Breaking News

Your View

Flock and local control

I spoke at a recent City Council meeting about the Flock camera contract not because I distrust our police, but because residents deserve to understand how systems that collect data on everyone are governed once they’re in place. I recognize that the Marshalltown Police Department has credited these cameras with generating investigative leads, and I don’t dispute their usefulness. But usefulness alone cannot be the standard for systems that collect and store broad public data. Flock Safety emphasizes that customers control routine data sharing, and I take those statements at face ...

Open letter to Sen. Grassley

In response to your contention that partisan Democrats have once again shut down portions of the government: The persons that voted against the passage of this last funding bill were the persons who showed integrity because they stood up for what was right. To do anything else would have made them complicit in terrorism and the unlawful detention of legal residents and American citizens. It is your duty as a member of Congress to work out compromises with your fellow legislators and get laws passed. But, once again, you have dug in your heels and failed to do this. Approximately 73% ...

Fed up and frustrated

Ī’m laughing at myself because I have 21 unfinished letters in my draft section on my tablet. You see folks I’m suffering from mind clutter causing brain fog! I’m fed up and frustrated up to my ears with the political non-contexual discourse over what theologians call The Land Question or How do we respect both the land and the people to achieve real economic justice for the worker and farmer and re-heal or restore the land. Currently both the left and right groups are not focusing on farm history in their discourse.For instance there are three controversial issues at the ...

Congratulations and thank you

I opened the weekend Times Republican this morning and saw the front-page article about the INA annual awards banquet in Des Moines. Your article moved me to write a note to the editor. I have been wanting to express my appreciation of the TR since last summer when I returned from vacation. I spent days reading nearly every word of the past editions which were delivered to my mail box. The papers provided an excellent way to catch up on all of the local news. On Sunday Feb. 1, I enjoyed sitting at my dining room table watching the snowflakes flutter about as I enjoyed reading my TR. I ...

The hypocrisy of Trump and Republicans

1. Denouncing the killing of protestors in Iran but defending the killing of 3 protestors who were American citizens by ICE. Recently, a woman in Minneapolis, who is disabled with a brain injury and is autistic, accidentally got into a blockade by ICE. She was told conversely by 2 agents to move her car ahead and to back up. Because she didn’t know which way to go, they dragged her out of the car and put her in a detention center, while she continued to ask for her medicine. Eventually she passed out in the cell and had to be taken to the emergency room. And Trump is worried about the ...

Let’s fix the old hospital

Dear Mikayla Foreman and others — you are an angel sitting in God’s arms. You have faced more obstacles and made it this far — don’t give up, you’re almost there! I have mental illness, a disabled nurse at the age of 45. I loved my career, but the emotional toll it took on me almost destroyed my life. The best hospital I worked at was Marshalltown’s old hospital. They didn’t need the union. I was proud to work there — the night shift alongside Mary Bartine — the only supervisor in my life who helped me, with my busy morning chores on the Skilled Unit and night ...