocated…
Read MoreSavior on the prairie
~a column by Colleen O’Brien “What had been a landscape for thousands of years is now a postage stamp.” Conservationist Erin Van Waus said this about the Iowa prairie, or more accurately, what’s left of the Iowa prairie. Erin works as land stewardship director for Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, whose broad mission is to protect and restore Iowa’s land, water…
Read MoreFarm Bureau members discuss Farm Bill implementation, biotech in DC
A cohort of 23 Iowa Farm Bureau leaders spent a few days away from their farms to visit Capitol Hill and their elected officials during the annual Ag Leaders policy trip Sept. 9 – 11 to discuss key farm issues, including ditching EPA’s proposed Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, maintaining the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), supporting additional international trade opportunities, and…
Read MoreBranstad, Reynolds launch bullying prevention listening tour
Branstad-Reynolds administration continues commitment to better address bullying in schools DES MOINES – Gov. Terry Branstad, First Lady Chris Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds announced they will visit three Iowa school districts this fall to learn more about what Iowa schools are doing to deal with bullying and what steps Iowans would like the state to take next.
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