Because the newly elected Democratic majority in the House does not take office until January 4, the ousted Republican leadership has a lame-duck month in which get some political dirty work done. The outgoing House Judiciary Committee has issued subpoenas to former FBI Director James Comey ...
Last month during the week of October 12–20, the Boy Scouts of America and the Prairie Winds district held their annual Scouting for Food drive. This year the food drive was that much more important because of the July 19 tornado. It was the Boy Scouts turn to step up and help the community. ...
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Nothing beats watching the excitement build in children as they dream about what is wrapped under the tree. While giving toys and gadgets can be fun, in a few years it will lose its value. I challenge you to consider some non-toy items this ...
Each time an end-of-the-world prophecy is delivered — whether by a self-deluded preacher, a group of politicians or scientists — we are told that we must believe. Never mind how many of their prophecies have been wrong in the past, this time they mean it. The latest prophecy of doom and ...
It’s roughly the three-week anniversary of CNN reporter Jim Acosta repeatedly telling President Donald Trump at a press conference that the migrant caravan is “hundreds and hundreds of miles away” and “not an invasion,” and objecting to a campaign ad that showed migrants climbing ...
Earlier this year, a senior manager at a large company, new to town, mentioned that he and his family came to a movie the Orpheum had offered for free to his child’s elementary school. He said that he was not looking forward to this very much, but his kid really wanted to go. And then he ...
The wind is howling its way around our house, an invisible beast shaking all but the most stubborn autumn leaves to the ground, which has a slight dusting of snow. The end of my favorite time of year is coming to a close, and I am lucky to resist the attendant call of melancholy. “You were ...
Some random observations on the 2018 offyear elections, for Thanksgiving weekend pondering: 1. We hear constantly, and in some respects accurately, that Americans are deeply divided politically. Another way to look at it: The differences between north and south, visible for two or three ...
What do you think of the proposition that no black youngsters should be saved from educational rot until all can be saved? Black people cannot afford to accept such a proposition. Actions by the education establishment, black and white liberal politicians, and some civil rights organizations ...
Had John C. Fremont not run as a Republican in 1856, there would probably would have been no Lincoln in 1860. The Republican Party formed in the 1850s with the collapse of the Whig Party. The central unifying issue Republicans shared was abolition of slavery. It unified people across political ...
Chances are many of you who are reading this are taking some type of herbal supplement. Be it ginseng for better energy, saw palmetto for prostate health or echinacea to boost the immune system, many are turning to natural remedies for their health. It is important to realize that just ...
The 633-word statement of President Donald Trump on the Saudi royals’ role in the grisly murder of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi is a remarkable document, not only for its ice-cold candor. The president re-raises a question that has roiled the nation since Jimmy Carter: To ...
For loyal Democrats, it must be painful to realize that so much of the criticism of your party turns out to be true. No better Democrat ever drew a breath than the late congressman from Arizona and presidential candidate Mo Udall, who candidly observed, “When Democrats organize a firing ...
Our Thanksgiving family tradition is to go around the table and express gratitude for our blessings. It’s such a simple exercise, and yet almost as satisfying as the feasting. Maybe we shouldn’t confine it to Thanksgiving? We have observant Jewish friends who’ve done something like this ...
The past few months have made me realize how precious life is. There was the tornado that tore through the heart of Marshalltown. In its path, it destroyed homes, businesses, local history and public spaces. I remember the initial shock of seeing the damage, but I also remember driving over ...
In response to your very recent story about our local UnityPoint hospital, I want to relate my recent experience there. After two bad nights and a day of difficulty “breathing,” at my wife’s suggestion, we went to the Urgent Care center at 55 Central Iowa Drive, on the south side of town. ...
November and December tend to be a time of giving and generosity. People make philanthropic donations, volunteer their time, give food items and initiate supply drives. So many organizations in our communities are worthy of donations as they work on any variety of issues to help those less ...
Demonstrating ‘Iowa Nice’ at Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is the holiday where most people extend gratitude to family members and close friends for making their life better. Thanksgiving 2018 should also be a time to reflect on what we could do to revive Iowa Nice, which we’ve lost due to ...
In its editorial the T-R calls for public forum and cooperation between community members and UnityPoint Health. That is a valid and valuable position. UnityPoint is apparently hiring a consultant to figure out their lack of patients. Perhaps this writer can add a perspective to that ...
When polarity defines us, it’s easy to lose sight of our common humanity. But all is not political, as nature increasingly reminds us. The fires in California that have destroyed lives, homes and towns — displacing thousands and wreaking havoc on the psyches of first-responders and ...