After the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, this is what I know for sure. Gun violence can happen to anyone, anywhere and at any time. It is truly America’s great equalizer. It touches the rich and the poor. It happens at nightclubs, movie theaters, the mall, while grocery shopping or ...
The right to vote forms the bedrock of our democratic republic and gives an important voice to the people — of which, by which, and for which our country was established, and President Lincoln so eloquently put during his Gettysburg Address on Nov. 19, 1863. Men and women in uniform have ...
This simple refrain, “Show Up-Be Honest-Try Hard” is a key to success for everyone. Here in Marshalltown, we have adopted this catchphrase to help court involved individuals who are also experiencing substance use and/or mental health issues change their lives. It should come as no ...
Everybody needs a timeout. When I was a kid, “timeout” was just becoming fashionable, like when the hula hoop took the country by swirl. Instead of a spanking, a “timeout” might be awarded to a misbehaving child (like me), where I was assigned to go stand in a corner, or be sent off ...
For my first professional journalism job out of college, I landed the news editor role at my hometown newspaper, the Times-Republican in Marshalltown. On my ninth day, as I turned onto Main Street, I could see the soft morning sun shining on the courthouse’s spire above the trees. It was ...
At the 6-year post-tornado point, we have to be more than 60 percent toward the 10-year watermark that sees cities brag about their new and greatly improved downtown. Take Cedar Rapids for example. At a recent bench-bar conference there, we enjoyed the verve downtown and at the Czech Village. ...