National Farm Safety and Health Week, Sept 18-24 In May of this year, a farmer in southeast Iowa was pinned by a piece of machinery and killed; later that month, an eastern Iowa man was killed when his tractor was struck by a semi. In June, a teenage farm girl died in an ATV incident. These are just a few…
Read MoreCategory: Opinion
Vegetable or fruit?
~a column by Colleen O’Brien I’ve never met a vegetable I didn’t like. Some I love — Brussels sprouts; oh, my. There’s something so satisfying about vegetables. Raw, sautéed with onion and garlic (themselves vegetables), boiled, broiled, grilled, baked, juiced, made into smoothies or frozen bars on a stick (the only veggie frozen bar I make is from watermelon juice;…
Read MoreLetter to the editor – Patti Edwardson
Injustices of the CAFO system There are many injustices in this world, too many for a single person to focus on them all. So, each of us must choose to fight those injustices that hit our homes and our hearts. Issues relating to food and farming, family and community, and our environment, here in Iowa and in other areas of…
Read MoreLetter to the editor – Karen & Allen Shannon
To the editor, 9,720 minutes. What is that? Greene County Intermediate building dismisses at approximately 3:07 pm to bus students to Jefferson. This is 18 minutes earlier than the 3:25 dismissal at the elementary. Over the three academic years that our two daughters will attend GCI (if the bond does not pass) they will each miss this much instruction time:
Read MoreTalking politics with foreigners
~a column by Colleen O’Brien I traveled recently to foreign ports in the North Atlantic. Among a dozen or so of these exotic (to me) places, I visited Qaqortoq, Greenland; Reykjavik, Iceland; Eidfjord, Norway, so I was talking to many people who were not Americans in between practicing pronunciation of nearly unpronounceable names of towns.
Read MoreLetter to the editor – Pay It Forward committee
To the editor: As members of the Pay It Forward – Greene County committee, we would like to thank the communities of Greene County for allowing us the opportunity to share information about the school bond with constituents. We appreciate very much the both individuals who attended our town hall meetings as well as the behind the scenes personnel who…
Read MoreLetter to the editor – Matt & Toni Wetrich
From parents of school-aged kids to parents of school-aged kids, This is not a letter of why you should vote yes on the school bond proposal. Those reasons have been very well and articulately written about right here and elsewhere. This is a letter about being a parent.
Read MoreLetter to the editor – Bill Monroe
The Greater Good Throughout our history as a nation, and even to create our nation, there has been an American virtue. What is it? When have we seen it? Is it still there? The Greater Good is a virtue that showed itself in our nation as early as before the Revolution. Here, men and women placed the independence for all…
Read MoreHow long does splendid last?
Let’s make sure Greene County is once again noted for its good schools. Vote YES for the school bond proposal Sept. 13. ~Tori Riley, publisher, GreeneCountyNewsOnline
Read MoreLetter to the editor – Mark & Wendy Vander Linden
To the editor: A common statement from those opposed to the bond referendum is that new buildings have nothing to do with the education, only the rooms student sit in. They assume this is an investment in buildings rather than anything that directly impacts students.
Read MoreA brief comparison
~a column by Colleen O’Brien I just finished a book called The Life and Words of John F. Kennedy, published by Scholastic in 1964, a year after JFK’s assassination. It holds dozens of quotes that reflect a person of hope and inspiration; the man knew how to use our native tongue. I also just finished a review of a book…
Read MoreLetter to the editor – David John
It’s all about the community To the editor, Many people have given many good reasons for voting yes on the upcoming school bond issue. I don’t need to go over those reasons again, although I agree with all of them. For me, it’s not just about the school bond. The issue is bigger than the local school. It’s about our…
Read More