Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
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Author’s Note: This is the tenth in a series of from Psalm 146. “The LORD loves the righteous...” – Psalm 146:8c Continuing our look at Psalm 146 we find in the last part of verse 8 one more reason to put our trust and hope in the Lord God of Jacob, shifting our trust and hope away from a “prince,” or a “son of man” or “we the people.” The sixth reason we are to put our trust and hope in the Lord God of Jacob is because “the Lord loves the righteous...” How is this even possible, since God say...
To the editor: President John F. Kennedy’s last written words for a speech to be given at Austin, Texas in November 1963 are relevant in today’s political climate. Please read the following excerpt and remember the lies and the violent rhetoric that are a threat to our democracy today. “Neither fanatics nor the faint-hearted are needed. And our duty as a Party is not to our Party alone, but to the Nation, and, indeed, to all mankind. Our duty is not merely the preservation of political power but the preservation of peace and freedom. So let u...
Rob Sand, Iowa’s state auditor, recently did what no statewide elected official in Iowa has done in a long time – he brought attention to problems in nursing homes. A report from his office discussed the lack of timely nursing home inspections by the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing (DIAL) and the staff shortages that impact quality of nursing home care. DIAL and the nursing home industry immediately dismissed the report’s data and conclusions. They want us to believe one of two things: that there are no problems with...
Fall is typically my favorite season. The weather is great, the football is good, and there’s not much that bugs me this time of year. Afterall, my weeds and grass quit growing a long time ago. Unfortunately, though, this autumn has proved to be an outlier. There have been several things driving me nuts lately, and I’m not sure when my annoyance will cease. My kids’ bad attitudes have been out of this world in October. If one is in a good mood, the other is totally sour. I don’t have time for their arguments and their fits never make me cave...
Nobody has ever confused me with a farmer. My agriculture resume includes picking rock as a teen, riding in the combine with my grandpa as a youngster and sorting chickens once in college. I can count on one hand how many times I’ve driven a tractor, and I wasn’t in FFA nor did I win ribbons at the county fair. Because it’s important to try new things, I got out of my comfort zone last weekend. A friend asked if I’d help him with harvest, and I obliged. I warned him of my thin experience – the last time I piloted a tractor was nearly 20 years a...
Did you ever have one of those days? You know the ones I mean – when you look back on your day’s activities and wonder what just happened? I have more of those days than I care to admit, and recently experienced one that was no exception. It started out as a normal morning, but as I sit here thinking and writing about it, I can’t say where things took a turn. My morning almost always starts with coffee and the news. After that I had a bowl of cereal, got dressed and then read a devotion befor...
To the editor: I am so grateful for a small town newspaper like The Hartley Sentinel. There was a time when smaller towns were once productive and prosperous. The Hartley Sentinel was the hub for all surrounding small town news. Decades later, some of these same towns are now “bedroom” towns. The Hartley Sentinel has remained the hub for reporting news from those towns. I really appreciate the “From Our Files” column. It takes me back to the days of Yager’s Department Store, Elsie’s Cafe, Russell’s Bakery, Ketelsen Hardware and Rose Furnitur...
A changing of the seasons is upon us here in northwest Iowa. Though my grass quit growing a long time ago, I’m noticing more leaves in the yard each morning. There’s an occasional bite in the air and the days are shorter now, too – fall has arrived. I’m pretty happy about it. I know that’s an unpopular opinion, as summer is usually most folks’ favorite season. I’m a fall and winter guy through and through – mainly because I can be a hermit. I’m tired of having an itinerary all the time. That doesn’t mean I have nothing to do. I keep making e...
Have you ever had times in your life that made you say, “What an adventure that was!” I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that some of my adventures came completely without warning while others came by design. Often the end result left me shaking my head, but sometimes it left me smiling profusely. I prefer the latter. My life has generally been pretty low-key, depending who I compare myself to. I was a farm kid who never really traveled, and without television until age 11, my world was pretty sm...
A brief glance at the calendar this week had my eyes popping. We’re nearly halfway through September and the calendar shows no signs of slowing down. Snow will be flying before we know it. The arrival of fall was welcomed in my house. While I know it’s still technically summer, school has started, which means it’s fall. My kids were more than ready for classes to begin and so were we – summer break had certainly run its course. The school year started out rough for kindergartener Cece, but it had nothing to do with the classroom. She fell of...
I have fielded a bunch of emails, text messages and phone calls in the days since the school shooting in Winder, Georgia. Each one is from Perry, Iowa. Each one had the same question for me and the Iowa Freedom of Information Council. Each one came from a parent, teacher or other concerned person asking, why isn’t the public allowed to read the official findings by state agents about the shooting at Perry High School and Middle School last Jan. 4? High School Principal Dan Marburger and Ahmir J...
Author’s Note: This is the eighth of a series of devotionals from Psalm 146. “The LORD opens the eyes of the blind;...” – Psalm 146:8a We are living in a time when it seems that lies and deceptive notions are flooding every form of media – both conservative and liberal, Christian and non-Christian. The sad part is that there are many people believing the lies, the false narratives and ideologies that are leading this nation and even the world down the path of bondage, corruption and sexual pe...
During the 40 years I was a newspaper editor/manager, I strived to ensure the staff incorporated context into their articles. Sometimes, in a journalistic shorthand, that was described “the Iowa angle.” If there was a mass murder in Iowa, I would dip into my stash of clippings and find the list of the worst mass killings in Iowa history. That allowed us to give context to the magnitude of the tragedy. The same with tornadoes and floods. How does the number of deaths compare with the worst of...
Several years ago when we were still in Hartley, I went out to get in the van and it was covered with what looked like clear Karo syrup. I had no idea what it was. Our van sat in the driveway under a fairly large black walnut tree. But what in the world was that sticky substance? Was it something from the tree? I wasted no time getting to the car wash and then I called the garden center in Spencer. He had the cause right on the tip of his tongue. "You have aphids and the syrup is their honeydew,...
To the editor: The 100th O’Brien County Fair, held July 19-25 in Primghar, is in the history books. O’Brien County’s citizens and visitors were treated to an enjoyable, educational and exceptional experience all week long. The fair board and volunteers, with an assist from comfortable weather, did a wonderful job. Numerous 4-H and FFA alumni attended festivities throughout the special week. As coordinators (Carol McDowell and Ardith Evenson) of the first ever “Traditional Cinnamon Roll Contest” held Wednesday, July 24, we extend a heartfelt tha...
We packed up the SUV and headed to the Black Hills late last month. While it was nice to get away, I was more tired coming home than I was leaving. We visited some of the usual sites out there – Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park and other spots. It was beautiful, if not boiling hot. The car thermometer hit 110 degrees on the way out. Luckily the ol' A/C held up and didn't suffer the same fate as our unit at home. I hadn't been to Mount Rushmore in 24 years. I'm happy to report it is still t...
To the editor: When Mr. Trump was shot, Democrats spoke up to support him and his recovery. When news broke that President Biden had Covid and would need to be isolated, a word of support for the president’s recovery would have been appropriate. But Trump and his MAGA Republicans attacked him. The Republican Party with Mr. Trump as their leader has become mean, nasty and encourages violence toward those that disagree with them. So much for their rhetoric to unite the country. Shirley Mori Sorenson, West Des Moines...
To the editor: Last month, Summit Carbon Solutions received a conditional permit from the Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC) to construct a 680-mile CO2 pipeline across Iowa. The proposed pipeline, named the Midwest Carbon Express (MCE), will carry pressurized CO2 from ethanol plants across five Midwestern states to North Dakota where it will be permanently sequestered underground. The investment company will then earn billions of dollars annually in 45Q carbon tax credits. Summit recently filed additional applications with the IUC to bring 16...
What do you dream about? If you're like me, you don't remember dreams long enough to know what they're about. Sometimes my night dreams and daydreams run together, and then I really get confused! Hopefully I'm not the only one with these problems. I've been a daydreamer all my life. When I was in grade school, I often got in trouble for not paying attention to what was going on in class. I would sit there and try to listen to the teacher or work on an assignment, but something would invariably...
An unprecedented campaign got even wilder on Sunday when President Joe Biden withdrew from the race with less than four months to go. While the November election is still one big coin flip, Democrats from sea to shining sea are breathing a huge sigh of relief. Biden’s goose was cooked last month after a disastrous first debate with former president Donald Trump. To put it mildly, Biden seemed woefully out of his depth. Subsequent public appearances and TV interviews did little to soothe public opinion that the president is too old for four m...
I wouldn't consider myself overtly athletic at age 33. Lately, I've been putting that assertion to the test. The parks and rec board this month started a kickball league here in Hartley. Being the spouse of a board member, I was put on a team without my knowledge. I was perfectly fine with it, however, as it's been four years since I've stepped foot on a ball diamond in any competitive fashion. I used to play slow pitch softball in Ashton every Wednesday night during the summer. Unfortunately,...
Q: Why did you launch a congressional investigation just days after the assassination attempt? A: As Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, I’ve sent letters to the U.S. Secret Service, FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department to request records and responses regarding Saturday’s monumental security failure. I’m looking for answers regarding the Secret Service’s procedures leading up to, during and after the assassination attempt. I also called on the Departm...
Author’s Note: This is the seventh of a series of devotionals from Psalm 146. “The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners.” – Psalm 146:7c Freedom is on the minds of people everywhere; not just here in the United States, where certain freedoms are granted under the Constitution; however, freedom is what people desire no matter what country they live in or the circumstances they find themselves in. Sadly, looking to others for freedom oftentimes result in disappointment, leading to deeper bondage...
Former president Donald Trump escaped death by the thinnest of margins Saturday when a gunman narrowly missed his shot at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. Trump suffered an ear injury and two others were hurt during the assassination attempt, while another audience member was tragically killed. The attack was the first such on a sitting or former president since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981. Trump has remained defiant in the days since and hasn’t let the attempt on his life affect his schedule. With a bandage over his right ear, he a...
With the rain finally stopping and floodwaters receding, we've been left with rather healthy conditions for growing green things around these parts. I think you can both hear and see the corn growing these days if you concentrate hard enough. That also applies to the ever-healthy crop of weeds in my yard, particularly in my landscaping. I don't know how many hours I've spent yanking weeds and other unwanted vegetation this summer, but if my sore back is any indication, it's been quite a few....
