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Casper the Friendly Lawn Ornament Donkey

On the farm, pets tend to be of the wider variety than for urban folks. Pigs make good pets, as do chickens, horses, ducks, geese, cows, sheep, llamas, or anything alive on the farm. For Krista Jennings Hagge, southeast of Winfield, her pet was Casper the Friendly Lawn Ornament Donkey. On their anniversary, husband Jeff took Krista out for dinner and apologized for not having a present. But when they got home, lo-and-behold, there in the barn yard was, surprise, surprise, a pregnant donkey named Jenny. (Female donkeys are also known as Jennies.) Krista couldn’t have been more ...

Parallels and patterns: George Orwell’s 1984, Hitler’s Nazi and Trump 2.0

George Orwell’s 1984, a dystopian classic novel, is a staple in American high school English and social studies curricula. 1984 is taught in 9th or 10th grade and used to introduce themes of totalitarianism, propaganda and censorship. Likewise, studying Adolf Hitler’s accession to power in 1933 whereby Nazi’s set out to reconstruct German society is taught in the 11th or 12th grade in America’s school systems. All voting-age Americans are knowledgeable of Donald Trump’s attitude, opinions, values, actions, beliefs, behavior, practices and policies. Hence, as a result of ...

Barker Bulletin

It’s the week before funnel! It’s the week before the first legislative funnel deadline. Most House bills must pass a full committee by the end of next week in order to stay alive. This was a busy week full of subcommittee and committee meetings as we work to make sure our priorities advance. I look forward to reporting which of my bills survive the first funnel after next week! Tobacco and Cancer Iowans have been loud and clear that they expect the legislature to take action regarding cancer in our state. And as a healthcare professional who happens to be a legislator, I feel ...

Atlantic school board teaches a lesson in accountability

It’s funny how a government body can learn and teach an important civics lesson in the time it takes a student to go from kindergarten through 12th grade. In 2012, the Atlantic Community School District won a lawsuit to keep information secret about disciplinary measures taken against two employees who conducted a strip-search of five girls to try to find $100 another student reported missing. Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady wrote a dissent in the case, noting that “transparency in government surely will be thwarted” by those who can “quell public discourse and end ...

Financial Aid Awareness Month: Why our community must rethink access to college

Every February, we celebrate Financial Aid Awareness Month with tips on the types of financial aid students can use to pay for school and the tools needed to navigate financial aid. Those lessons matter. But if we stop there, we miss a more complicated truth: many students are not struggling because they lack discipline—they lack the time and resources needed to thrive in education. For parents and community members in Marshalltown, the question is not whether our young people can succeed in college. The question is whether they have access to the knowledge, resources, and pathways ...

District 53 Newsletter from Rep. Dean Fisher

This week the House introduced House Study Bill 696 dealing with welfare reform. This bill aims to protect the integrity and sustainability of Iowa’s public assistance programs so it can provide proper care for the Iowans who really need it. It does this by empowering disabled Iowans. It expands eligibility for the Medicaid for Employed Persons with Disabilities program from 250% of the Federal Poverty Limit to 300% FPL, allowing more disabled Iowans to qualify and to accept raises and promotions without fear of losing Medicaid coverage. It also excludes pension accounts from income ...