County Republicans gathered April 11 to raise funds and celebrate gaining the majority in the Iowa Senate and House and in Congress, as well as putting Republican Donald Trump in the White House. The spring fundraiser was held at the Re-Creation Center at Abundant Life Ministries in Jefferson. About 60 persons attended. Congressman Steve King, who represents Greene County in…
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From the artist
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Read MoreThe Behn Report
April 14, 2017 There is less than a week left before this legislative session is scheduled to end. The 100th day is April 18 which means that day is the last day legislators (and our clerks) get paid for this session. While we are still working hard to be done by this day, we have much left to do on the…
Read MoreThe Immigrant Problem: Men create immigrants and refugees
~by Dr. Martha Bireda Editor’s note: Dr. Martha Bireda, director of the Blanchard House Museum of African American Culture in Charlotte County, FL, studies and writes about African Americans, Jim Crow in America and other issues of inequality in columns for the Charlotte Sun Newspaper in Port Charlotte, FL and Wall Street International, an online magazine dedicated to culture, issues…
Read MoreDes Moines Water Works will not appeal in federal suit against drainage districts
DES MOINES, Iowa (April 11, 2017) – The Des Moines Water Works will move to resolve its Federal Clean Water case without appeal. The United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa issued its ruling on March 17, dismissing all of Des Moines Water Works’ claims against the boards of supervisors in Sac County, Buena Vista County and…
Read MoreThe Behn report
April 7, 2017 This week had a lot of floor debate due to the second funnel concluding last week. We have been working on bills coming over from the House and discussing the budget for the next fiscal year. A few of the bills we passed include: HF 485, allowing city council members to serve a city’s volunteer fire department…
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Read MoreSens Ernst, Peters launch Motorcycle Caucus
On April 4, U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Gary Peters (D-MI) announced the formation of the first-ever Motorcycle Caucus in the United States Senate. The life-long motorcycle riding senators will serve as co-chairs of the caucus, and will advocate for a multitude of issues on behalf of both motorcycle riders and manufacturers.
Read MoreEulogy for a poet
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Bev Lehman 1929 -2017 These lines by Bev Lehman, who died at the age of 87 on March 26, 2017, are vintage Bev – observant, thoughtful, truthful and wry.
Read MoreLetter to the editor – Brian Phillips
Grades up and discipline issues down I write very few letters to the newspaper, but this has been one of those school years that is the best on record in my seven years as high school principal here at Greene County High School. Perhaps Ms. Green put it best at a recent school board meeting when the high school presented…
Read MoreThe Behn Report
March 31, 2017 This week was a little quieter as we did a mix of floor debate and committee work. This was the second funnel week of the legislative session. Much like the first funnel, we need to get bills out of committee for them to be considered for the rest of this session. This deadline moves the process along…
Read MoreClean air and water? Or not?
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Why would the Republican Administration want to cut billions from the Environmental Protection Agency? Its Clean Water Act of 1972 has managed to clean up dead lakes, polluted rivers and trashed canals. I remember how appalled we were back then to learn of lakes that caught fire, rivers full of dead fish, ponds harboring amphibians…
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