Editor’s note – This editorial is an edited version of a History Chat by Craig Hertel at the Greene County Fair July 12. ~by Craig Hertel, retired Extension professional More than a century ago, rural America faced a challenge: how to spread new knowledge— especially in agriculture and home economics—to everyday people. In 1914, the Smith-Lever Act established the Cooperative…
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Our contraries
~a column by Colleen O’Brien The news of the day is too sickening for me to write about this week – I’m nauseated by ICE and their Gestapo antics, by the leader of our country for so many ways I don’t have the energy today to begin to list them, by the former Democratic leaders who seem to have disappeared…
Read MoreView from my window: Quality of life
July 13, 2025 I was recently at a conference where Laura Belin, the editor and publisher of Bleeding Heartland, spoke about the importance of citizens being present and making their voices known to their government representatives. We have recently observed such a scene playing out within our state. The quotes and information used is from National Public Radio following a…
Read MoreHistory repeating
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Books and movies about World War II have invited me in since I first fell in love with Iowa native William Schirer’s writing. He was a correspondent in Paris and then Germany for the Chicago Tribune, among other media. He eventually worked with Edward R. Murrow, stationed in London with CBS, in setting up reporters…
Read MoreKeep your fingers crossed
~a column by Colleen O’Brien They’re making me crazy right now, the Democrats. They’re hiding or sleeping or voting against impeaching the President. I would like just one of the famous ones – Obama, Hillary, Biden, Schumer — to take the reins with a whip and lead us in the charge against Project 25, Maga, Donald Trump, the Republicans. But…
Read MoreView from my window: Medicaid and Iowa’s dilemma
A pop up from a former Rippey resident came on my Facebook page three days ago. “In order to get on Medicaid, I’m needing to get a job. I have not been having luck finding something that would work for me. I’m only needing something for a minimum of 8 hours a month to qualify, willing to do more, just…
Read MoreTACOs around the Congress
~a column by Colleen O’Brien “If he is elected, we’ll be at war within six months.” Attributed to Kamala Harris but not confirmed by research. Well, it has happened. I believed it as soon as I heard it third-hand – leavesdropping. What does one say when war approaches? What does one do? There is a lot of civil revolt –…
Read MoreA few things an autocracy requires of us
~a column by Colleen O’Brien We can’t practice DEI (diversity, equality, inclusion) in our lives now. The autocratic right wing of our politics (Republican) believes these three things (DEI) hurt white people. To them, diversity, equality and inclusion mean we insist that brown people and black folks and women and poor people need diversity, equality and inclusion in their lives…
Read MoreView from my window – Measles
~by Mary Weaver The June 12 edition of the Des Moines Register reported the third measles case in Iowa due to an unvaccinated child. The Department of Health and Human Services notified the public regarding the third case due to potential exposure in public areas, listing the public areas where the child had been in the Iowa City community. This…
Read MoreSen Green supports Reynolds’ veto of HF 639
HF639 has just been vetoed by Governor Reynolds. Before we jump to conclusions, we should try to understand her reservations. Many people have characterized this issue as either “pro-pipeline” or “anti-pipeline” but this oversimplification does not do the topic justice. HF639 attempted to create a new definition for a “common carrier” that includes all hazardous liquid pipelines and not just…
Read MoreWishful thinking
~a column by Pollyanna, aka Colleen O’Brien My dream: That when one reporter is publicly dissed and called “nasty” (favorite word for reporters) by the President, all reporters at the venue pick the reporter off the floor where he has pretended to faint from the verbal abuse. His compadres carry him out, flat on his back between them, as if…
Read MoreWhy we need history
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Why do we need history in our educational system? Really, why do we need an educational system? So we don’t act stupid. So we’re not led around by the nose. So we can think for ourselves. And because we live in a constitutional republic of, by and for us, we can be critical of government…
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