To the editor, Congratulations to Thomas Laehn and Jack Williams for excellent work bringing Justin Emmick to justice. He was doing the same crimes here in Ohio with no repercussions. I employed him and had no idea of his extensive background. Again, great work. Jim Schumacher, Canton, OH
Read MoreCategory: Opinion
Were you taught to pick up your toys?
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Each year, 9 million tons of plastic waste end up in the oceans of Earth. Mammals, fish, birds die by ingesting it or the prey that winds up with it in their stomachs. We humans have it in our systems too because we eat the fish of the seas. A year ago in May, National…
Read MoreIn the legislature
~by Senator Jerry Behn April 29, 2019 During the 15th week of the legislative session we continued our work towards adjournment for the year. We spent much of our time waiting for bills to come to us from the other chamber, waiting on amendments, and debating some of the last proposals we will discuss this year. Because this is the…
Read MoreEV – to buy or not?
~a column by Colleen O’Brien How many times have I thought of trading in my gasoline operated vehicle for an EV. Or a BEV. An EV is an electric vehicle; so is a Bev – battery electric vehicle.
Read MoreReynolds calls 2019 legislative sessaion “a win for Iowans”
DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds, L released the following statement after the conclusion of 2019’s legislative session on Friday: “Earlier this year in my Condition of the State Address, I said now is the time to deliver on the promises we made to Iowans looking for a way up. Through collaboration and compromise, those Iowans will be better off…
Read MoreKing draws small crowd, polite questions, police coverage for town hall meeting
~by Denise O’ Brien Van Republican Steve King, Iowa’s Fourth District Congressman, drew about 30 people, including several leading Greene County Democrats, two police officers and a handful of local news reporters, to an April 25 town hall meeting at the Jefferson Community Golf Course.
Read MoreOne smart poet: Mary Oliver questions and comforts
~a column by Colleen O’Brien April is National Poetry Month in the U.S. and Canada. Some think poetry is dumb; or even worse, pointless. Some think it necessary for survival. It is said to be the first kind of story-telling, a way of talking that humans came upon to tell another person important life lessons in rhyme and rhythm so…
Read MoreThe Behn Report
~by Sen Jerry Behn We are fourteen weeks into the legislative session, leaving us with only two weeks until the scheduled end of session. This deadline prompted discussion on a number of substantive topics this week and many hours debating on the Senate floor. On Tuesday, the Senate passed a bill creating a children’s behavioral health system in Iowa. After…
Read MoreLetter to the editor – Patti Naylor
To the editor, The closing of the Landus Cooperative facility in Scranton will be a difficult and costly change for the area farmers and for the community. I commend Dawn Rudolph for writing her heart-felt op-ed in the April 10 edition of the Scranton Journal about this sad news. Although I lost my race for county supervisor against Dawn, I…
Read MoreSome people work to save the world, not make it worse
~a column by Colleen O’Brien If you, like me, have a tendency to worry about climate change, overpopulation, floods, fires, loss of farmland to urbanization, mass migration because of all these things and most governments ignoring it all for power grabs and other political idiocy that does not advance and protect humankind and its planet…it’s comforting to come upon news…
Read MoreThe Behn Report
~by Sen Jerry Behn April 12, 2019 This week was a whirlwind of activity, both figuratively, and literally. Wind advisories across the state kept drivers on their toes. After last’s week legislative deadline for bills, Week 13 included mostly floor debate. We remain focused on our budget work while we continue to pass bills out of the Senate.
Read MoreThe family that escapes together laughs a lot
~a column by Colleen O’Brien I participated in an Escape Room game last week. When my family first proposed it, I thought it was something brand new, avant-garde; I thought I’d be in on something so hip and with-it that for once I’d be on the leading edge of life in the 21st century.
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