As the semester winds down, many students are already dreaming of lazy summer days. But hold on a minute! Summer can be a fantastic time to not only relax but also to make significant progress toward your academic goals. Here at Marshalltown Community College (MCC) and Ellsworth Community ...

Public parks belong to the public, right? A billionaire can’t cordon off an acre of Golden Gate Park for his private party. But can a poor person — or anyone who claims they can’t afford a home — take over public spaces where children play and families experience nature? That is the ...

I’ve heard it said that “All wealth comes from the soil.” Sitting in my recliner in our living room (my favorite place in the house), looking through the picture window at the fields that surround us, I believe this statement to be true. (Thomas Edison even said it.) I see rich, brown, ...

The Iowa Legislature took an important step last week in voting to toughen penalties for state and local officials who violate a key government transparency tool, Iowa’s open meetings law. Unfortunately, lawmakers’ actions may not be enough to reverse the love for secrecy that too many ...

Author Herman Wouk captured well how to understand heroism. “Heroes are not supermen; they are good men who embody — by the cast of destiny — the virtue of their whole people in a great hour,” observed Wouk. We have today an American hero in the name of House Speaker Mike ...

The session wrapped up in the early morning hours on Saturday, April 20 after several days of overtime. It was a session full of surprises and, frankly, too much politics. When the session opened, House Democrats pledged to put people over politics and work together to improve the lives of ...