June 1, 2024 To the editor, After several years of volunteer service, we have made the decision to hand over day-to-day operation of the Greene County Homeless Coalition to the Greene County Clergy Association. We got involved in this work before the pandemic, when Andy was editor of The Jefferson Herald. With the retirement soon after of Pastor Julie Poulsen…
Read MoreCategory: Opinion
Bait and switch
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Have you ever had a “friend” who gave you really good street drugs for three or four months, and about the time you were asking him to hurry up and get back to you with more, he started charging you for the drugs? It’s a bait and switch game that leads to things lethal. I…
Read MoreView from my window – Due dates
~a column by Mary Weaver Memorial Day weekend will soon arrive. A time when families gather to remember loved ones and kick off the summer season. Graduations are past, final grades issued, the corn and beans are in the ground, and in general life seems less regimented. As an aging parent, adult children become overly protective. Just as when they…
Read MoreDue diligence
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Donald Trump has never deigned to make amends for anything he’s ever done, and everyone who’s ever been in his inner circle has witnessed and/or paid for being close to his toxic scheming amid his violent, reactionary behavior (remember his throwing a hamburger against the wall?) So, for voters this fall, the question has to…
Read MoreThe View from Here: A lesson on Iowa governmental finances
~a column by Mary Weaver I am struggling to understand what is happening fiscally to Iowa government at all levels from the township, cities, counties, and at the state level. I vowed to understand this so I could share it with you readers, but this is very complex with a steep learning curve that I must admit I did not…
Read MoreCapitol roundup – End of session review
~by State Sen Jesse Green, SD 24 May 2, 2024 The following is a review of a few bills we were able to pass this session: SF2204 strengthens Iowa’s foreign ownership laws. This will give us a clearer picture of who is buying our land and why. LLCs have bought up a large percentage of land in recent years and we…
Read MoreLetter to the editor – Conditions reported at juvenile detention facility raise questions
To the editor, At the board of supervisors meeting on April 29, Supervisor Dan Benitz described conditions at the Eldora facility for young people who have been adjudicated to be delinquent. Benitz said there is high staff turnover because staff are assaulted “on a daily basis with urine and feces thrown at them.” I have taught young people adjudicated to be…
Read MoreView from her window is the North Raccoon River
The Raccoon River as it runs through Greene County should be properly identified as the North Raccoon River. In addition, there is a Middle, and South Raccoon River. The North Raccoon River originates near the town of Marathon in Buena Vista County, and it flows through Sac, Calhoun, Carroll, Greene, and Dallas Counties. It is a tributary of the Des…
Read MoreCarbon pipelines are false solutions
To the editor, The concept of ‘false solutions’ to climate change has been on my mind for some time now, and I am aware that the carbon pipeline proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions is one of those false solutions. Now, the pipeline’s new path will take it very near to the farmland that I inherited in Greene County’s Grant Township.…
Read MoreLetter to the editor – Does a welcome sign belong at the cemetery entrance?
To the editor, Jefferson has a nice looking Welcome Sign on the East edge of town on old highway 30. Can anyone explain to me why the sign is placed directly in front of the Jefferson Cemetery. I would loved to be welcomed to a town by all the deceased people buried there. Are they the most welcoming people in…
Read MoreActing your wage
~a column by Colleen O’Brien My daughter “acted her wage” and didn’t even know it. She worked in “corporate” for a decade and a half. She liked it – the challenge, learning new ideas and looking at old ways with a questioning viewpoint that she attacked with fresh ideas. She liked the camaraderie of the women and men she worked…
Read MoreWelcome tough conversations during Sexual Assault Awareness Month to support Iowa survivors
~by Paul D. Pate, Iowa Secretary of State There are some topics that are difficult to discuss. One of those topics is sexual assault. April is nationally recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and provides an opportunity for us to embrace uncomfortable conversations to support victims of this crime. Every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. Nationwide, 81 percent…
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