Breaking News

Columnists

Who deserves sympathy should not depend on politics

Truth should be measured by evidence, not by political allegiance. Can’t we all agree on that? With that in mind, a useful question for citizens and journalists to ask at times like this is simple: “Help me understand …” The phrasing invites the person being questioned to explain his or her views on some matter of interest without the questioner coming across as accusatory. Had I been in the White House press briefing room last week for one of Karoline Leavitt’s Q&A’s, I would have framed a question like this about the Minneapolis woman’s shooting death by a federal ...

Why Hollywood (plus) hates Trump

It’s fashionable in mentally disheveled circles to revile and disrupt America’s ICE agents, and law enforcement in general. Doing so is symptomatic of the subversive impulse. In Marshalltown, it also illustrates what’s become of those who, decades ago, gathered each night on the Courthouse lawn. (Today, their Age of Aquarius beads clank against their walkers.) Hardly a week passes without some entertainer voicing anti-Trump poison into the nearest microphone. (Remember those annoying high school Drama Club kids? Many now reside in Hollywood.) Mark Ruffalo is but one tinselly ...

What is 3DE at Marshalltown High School?

3DE is a model for transforming high school education built around real-world business case studies integrated directly into our core curriculum. Instead of traditional, isolated subjects, students learn through problem-based and inquiry learning that is relevant to the real world. This approach is rooted in the belief that the best way for students to learn is by applying their knowledge to solve real-world problems. The success of this program is a testament to the dedication of our educators. Their willingness to adopt this innovative, hands-on approach is what makes these ...

Breakfast on the Hindenburg

I stumbled across an old menu the other day on social media, one claiming to be from 1937, for the passengers on a German zeppelin crossing the Atlantic. “Breakfast,” it read, “on board the airship Hindenburg.” The words dotted the page in elegant script like a poem: “Coffee, tea, milk, cocoa Bread, butter, honey, preserves Eggs, boiled or in cup Frankfort sausage Ham, salami Cheese, fruit” I wondered if it was fake, written as it was in English, when the airship had been designed and its luxuries planned to broadcast the triumph of post-World War II German ...

The silent illness

The silent illness. The quiet struggle. The painful journey. The tragic end. Day in and day out, we are witnessing the increasing number of lives lost to suicide. Even in rural and tight-knit communities like Marshall County, we are not immune from this public health concern. The ...

Standing up for our farmers and rural communities

As a lifelong Iowan and proud representative of one of the most productive agricultural districts in the country, I will always stand up for Iowa farmers and our rural communities. Since my first day in office, I have been committed to delivering real results for the farmers who feed and fuel ...