Trip marks the first time all of Iowa’s farm groups have come together for a trade mission DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds on May 30 announced that she will lead an all Iowa agriculture trade mission to China July 19-28. Traveling with her will be representatives from commodity groups and the Farm Bureau, emphasizing Iowa’s corn, pork, soy, beef,…
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The Fellowship and the Mosque
~a column by Colleen O’Brien I had lunch last week with about 30 women – half of them were Muslims from a nearby mosque and half were members of a nearby Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. The Unitarians were serving the food – chili and stew, green salad and pasta salad, brownies and velvet cake—in the dining room of their fellowship hall.…
Read MoreLetter to the editor – Roxanne Hanney
About Robert’s tale of the Edmund Fitzgerald as told by Colleen O’Brien Just read this, and was swept up not just by the story itself, but by Colleen’s play-by-play description of Robert’s telling of it. Her short sentences were full of impact; the emotion felt by Robert and conveyed to the listeners at the party carried through to the readers…
Read MoreBranstad to resign, Reynolds sworn in Wednesday
DES MOINES – Gov. Terry Branstad will resign as governor of Iowa on Wednesday, May 24, and immediately be sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China. The U.S. Senate confirmed Branstad late Monday afternoon by a vote of 82-13.
Read MoreNaming
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Do you name things in your lives? I mean, besides your children and pets? Things like cars and houses, rocks and birds, flowers and so forth? I started doing this when I moved half a continent away from everyone and all that I knew except the man I married, so I figured it had something…
Read MoreA tale of the Edmund Fitzgerald
~a column by Colleen O’Brien On November 10, 1975, an iron ore carrier named the Edmund Fitzgerald sank with all hands off Whitefish Bay in Ontario waters of Lake Superior. Because singer songwriter Gordon Lightfoot wrote a ballad about it in 1976, the whole of North America was soon singing, and still sings, the sad song.
Read MoreReason, anyone?
~a column by Colleen O’Brien This Thursday, Governor Branstad will proclaim as Iowa Day of Reason, to coincide with National Day of Reason. This is a laudatory action, and all Constitutionalists and separation-of-church-and-state folks no doubt can applaud.
Read MoreLetter to the editor – Greene Co Intermediate teachers
Mr Jim North and Webb House staff This past week students in 4th and 5th grades from Greene County Intermediate had the privilege of enjoying two separate days for our PBIS incentive day at our local Webb House in Jefferson.
Read MoreLetter the editor – Brian Phillips
Challenges and Successes The challenges that any young person faces today are far different than ever before. There are many variables: desensitization to overwhelming violence, acceptance of profanity as the norm, exposure to crippling family dysfunctions, vulnerability to unsettling TV programs, subjection to questionable music lyrics, and the list goes on and on. These are not isolated to Greene County,…
Read MoreLetter to the editor – Adrienne Smith
To the editor regarding animal shelter Dear editor, I was not going to get involved in this, but I can’t walk away from it. It involves something near and dear to me. There’s a saying that a person can be judged on their character by how they treat animals. I am very disappointed in the lack of interest that the…
Read MoreBranstad’s opening statement to Senate foreign relations committee
(DES MOINES) – Today, Gov. Terry Branstad released his opening statement to the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee regarding the Ambassadorship to China. Gov. Branstad’s opening statement, as prepared for delivery, is as follows: Chairman Corker, Ranking Member Cardin, and Members of the Committee, It is an honor to appear before you today as President Trump’s nominee to be…
Read MoreThe time of her life
~a column by Colleen O’Brien With a life’s worth of degrees — BA in music education and therapy, Masters in social work, MBA in international business – that could make her an excellent living financially, 62-year-old Michiganian Lorrie Douglas found her passion as a volunteer in her areas of study.
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