~a column by Colleen O’Brien The phrase “killing the messenger” has had a long run in this old world. It goes back to the Greeks as so many of our words and sayings do, this particular one from Plutarch: “The first messenger, that gave notice of Lucullus’ coming was so far from pleasing Tigranes that he had his head cut…
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Letter to the editor – Alexis Hooper
A lot can happen in 40 years. Forty years ago, we didn’t have cell phones and instant access to whatever our heart’s desire. Scranton, Rippey, and Grand Junction had thriving schools and numerous businesses. Small family farms dotted the east side of Greene County. And those farmers were friends, families, and neighbors trying to do what was best for the…
Read MoreIndivisible
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Calling themselves “angelic troublemakers,” the not-for-profit group Indivisible works to teach voters how decision are made in our government, the government that ignores our views in favor of donors. They believe that the government needs fixing, as do the politicians, and that we, the people, can do it.
Read MoreFinally, sexual harassment is out from behind the curtain
~a column by Colleen O’Brien I think that Trump was indeed the catalyst for women speaking up against sexual predation. During the campaign for President of the United States, his chuckling denial of any harm done by grabbing women below the belt . . . in fact that women like it . . . was the incubator of women’s public…
Read MoreCongressional candidate Paschen in Jeff Dec. 5
Dr John Paschen, Democratic candidate for U. S. Representative Iowa 4th District, will be in Jefferson to speak and meet with members of the community on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 7 pm at the Thomas Jefferson Gardens Welcome Center, 202 E Lincoln Way in Jefferson. Paschen, from Ames, is a well-known pediatrician there. He is particularly interested in hearing from…
Read MoreThank you!
I want to send out a sincere Thank You to the woman who helped cover the cost of two used tires for my truck on Nov. 9 at McAtee Tire. By her doing that it allowed me to go visit my Army buddy who I had deployed with to Iraq in 2007. If she hadn’t helped me out I would’ve…
Read MoreTouring with a friend in the know
~a column by Colleen O’Brien I spent two days in Boston with my own tour guide, a friend who had lived thereabouts for 40 years. It was a privilege following her around. Being led by someone I know who knows everything about the streets we traveled is the best way to learn a new city. She was good at pointing…
Read MoreLetter to the editor – David John
To the editor: After reading the article about the proposed new high school and a career academy to coordinate with Iowa Central Community College, it seems to me that this idea–brought to Greene County by Chris Deal and endorsed by others–has turned into a huge opportunity.
Read MoreLetter to the editor – Joan Conroy
To the editor – Sitting in my comfortable propane heated house situated on glacial till left by the Wisconsin Glacier, I am pondering the global warming fears generated by Al Gore. Thanks to Dr Roy G Spencer I will sleep quite well tonight. For only $3.99, I was able to download Dr. Spencer’s book “An Inconvenient Deception – How Al…
Read MoreBully
~a column by Colleen O’Brien I had a column ready to go for this week’s edition of GreeneCountyNewsOnline when I heard that a small town north of Sacramento, a rural area, was shot up by somebody or somebodies (early news as I write this), and I decided that I’m pretty much sick to death that there are people out there…
Read MoreA better way to get there
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Daydreaming is a time-honored endeavor. It’s invention time, it’s poetry time, it’s take-a-break time, it’s wasting time, it’s probably been going on since the first hominoids had a chance to relax for a minute when the local Giganotosaurus (length 47 feet, weight 8 tons) was way on the other side of the swamp. I like…
Read MoreA different kind of roof art
Challenging Greene County to go green ~by Colleen O’Brien Clean energy is the buzz phrase, especially since our government bowed out of the Paris Climate Accord that was signed by 195 countries. Bad news came out this past Monday from “The Greenhouse Gas Bulletin,” the UN weather agency’s annual report. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased at…
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