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Wake up, Iowa!

Often, I wonder what it will take for Iowans to wake up and pay attention to the State Auditor’s office. I pray it won’t take a massive scandal like what happened in Minnesota. What is the point of paying taxes if we are not going to properly oversee how those dollars are spent? Right now, $51 million levied through township property taxes goes with virtually no oversight. On top of that, more than $100 million a year in small-town property taxes can go without an audit for up to eight years. I find it ironic that taxpayers are required to keep careful records and report our ...

East Marshall boys basketball

I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the coverage your newspaper provided on the East Marshall boys basketball season. Your commitment to covering local community athletics and thoughtful storytelling means a great deal to our student athletes. The articles highlighted the successes of the season and motivated us to keep making our community proud. This team’s advancement to the Class IA Substate game started ten years ago when my fellow seniors Cody Weaver, Blake Neuroth, Dallas Miller, and Kaden Good started playing AAU basketball together in third grade here locally ...

Enough is enough: Let Iowa libraries do their work

Enough is enough. For years, Iowa’s libraries have faced a steady stream of legislative attacks, which are often driven by special interests and advanced through processes that avoid full transparency. The latest example, the library amendment attached to SF 2432, is not just concerning for what it does, but how it was done: quietly bundled into an unrelated health bill, limiting debate and obscuring accountability. Libraries are not a problem to be solved. They are essential infrastructure. At a time when communities are navigating an increasingly complex digital world, ...

Fortunate to have UPH hospital in Marshalltown

I recently visited the Emergency Room at UnityPoint Hospital - Marshalltown, then I was admitted to the hospital for a 15-day stay. What a gem we have here, right in our own city! I found the ER staff to be very capable and efficient with each person doing his/her job quickly and effectively, then getting out of the way for the next staff member. When I was admitted to the hospital, I found the same thing. All my caregivers were friendly, knew their job and performed it quickly and efficiently. I was very impressed! As I said, we are so fortunate to have this facility in Marshalltown! It ...

Grassley’s belly-aching is corporate ag hogwash

According to his website, Chuck Grassley is once again railing against California’s Prop 12, a measure voters approved in 2018 by nearly a 2-to-1 margin. Grassley’s belly-aching is nothing but corporate ag hogwash. It’s time to move on, Chuck. Or as The Eagles sang in one of their hit songs, Get Over It! By passing Prop 12, consumers were telling the factory farm industry to treat its animals a bit more humanely. It gave gestating sows a few more square feet to move around in their tightly confined crates, and also said most pork sold in California grocery stores needed to ...

Thankful for community support

The American Legion Auxiliary, Unit #46, Marshalltown, thanks the businesses and merchants who provided prizes and gift certificates for our annual St. Patrick’s card party. Many of these businesses generously continue to support the American Legion Auxiliary, Unit 46. We would also like to thank the patrons who attend this annual event. This auxiliary fund raiser supports veteran projects and programs we provide in our community. The following businesses supported this year’s St. Patrick’s card party: 19 Salon & Spa, 3rd Generation Upholstery, Anderson Funeral Home, ...