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Iowa kids in foster care need you!

Your children know they are loved and cared for. They know that you work hard to meet their physical and emotional needs every single day. Because of you, they can grow and thrive. Sadly, there are children in our community that do not have this. Throughout Iowa each year, thousands of children are in urgent need of safe and nurturing family environments. These children have experienced trauma and upheaval, and they lack the stability and care that every child deserves. You have the power to make a difference in their lives. Currently, there is a significant shortage of foster ...

A lesson for life

For the first time in years, my wife had no music responsibilities at our Church. We decided to visit a Church that she grew up in. The Minister’s message was the story of the Prodigal Son found in the book of Luke. The farmer’s son talked him into giving him his inheritance, now, so he could live life how he wanted, making his own way in the world. Out of love for the son, the Father complied and the son was out the door and heading for new territory. The young man was a terrible money-manager. Soon, he was broke and hungry. The friends that leeched off of his money, were not ...

New construction is the answer for Miller Middle School

It is time to be bold! Miller Middle School has served our community for 100 years. The needs of our students, and Miller staff, far exceed what can be reasonably expected from a repair and renovation effort of a building this old. End of the day, we can polish up and repair the building but it is still a 100-year-old building. The building will never meet 21st century safety or education standards. Everything wears out. Miller Middle School is tired and worn. Pushing dollars into a renovation effort feels like throwing good money after bad. New construction is the answer for this ...

These times

Insecurity breeds fear and these days far more people are fearful of many things.... the great divide in the economy, obvious signs of climate change and pollutants in our environment, loss of habitats (both wildlife and human) … these along with growing populations world-wide creating more competition for resources (water, minerals, food), more competition for jobs and homes. All cause incredible stress for the vast majority of both young and old in present times, except for the few secure wealthy. And where fear reigns, logic and common sense fly out the window.

Hinson and abortion

Ashley posted that her and Joni Ernst are for abortion pills. How do pro-lifers feel about that?

City parks and facilities naming rights

I would like to clarify the issue of naming city parks and facilities. Jim Shaw quoted me as saying that when I served as the Parks and Recreation Director, no facilities could be named after persons or families. This was at a time where we had a brief moratorium on doing so due to a difficult situation that occurred with a name change made at the Little League Complex. I was instructed by the City Administrator to create a naming rights policy. With the help of the City Attorney, a policy was created and adopted by the City Council. Since I retired from the city over eight years ago, I ...