About 100 persons were on hand Sunday when Andrew Yang, candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, spoke at History Boy Theatre in Jefferson. It was Yang’s second appearance in Jefferson since announcing his candidacy more than a year ago. He spoke Feb. 1, 2019, to about two dozen people at the Milwaukee Road depot. His message hasn’t changed much since…
Read MoreCategory: Opinion
Honor
~a column by Colleen O’Brien “One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equate to 545 human beings out of the 300 million who are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.” ~Charlie Reese, former columnist, Orlando Sentinel Newspaper Despite the soaring words of Adam Schiff regarding the dream…
Read MoreJerry Behn not seeking re-election; his son will run for the seat
State Senator Jerry Behn announced Jan. 24 he will not run for re-election. Behn, a Republican, has served Iowa’s Senate District 24 for 23 years. His son Chad Behn on Jan. 27 announced his intention to run for the seat. “Living and farming in this area for many years, I know what rural communities have to offer and know what…
Read MoreLetter to the editor – George Naylor in support of Sanders
Dear Editor, Our country is in grave danger. Not because we have a scary president that’s being impeached. The question now and for many years is whether or not our citizens have confidence in our elected president and representatives? Are these politicians dedicated to the common good as required by our constitution, or are they, as I believe, dedicated to…
Read MoreReynolds launches Iowa Governor’s School Safety Bureau
DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds, the Iowa Department of Public Safety and the Department of Education announced Jan. 21 the formation of the Iowa Governor’s School Safety Bureau. This Bureau will focus solely on providing the needed resources and expertise to assist Iowa’s 327 school districts and law enforcement partners to keep students, faculty and staff safe. The announcement…
Read MoreThe Behn Report
~by State Senator Jerry Behn In the Legislature – The second week of the legislative session was a short one due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday. However, that day off did not mean the week was any less busy. Subcommittees have already started on a number of topics and we’re starting to hear from groups and departments…
Read MorePut in my place by the past
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Tramping through an archeological dig has so far been the biggest treat of being a guest in Italy. The Etruscan town of Vulci (vull-chee), about 45 minutes from where I’m staying, was founded in the 9th century before Christ. By the 4th to 6th centuries BC, it was a major trading port in what is…
Read MoreThe Behn Report
~by State Senator Jerry Behn Jan. 16, 2020 This was the first week of the 2020 legislative session. It is exciting to be back at the Capitol, and we are ready to get started on many of the issues we have heard about over the past several months. Each year we listen to speeches from the Majority Leader, the Senate…
Read MoreDining in Italy…
~a column by Colleen O’Brien We drive half an hour of so to a town called Castiglione, on the Thyrrenean Sea, to eat out. The area is like Sarasota in Florida, San Diego Harbor in California, probably like bays and beaches in South Africa, the Cote d’Azur, Vladivostock in Russia? Fancy restaurants and chi chi clothing shops stand next to…
Read MoreLetter to the editor – Dick Finch
To the editor, When is Jefferson going to fix their terrible street situation? Where’s the money going? To buy old buildings and rebuild? Spend it where it’s designated and really needed.
Read MoreLiving in the Italian countryside
Editor’s note – When O’Brien started writing columns for GreeneCountyNewsOnline when in launched in 2013, she declined to offer a photo to use at the top of her columns. She has finally sent along a photo of herself in Italy, where she is enjoying a few weeks of respite from issues that worry conscientious liberals. ~a column by Colleen O’Brien…
Read MoreIt’s a small world
~a column by Colleen O’Brien I’ve been in Italy seven days and can get neither my phone nor my computer to work, so I am writing – hand-writing – this column. It has been 39 years since I hand-wrote a column. It is almost as if I don’t know how to think, the process of hand-writing is so foreign to…
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