Introducing Thumbs

Sometimes readers really like what they read or see on GreeneCountyNewsOnline, and sometimes they don’t. Thumbs will be an ongoing post under GreeneCountyNewsOnline’s Opinion tab. Share your thoughts in 50 (or so) words or fewer. Thumbs entries should be concise, specific, and civil enough that you won’t feel compelled to duck into another aisle if you see the “subject” of your entry…

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Reader responds

Reader Nicole Gates of Downers Grove, IL, responded to Denise O’Brien Van’s column about the Jan. 21 Women’s March in Des Moines: “…….awesome.  I’m proud of her for going alone and for having the fire in her to let her voice be heard.

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The Behn Report

Feb. 17, 2017 In the Legislature It’s been a busy week as we did a couple bills on the floor for debate, and had several bills moving through our subcommittees and committees. Apart from the bigger bills, there are also smaller things we look at during the session. Here are a few bills that have generated some interest at the…

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Thank you from JPRD

“THANK YOU to EVERYONE who volunteered on February 4 & 11 for the JPRD Youth Basketball Tournaments. Without your help, it would be impossible to run the tournaments.  THANK YOU!!!” Vicky Lautner and Sean Ostendorf, JPRD staff

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Branstad signs HF 291 into law

DES MOINES – Gov. Terry Branstad on Friday signed the following bill into law: House File 291:  an Act relating to employment matters involving public employees including collective bargaining, educator employment matters, personnel records and settlement agreements, city civil service requirements, and health insurance matters, making penalties applicable, and including effective date, applicability, and transition provisions. 

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Letter to the editor – James F. Riley

To the editor, I want to compliment the Greene County boys and girls basketball teams along with their coaches. I also want to state the citizens of Greene County should be very proud of these young men and women in the way they conduct themselves in representing Greene County. We adults owe these young folks a “thank you,” but more…

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Why a Black History Month?

~a column by Colleen O’Brien It is February, Black History Month, sometimes now called African American Heritage Month. February was chosen because of two people whose birthdays happened to fall in February and who were instrumental in obtaining justice for African Americans: Frederick Douglass, 19th Century political activist, writer and vice-presidential candidate who worked for the abolition of the crime…

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The Behn Report

February 4, 2017 With all the contentious bills we had this week, it was refreshing to have the FFA groups from Gilbert, Boone, and Webster City here at the Capitol. They were interested in learning the way government functions and they were interested in ag related issues.  Overall, they were a great group of kids and I enjoyed visiting with…

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