To the editor, My thoughts on Greene County and Jefferson are as follows: Greene County is doing a good job of running our county with one exception- hog confinement building permits. We have enough stink as it is. I sympathize with farmers needing income with grain prices but enough is enough. Jefferson — Not as good of grades as the…
Read MoreCategory: Opinion
Marc Daniels – Impeach our attitudes
Editor’s note – Marc Daniels of Springfield, IL, has driven to Jefferson three times to listen to and challenge presidential candidates. He heard Republican candidates Gov Chris Christy and Dr Ben Carson speak during the lead up to the 2016 caucus. He was in Jefferson again last May to hear Democrat Eric Swalwell speak. (Swalwell has since suspended his campaign…
Read MoreLetter to the editor – Denny Lautner
To the editor, As I understand it, to graduate from Greene County High School, only one credit in finance is required. I think that is terribly inadequate preparation for 18-year-olds about to be turned loose in the world of monetary decisions that awaits them. I believe it would be wise for the school district to require four credits in finance…
Read MoreTo gruntle or not to gruntle…
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Having been in a disgruntled mood for more than three years now, I am delighted to learn that I can be gruntled. Disgruntle means put into a bad mood, made ill-humored or discontent. (“Current politics makes me disgruntled.”) Gruntle means put into a good mood, made at ease. (“The meal and the conversation made me…
Read More“Where are the adults?”
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Even straight-A teenagers accepted to Harvard are considered unworthy by many adults. After all, teenagers are teenagers; they have a lot to learn. Those teenagers heading to college are often the ones who become political and famous at their young age when trying to fix wrongs in the world created by, guess who? Many adults.…
Read MoreLoudmouthed, bullying whiners
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Speaking of loudmouths, bullies and whiners – I’m not at this moment connected to the media – radio, Facebook, TV – but I figure someone is either speaking about them or being loudmouth, whining bullies themselves. The country hears a lot of loudmouth, bullying whining going on a lot of the time these days –…
Read MoreLetter to the editor – Jamie Daubendiek
Dear editor, We would just like to say a big thank you to all the volunteers who were involved in helping Jefferson Matters: Main Street put on Main Street Iowa’s annual Fall Workshop last week. This is an annual event where 94 attendees from more than 50 different Main Street Iowa communities come to learn and network with each other…
Read MorePick a dream or take your chances
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Daydreaming is part of our lives. Thank goodness. A daydream often kicks in when you’re bored. Think of: TV, teacher, talkative person, dull person, politician, your boss, parent, sibling…. You get the idea. You needn’t feel guilty about the subject of the daydream or the act of daydreaming itself. It is one of the brain’s…
Read MoreA movie I never intended to see
~a column by Colleen O’Brien A discussion of the movie “Joker” came along at my dinner table the other night, and up to that point, I had to intention of seeing it. “Downton Abbey” is more up my alley. But the cogent argument of a political friend altered my viewpoint. “It is the movie of our time,” J said. I…
Read MoreTrade dispute has done ‘irreparable harm” to farmers
The U.S. and China are scheduled to resume trade talks later this week in Washington, DC, but according to Iowa soybean producers, regardless of the eventual outcome of the trade dispute with China, the damage done since the trade dispute began 16 months ago will take decades to repair. That’s the message Aaron Putze, director of communications and external relations…
Read MoreSpied upon
~a column by Colleen O’Brien The prescience of George Orwell in his novel 1984 is eerie in 2019. Seventy years after its 1949 publication in England, we live with cameras that watch us at stoplights and in stores; cyberspace technology that checks our emails; phones that track our whereabouts from within our houses and autos into the world of roads…
Read More“You gotta give the world credit for beauty.”
Quote from Thomas McNulty, narrator in Sebastian Barry’s novel Days Without End ~a column by Colleen O’Brien That is a truth: the world is beautiful. Sometimes the very beauty before me, alongside me, across the street – it makes my heart burst, brings tears to my eyes even as it lightens whatever my burden of the day is. And sometimes…
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