June 14, 2026 Greene County is such an amazing place! The Bell Tower Festival and associated weekend activities are such a positive reflection on why we live, work, and play here. Let me give my perspective on the recap. The opening ceremonies were different, but even better with the changed logistics, with the stage at the southwest corner of the…
Read MoreCategory: Opinion
By the river
~by Colleen O’Brien I sit by the Racoon River in a park called Henderson outside the prairie town of Jefferson, Iowa. The river is high and a trifle wild because of several rain showers over the past week and one ferocious windstorm that cut straight through town from southeast to northwest. Whole trees downed and half-trees, too, plus a thousand…
Read MoreA few quotes to ponder
~by Colleen O’Brien Eighty-year-old Vicki Robin, author of a book that sold more than a million copies worldwide — Your Money or Your Life — about financial management by individuals, based on happiness instead of money: “If you live for having it all, what you have is never enough.” Who does that sound like? Celebrated as one of the world’s wealthiest and…
Read MoreView from my window – Water testing in Greene County
May 31, 2026 As a member of the Friends of the Parks, Greene County Iowa I was recently a tag along/recorder for veteran water tester and Greene County outdoor activist Bob Rye. I was a part of the five teams on Tuesday, May 19, that tested water in 35 different creeks, sloughs, and rivers in Greene County. For the past…
Read MoreGreen on data centers
~by Senator Jesse Green Public and government concern over data centers has spiked recently for understandable reasons. While these facilities have existed for decades, the boom in new technology requires a massive wave of construction. This rapid growth has sparked intense debate about how we should manage them. After hearing concerning comments and misinformation at a recent county supervisor forum,…
Read MoreOn serving god and mammon
~ a column by Colleen O’Brien A special issue, May 2026, of National Geographic, that inspiring, admirable,138-year-old magazine, recently published an entire edition on “The Most Influential Figures of Ancient History.” Most of them are men, of course, because most of history apparently happened only to men. Too much power and wealth seem to foster hubris, notable in the dozens of…
Read MoreA commencement challenge – have just a bit of Mr North’s positive impact on youngsters
Another class of Greene County students has graduated. They’ve received congratulations, gifts, and words of advice. I have my own piece of advice for them: Strive to have at least 1 percent of the positive impact Mr Jim North has had on young people. Mr North is marking the end of the school year by “retiring” from his very active…
Read MoreOBBBA, OBBBA/ Hubba, Hubba
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Under the childish name, the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) [kind of like Hubba Hubba], the average citizen will suffer. Big Bill rips out formerly agreed upon funding for Medicaid, Medicare and Obama’s Affordable Care Act, ensuring that middle and lower wealth individuals will pay more for less healthcare. It will push lots…
Read MoreAnd one more part of our lives bites the dust
~ a column by Colleen O’Brien Into my new bank I go. A couple of people are standing, talking to computer screens. A smiling person on the screen talks to them. There are no tellers, and it’s not lunchtime. I wander over to a screen and look at it. What am I supposed to do? A 30-something guy walks…
Read MoreView from my window – Burning the socks
May 10, 2026 We recently attended a family wedding in Rock Point, MD. Rock Point is located about 60 miles north of Washington D.C. on Chesapeake Bay and near Annapolis. The groom’s family hosted the pre-wedding evening gathering at a marina in Rock Point. An announcement on the bulletin board indicated a BURNING OF THE SOCKS to be held the…
Read MoreThe Capitol Roundup
State Sen Jesse Green, May 12, 2026 Greetings from the Golden Dome! Session has finally come to an end. As I sit back to reflect on the wins and losses, I am full of gratitude for all that we were able to accomplish. For this week’s newsletter, I will focus on a few of the big wins that took a…
Read More“Here Comes the Sun”
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Here Comes the Sun is long-time environmentalist Bill McKibben’s latest book on what’s happening to our planet weatherwise. This man is up to date with global warming and the folks who don’t believe it and those who do; the idea that we can save the world from frying is what this book is about. It is…
Read More