Time of year to get your flu shot

October 13, 2018

Have you gotten your flu shot yet? Why not? Many health care professionals are urging the public — especially those who, because of age or existing health conditions may be more vulnerable to the flu — to get immunized as soon as possible. They have a very good reason for being worried. Last winter, about 80,000 Americans died of the flu and complications from it. That is the highest death toll in more than 40 years. Our health care environment is so good that it has led some to complacency about doing what they can to protect their own health and that of loved ones. Many of us ...

Thank you for subscribing to your local newspaper

October 7, 2018

While our newspaper has had many names and leaders over the years, our goal to keep Central Iowa informed has not wavered. A building fire in the 1900s and a tornado hitting our building a few months ago did not stop us from getting the news out. The strength of a newspaper goes hand in ...

Iowans need to address violence against women

September 30, 2018

Iowa tragically lost two young women — Mollie Tibbetts and Celia Barquin Arozamena — recently. The stories have not only shaken our state, but they have made their way around the world. While their lives should be fondly remembered and not politicized, our communities must look at the ...

A much needed celebration of Marshalltown

September 23, 2018

In light of the past two months in Marshalltown, annual community celebrations mean more than ever. Oktemberfest and Marshalltown High School’s homecoming have always been about pride for our city, but this year it means a little bit more. The celebrations come just more than two months ...

Iowa’s harvest helps feed the world

September 16, 2018

Since human beings first learned to cultivate the soil, harvest time has had extraordinary significance. In earlier centuries, good crops meant prosperity and security. They signaled that the winter months just ahead could be faced without fear of starvation. In 21st-century Iowa, harvest ...

Hackers should be identified and punished

September 9, 2018

No doubt many eyes are on Moscow after the revelation recently that an attempt to hack into the Democrat National Committee’s computers was thwarted. Coming two years after Russian hackers stole information from the DNC database, the new attempted electronic B&E does raise questions about ...