~a column by Colleen O’Brien I am most moved by this past election, more than I’ve ever been in my life. Because of my growing skepticism through the past four years, I am humbled by the outcome. The slight majority vote has shown the need that half of us in this country have for peace, decency, compromise, allowing everyone we…
Read MoreCategory: Opinion
Elections are safe and secure
To the editor,I have been honored to serve as one of the precinct election officials in Greene County for over 10 years. Jane Heun, county auditor, and her staff Billie Jo Hoskins and Pam Oelrich provide direction, including training and any assistance needed during the election with Michele Fields, computer help. The computer program we use in Greene County, Precinct…
Read More‘A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination’ ~Nelson Mandela
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Repeating Mandela’s words, I feel renewed hope for the end to this election where we might wind up with a good head and a good heart in our leader. This is still an election in which all the votes have not been counted, and even though someone is saying it is fraudulent to keep counting,…
Read MoreThe stats are awful and still, hope rises
a column by Colleen O’Brien The election is under way – Americans have been voting in some states for 45 days ahead of next week’s November 3 physical voting day. The 2020 general election is looking to be one of the high-voter turnouts of our history. This is because the country has been divided daily by rhetoric pronouncing us a…
Read MoreNew Supreme Court judge believes in ‘Originalism’ – Hoopskirts and side saddle, here we come
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Between September 26 and October 26, we have witnessed the birth of an uneven far-right High Court in our nation that will be allowed to undermine all of us for decades to come. In one swiftly moving month, the latest Supreme has been hand-picked, interviewed, introduced, questioned and sworn in. It is a week before…
Read MoreLooking for help with the name of a GIRL… from the summer of ‘54
Readers – This letter arrived from Amarillo, TX, an actual letter typed and signed by the writer, Doug Miller. He’s looking for the girl he took to a drive-in movie during the summer of 1954. Read on…. maybe someone knows who she is. “My introduction to Greene County and the town of Jefferson was in the early part of June…
Read MoreLetter to the editor re: masks, Bruce Banister
To the editor, What is it going to take for the three foolishly recalcitrant people on the school board to realize that kids need to mask up at school? They won’t listen to Dr. Karber or Mr. Dennhardt, they won’t listen to the CEO of the medical center and they certainly aren’t listening to parents. The idiotic color coding system…
Read MoreHow to get rid of the news-blues
~a column by Colleen O’Brien It’s not just the political news that dismays me; it is just about all the news. Today I learn that Amazon paid no taxes last year. And for nine years they’ve paid federal income taxes at a 3.0 percent rate. Corporate tax hovered around 35 percent during all that time. The company paid so little…
Read MoreMask Up, Greene County
~by Tracy Warner, Greene County Medical Center CEO As a newcomer to Jefferson and Greene County, I’ve appreciated the warm welcome and the friendly conversations with residents sharing the history of the area and the benefits of living in a smaller community. As I’ve spent more time here, I’ve been able to compare and contrast a community of 4,100 and…
Read MoreThree weeks ’til Election Day
~a column by Colleen O’Brien For many of us, the day has come and left because we have been able to vote early by mail, in some states, in person. When I received my mail-in ballot in my post office box, I went online to research the candidates I was unfamiliar with; I read about the resolutions and referendums; I…
Read MoreDemocracy, oligarchy, socialism, capitalism, populism, facism
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Traditional democrats (that’s lowercase democrats – citizens of democracies, not the American political party) who live a relatively comfortable life don’t understand the appeal of populism. Populism is a form of salvation to people who don’t understand why they aren’t as comfortable as the next guy. Or who begrudge the elite (which means different things…
Read MoreJ. Denman in support of Chris Henning
To the Editor:I am writing in support of Chris Henning who is currently running for the Greene County board of supervisors. I have known Chris for 10 years and have found her very involved in advancing Greene County. She comes from a farming family, farms herself, is very interested in conservation and preserving the prairie of her forefathers for future…
Read More