The Marshalltown YMCA is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, which has caused me to reflect on our organization’s history and leadership. A bit about the Y’s beginnings: In 1844 London, 22-year-old George Williams, a farmer-turned-department store worker, joined 11 friends to ...
In my last column, we went over the Marshalltown Mayors position, let’s do more basics. (You did read the last one….right?) Let’s talk City Council. After 6 years as Councilor At Large and 5 years representing Ward 1, I think I have a pretty good handle on what the job entails. The City Council consists of 7 voting members. 4 Ward seats and 3 At-Large seats. The Ward seats are currently held by: Ward 1 - Marco A. Yepez Gomez Ward 2 Mark Mitchell Ward 3 Greg Nichols Ward 4 Melisa Fonseca The At-Large Councilors are: Sue Cahill Jeff Schneider Gary ...
By MARK ROHDE 3days and 3 nights: 72 hours or a Hebrew Idiom? To start with, this is not about me and my beliefs. I have my biased opinions, who doesn’t? This is about truth. Not my truth, not your truth, but God’s truth. Jesus of Nazareth is my hero and he said that God’s word is truth. I believe him more than any other man. The following is just one example where I see tradition taking precedence over what the Lord Jesus Christ himself plainly said. “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and ...
Every spring, Iowans are reminded that severe weather is not a question of if — but when. From tornadoes to flash floods, high winds to lightning, Marshall County Iowa faces a range of hazards that can disrupt lives and damage property. That’s why Severe Weather Awareness Week, March 24–28, is such an important time for all of us to pause, prepare, and plan ahead. Here in Marshall County, we understand the impact severe weather can have. Many of us remember the 2018 tornado and the 2020 derecho, both of which left lasting scars on our community. Those events taught us that ...
St. Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite “Special Occasion Days” like April Fools and Friday the 13th. I like to play pranks on these days. Actually, as I write this, it is Friday the 13th. Hmm, what kind of a prank can I pull today? Last year on St. Patrick’s Day I had an appointment with my oncologist in Iowa City. At previous appointments, one of his questions, along with any swelling of lymph nodes, weight loss/gain, etc., was any rashes? I had never had a rash, but it being St. Patrick’s Day, I thought a nice green rash on my abdomen would be just the ticket to get his ...
This week, Iowa House Republicans in the Ways and Means Committee passed House Study Bill 596, our property tax bill. The committee amended the bill to reflect the feedback we’ve gotten from Iowans and it includes pieces from the Senate Republicans’ and the Governor’s property tax proposals. There are several major components of the updated bill. There is a cap on revenue growth at 2%, with new construction revenue not included in that limit, ensuring that cities and counties are still incentivized to grow. This component includes exceptions for schools and the debt levy. The ...
