Archive for the ‘Opinion’ Category
Guess who the big winner of the lottery really is?
By Ed Rood It seems that everyone is intrigued over what the winners of big lottery jackpots are planning to do with their winnings. Not me. What I would like – Continue reading…
House, Senate, Governor reach a tentative agreement on 2013 spending
A tentative agreement has been reached with the House, Senate and the governor on total spending for Fiscal Year 2013. There is still work to be done on how the – Continue reading…
An adventurous and educational hunting trip to the Loess Hills
By Steve Lekwa I just returned from two days of hunting turkeys in Iowa’s Loess Hill State Forest near the little town of Pisgah in Harrison County. A couple of – Continue reading…
The Bookworm Sez/‘Gardening’ is a meditation on the beauty of growing your own dinner
“Garden Wisdom: Lessons Learned from 60 Years of Gardening” by Jerry Apps c.2012, Wisconsin Historical Society Press $26.95 U.S. & Canada 200 pages There’s a little extra plot of land – Continue reading…
An uncommonly annoying cold leads to a craving for orange soda
By Jill Pertler Who knew a bottle of soda contained so much feel-goodness? I was hooked. My cold is long gone, but I continue to stock the fridge with orange – Continue reading…
Learning the many ways of the newspaper world
By Ed Rood Many people have asked me how I ever got into the newspaper business. I quickly reply, “I was born into it.” They probably think I’m kidding, but – Continue reading…
The unofficial guide to Facebook users
By Jill Pertler I am a member of Facebook – the social networking service. I’m not alone. According to estimates, 50 percent of the good folks in the U.S. have – Continue reading…
Education reform in the works in both House and Senate
The Iowa House and the Senate have now both passed different versions of education reform. The areas where the bills agree are mainly around competency-based learning and the Iowa learning – Continue reading…
The Bookworm Sez/‘Journal’ author pokes fun at himself
“The Journal of Best Practices” by David Finch c.2012, Scribner $25.00 / $28.99 Canada 225 pages As long as you live, you will never totally understand your beloved. Why, for – Continue reading…
Old Settler Sez/Old Settler’s Picnic will start early
Hi everybody! Yes, it’s me again, the old Old Settler. It is time for another Old Settler article. In less than four months, it will be the first week in – Continue reading…
Redesigning the mental health system is closer to completion
Our work on redesigning Iowa’s mental health delivery system moved closer to completion this week as the House readied to debate the main redesign bill. The House will soon debate – Continue reading…
Tax freedom day comes later this year
The Tax Foundation was created to educate taxpayers about sound tax policy. Each year, the Tax Foundation calculates Tax Freedom Day. The results are in. This year, Tax Freedom Day – Continue reading…
Thank you for being a friend
By Jill Pertler True friends. Besties. Amigos. BFFs. It doesn’t matter what you call them; they’ve got your back, your phone number on speed dial and your secret recipe for – Continue reading…
The Bookworm Sez/‘Walls’ is fun and filled with delightful digressions
“If Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of the Home” by Lucy Worsley c.2012, Walker & Company $27.00 U.S. & Canada 351 pages, includes index Thank goodness for bathrooms. That’s – Continue reading…
You can’t tell a book by its cover
By Ed Rood It was difficult not to stare. The young man entering the restaurant in front of me had on jeans that appeared to be in extreme danger of – Continue reading…
