Donald Trump, in his pathetic effort to roll the clock back to his rejected presidency, held a reunion of his faithful over the weekend at Mar-a-Lago, his resort home in Florida. He used the occasion to repeat his familiar smears against Senate Minority Mitch McConnell and other Republicans ...
On Good Friday we mourned the crucifixion of Jesus, a stranger in his own land. On Easter Sunday we celebrated His rising from the dead to redeem our sins. On Thursday, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Iowa would not assist the federal government in placing refugee children with families until their ...
I read with great interest the recent stories in the local newspaper about the devastating effect of the August 10, 2020 derecho windstorm on one of my family’s favorite places to go in Marshalltown - Riverside Cemetery. The 150 mph wind on that day ripped up trees and toppled headstones ...
Sometimes, I wonder if I’m ever going to get over how some humans have behaved during this pandemic. First, the good news: As of this week, more than 65 million people in the U.S. have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Millions more are well on their way. Now, the pull-out-your-hair ...
The graduating class of 2021 deserves a lot of kudos. To be certain, every college graduate works hard to achieve their degree. But, the class of 2021 has had to worry about more than late-night study sessions and passing their finals. Their college experience has been altered by events outside ...
Is a new stealthy form of racism being taught in Iowa schools? The answer appears to be yes. Ames Community School District (ACSD) has become the most obvious example of this sneaky movement. The ACSD pushed left-wing political ideology under the guise of diversity, equity and inclusion. ACSD ...
Over the last several weeks, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reported a rise in the number of migrant children seeking refuge in the United States. With the increase, the federal government’s capacity to process and shelter migrant children has been stretched, leading to children ...
What a terrible mistake to move the All Star Game.The MLB is destroying their image as America’s pastime. I’m a die hard baseball fan ever since I was a kid. It’s pretty sad that they have to inject politics into such a great and entertaining game.They have alienated a lot of people ...
We are writing as members of Students Empowering and Leading (SEAL), a student-led philanthropy group from East Marshall High School. SEAL gives us the opportunity to not only better the lives of people around us, but also learn valuable lessons about life and leadership. Recently, we ...
As adoptive parents of three, we find Gov. Reynolds’ refusal to accept migrant children into the state repulsive. Unlike the lack of empathy of the governor, Iowans are a welcoming and hospitable people. The following quote of the journalist Charles M. Blow, “One doesn’t have to ...
I am so glad Gov. Kimmie has had the rare wisdom to loosen our gun laws even more. I must rush out and buy more in order to protect myself and mine from all the gun-toting wackoos out there, including many currently holding public office.
America is on trial. Or at least, that is the conviction of many observers as Derek Chauvin, a white former Minneapolis police officer, faces judge and jury in the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man. America on trial: it’s a headline in Time, the Toronto Star and ...
The murders at the Iowa State Prison in Anamosa are heartbreaking. After years of cuts and neglect in public safety departments, the governor and Republican lawmakers have failed in their responsibility to keep the dedicated frontline workers in our prisons safe. Iowa’s prisons are 10 percent ...
On the thirteenth week of session, floor debate was the key focus. We discussed a number of issues that are important to Iowans. This week the Senate passed House Joint Resolution 5, amending the Iowa Constitution to add a new section on the protection of life. The section reads, “To ...
In the United States, more than eight in 10 Covid-19 deaths have occurred among those of us aged 65 or above. This sobering statistic sheds light on just how devastating this pandemic has been for older Americans, and far too many have lost loved ones to this disease. Thankfully, a ...
In honor of National Library Week, I would like to give a shout out to the amazing staff at the Marshalltown Public Library. They have done a phenomenal job of finding new ways to make library services available to all ages during these tough times. All of this has been done while working ...
I’m in a mad dash across Kansas on I-70. My brother in Canon City, Colorado, who is 14 years older than me, has terminal cancer. Hospice has been called in. I must see him before he dies. To do what? To pay respects? To tell him I love him? To try and make up for the years separating ...
“This is not politics,” President Joe Biden said last week. “Reinstate the mandate if you let it down.” Give him credit for consistency: When Gov. Greg Abbott ended Texas’ mask mandate last month, Biden called it “Neanderthal thinking.” But maybe the Neanderthals got it right. ...
In the months since COVID struck, we have encountered many challenges. Iowans lost precious work hours or their job altogether. Kids were home with school closures and senior citizens became even more shut in. As the state started its economic recovery, a historic storm ripped across ...
This week, I had an email exchange with a person who had every reason to be disappointed in me. Instead, he insisted his faith in me was steadfast, and I’m not the least bit embarrassed to tell you I wept in the way I’ve always imagined people do after Superman sweeps down for the rescue. ...