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Your View

Your seven City Councilors make popular and unpopular decisions in every City Council meeting without exception. The popularity of our decisions is solely based upon your emotional attachment to the issue at hand. It is impossible to please all of the citizens of Marshalltown all the time. Rest assured that we take our jobs very seriously and research each and every issue. Maybe we sometimes fail to explain the bigger picture, or share all of the details, or convey the amount of limited resources necessary to fulfill the requirements of any given project. However, we can justify our ...

Response to Joni Ernst

It was with a sinking heart that I read Joni Ernst’s letter in Monday’s paper. While she addressed some real issues in agriculture and interstate commerce, her argument did little to advance her case. Joni is right when she says that asking farmers to make expensive adjustments to their practice without adequate lead time is unreasonable and that multiple and conflicting sets of regulations restrict interstate commerce. But Joni is wrong in thinking that agricultural reform is a liberal issue. The people in fifteen states that voted to restrict the importation of products from ...

Vance visit to Pope

One of my personal hopes in the indecent case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was kidnapped by ICE and sent illegally to an El Salvador prison, is the knowledge that some Marshalltown elected officials oppose this decision and support the 40 percent of Hispanic residents who live here. Garcia arrived here as a refugee when he was 16. A judge granted legal status years ago. He is married with children and a union member. The Trump/Vance administration kidnapped and shipped him to El Salvador and one of the world’s worst prisons because of a clerical error. His Maryland senator, ...

The next story

Just since Dec. 1, 2024 we have received 662 letters asking for money. Some were willing to accept $ 6,500 if we would send it. Those nauseating pleas arrive, two hands full a day. Everybody has a cause and they want us to be a part of it, at least the giving part. It appears to be one big push to plead for money. Now, it is not that there aren’t any legitimate needs but too much and too many, are a turn-off to all of them. There are pictures of animals, older people and today, a letter wanted me to be a protector of Israel; would I please give one hundred dollars! One plea lifts up ...

Happy Easter

Ecclesiastes 3:11 God has placed eternity in the hearts of humankind. Eternity is a long time, it is something we should want to get right. Author Todd Hampton said you are living in the story of the Bible right now. We are living in the in-between of the beginning and the end of the Bible. Here’s the good news, regardless of where you are in life’s journey or what you are doing, you can come to Jesus. Read the story of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son in Luke Chapter 15 and you will see how important you are to God. This Easter, remember there’s hope for each ...

Celebrate Easter with compassion

This Easter, let’s celebrate with compassion by leaving animals out of our traditions. Giving baby chicks as gifts or using real eggs for hunts may seem harmless, but these practices often lead to neglect and suffering. Instead, try reusable eggs and plant-based treats that everyone can enjoy. A vegan Easter is a powerful way to honor the holiday’s message of renewal and kindness — while also supporting your health and protecting the planet. With so many plant-based recipes and ideas online, it’s never been easier to plan a festive, cruelty-free celebration. Hop over to your ...