In every age, there are mockers who make fun of God and his creation. You may have heard them at times using their inexperienced, Biblical voices as they tell others how pathetic he is. Their minds float on a sea of unbelief, buoyed by the waves of anger and misconception. They don’t have a ...

In life, we all assume a variety of roles, from son or daughter to spouse, parent and grandparent. An additional role many Iowans may take on — as our families and we all age — is that of caregiver. As a loved one is released from a hospital, it is often up to the family caregiver to ensure ...

Patrons of Marshall County Schools please, make your voices heard. School administrators are making the recommendations through their school boards on ways to cut their budgets. In the past some vital class offerings or programs have been eliminated. If we want to maintain or increase ...

Everyone should go to see the movie 'Unplanned.' Whether you consider yourself left or right; Democrat, Republican, independent or no affiliation; Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, atheist or agnostic; you should go see it. It may surprise you what you walk away with.

Highway 14, for the most part, is commercial. Advertisements, signs and billboards line the highway. Why not let the old K-Mart building and parking lot continue to disintegrate right in front of our eyes? Missed opportunity? I hope not.

The American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) Unit #46 Marshalltown thanks the businesses listed below for providing merchandise and certificates for prizes for our annual St. Patrick’s Day card party. 3rd Generation Upholstery, Advanced Auto Parts, American Legion Lounge, Applebee’s, Arby’s, ...

I recently read the Marshalltown grant application for the Linn Creek Trail Connector Project, a .8 mile connection from the current trail to the Freedom Rock at the Legion. The total cost was stated on the June 2018 grant application as $1,064,693 and the request was for $250,000, leaving a ...

Iowa Valley Community College District has provided the perfect opportunity for me to obtain adequate knowledge and proper credentials for my career in nursing. With the short drive from my home to Marshalltown Community College, the small student to instructor ratio, affordable tuition and ...

In Monday’s paper, Adam Sodders wrote an interesting story about an entrepreneur from State Center, Afton Stout, going to appear before a committee in the U.S. Capitol last week. The committee is headed by Rep. Abby Finkenauer. It’s a good article until the last paragraph where Sodders ...

My thoughts on blackface, immigration, jobs and the national debt. Blackface — Teaching a country school at 17, I can remember having a copy of the Ten Commandments above the blackboard (something young people today need badly). I also remember our production of a “Minstrel Show” and ...

In response to Sen. Jeff Edler’s column titled, “Bill on educating savings grants should be supported,” I’m greatly concerned what this would mean for all parties involved. I think we can all agree that children with disabilities deserve the same high-quality education that children who ...

The Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors supports the Iowa Valley Community College District (IVCCD) Bond Referendum being brought before voters on April 2. After researching the bond proposal, board members believe it will strengthen our community through support of both ...

In my opinion allowing parents to exempt their children from vaccinations for measles, mumps, chicken pox, rubella, influenza and other readily communicable diseases is idiotic. We must not allow our children to be placed at risk because of misguided “religious” or other beliefs. Arizona ...

Recently bills were introduced in both the Iowa House and Senate that would charge additional fees to those persons, businesses and farms who have installed solar panels to provide a portion of the electricity used in their home or business. We are vehemently opposed to these proposed ...

A Feb. 10 commentary by the Times-Republican posited several major themes: that news organizations give you knowledge, that journalists (and through them journalism) make communities better, and, that the future of journalism is in the hands of the consumer. News organizations give you ...

I’d also like to express gratitude and appreciation for the many other unsung heroes that are whipping our town and businesses back into shape these past eight months. Skilled trades professionals: electricians, plumbers, mechanics, IT specialists and construction contractors have performed ...

As a young fifth generation Iowa family farmer, our family has seen many changes over the past two centuries with agriculture and how livestock is raised. Conservation of our natural resources including water and soil is a top priority not only with our crops, but also livestock. Using the ...

I would like to share my experience attending Marshalltown Community College with hopes that you would also share your support in the upcoming bond referendum on April 2. My first experience with MCC came as a child when I was a mini cheerleader at home basketball games, I always thought how ...

Disturbing the peace, injuries, fires, as well as spent bottle rockets, buzz bombs and aerial rockets on your roof and in your yard. These are what Iowans get from personal use of fireworks. Explosions start well before the approved holidays, and extend well beyond those same days. Local ...

In response to Jan McGinnis’ letter to the editor on March 5, I would like to refute one of a number of claims made. Concentrated animal feeding operations have not “decimated” our rural economies. Instead they have helped to keep the family on the farm through economic benefits. For ...