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Paying taxes

I am a proud American, and there was a time when I felt an even deeper pride in our country. Like many people, I didn’t always appreciate paying taxes — especially when the difference between gross and net pay is so noticeable. But as I matured, I came to understand the critical importance of the essential services our taxes fund. I received a solid education at a public school where I was taught civics and the role taxes play in keeping our government running. I spent most of my career as a registered nurse caring for veterans — men and women who served this country honorably. ...

Feenstra wants to be like Trump?

Randy Veenstra running for governor say he wants to be like Trump. Veenstra when will you pay a porn star to keep her mouth shut like Trump? Veenstra when will you bad mouth fellow republican, governor Reynolds like Trump did? Veenstra when will you declare bankruptcy multiple times like Trump did? Veenstra why under Trump’s watch as president, Mollie Tibbetts got murdered by an illegal who worked for a Republican farmer? I’m wondering in Tama County Iowa.

The Boys of Summer 2025

Parents waited, fans from Mason City waited, grandparents waited. On Thursday, June 12, our MHS Bobcats were supposed to have a doubleheader against Mason City, starting at 5 p.m. Around 4 p.m. we had a sudden rainstorm that came down fast and furious leaving our baseball field soaked and full of many areas with mini ponds of water. The boys did not whine or wonder what to do next, they just went to work. As a Marshalltown baseball player you learn early on that this field is yours to care for. Coaches, boys and even a few Mason City players went to work. For approximately 45 minutes ...

June 15 is World Elder Abuse Day

June 15, 2025 is World Elder Abuse Day. Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging joins communities across the world to promote awareness and highlight solutions to this systemic social challenge. As Americans, we believe in justice for all, but we fail to adhere to this value when we allow older members of our communities to be abused or neglected. Older people are vital, contributing members of American society and their maltreatment diminishes everyone. Just as we have confronted the social issues of child abuse and domestic violence, we can also find solutions to address elder abuse, ...

Fiction from Lewis and Ginter

Instead of responding to points made in my May 9th letter with facts, Lewis and Ginter respond with attitude May 13th and May 14th respectively. As to Lewis’s fiction, I did not gather signatures at Walmart. However, since I initiated the petition, I apologized to the manager for it. She was cordial. Lewis also relied on fiction to describe the reason I attended the Nov. 2017 MPL board meeting. I attended not to request ID for entry, instead to object to the use of the library by groups to encourage and celebrate illegal entry into the US. I suggested that groups supporting ...

The terrible, horrible, no good, very bad bill

If you’re struggling to comprehend the massive and complex One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, you’re not alone. It’s complicated, messy and ominous. As written, it will slash at least $267 billion in federal dollars from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – our country’s most effective anti-hunger program – over the next 10 years. It would require states to cover a share of the costs that help 42 million low-income people (including more than 262,500 Iowans) keep food on the table each month. States aren’t in a position to cover those costs, given 40% (including ...