Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
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To the editor: It’s getting time to put our mindset to school days coming. We need to look at helping the Hartley Community Daycare Center with a new building for the safety of the children and workers! When people are looking at our town to move to, they look at daycare, school system and housing. H-M-S has a great school system going, but we also need to help our daycare. Hartley is a great town for new families, and we need to HELP our daycare to be in a safe place and to be able to expand. Betty Walton, Everly...
g up in school, I showed some talent in writing essay questions, or even small story answers, but really never considered myself a writer. Poetry was much more significant as I literally hated the poetry we had to read in high school. The chances of me becoming a poet were an absolute zero in my mind. That all changed after we bought our first house in the country outside of Groton, S.D., while I still worked in Aberdeen. I was working full time for the railroad and was starting grad school at...
I often think I’m only good at putting a sentence together. Some weeks, even that’s suspect. Nonetheless, I’m regularly forced to put effort into obligations other than writing and this newspaper. At home, I’m in charge of the yard. Mowing, tree trimming, weed control and other standard chores fall under my belt. These things don’t require much effort and my caveman brain can usually handle it. Last week, though, it all came crashing down. I sprayed for weeds earlier this summer to great effect. They died like they always die, and the yard...
At long last, some positive pool news Remediation plan’s approval is first good news in a while The ribbon has yet to be cut, but Hartley’s never-open new pool appears to have some new life following a recent decision by a state board. The Iowa Electrical Examining Board (IEEB) last month approved a remediation plan submitted by the pool’s contractor to address issues that led to a failed electrical inspection last year. Whether the city moves forward with the plan remains to be seen, but there are at least flickers of light at the end of th...
With Gov. Kim Reynolds’ signature on each of the 2023 budget bills, the state’s spending plan for the new fiscal year is now set. The governor signed all of the Fiscal Year 2024 budget bills on June 1. She chose not to use her line item veto authority on any of the appropriations levels enacted by the General Assembly. The only item veto involved policy in the Judicial Branch appropriations bill. The section in question dealt with a situation in eastern Iowa where attorneys who do not pra...
These are challenging times for Iowa’s 327 public school districts. They are being watched closely by state officials and lawmakers, by parents and by others in the community. These eyes are looking for signs schools are treading lightly on topics like racial history and sexual orientation or that schools are being distracted from dealing with unruly kids who disrupt other students’ learning. With this heightened scrutiny, some districts are doing themselves a disservice when they try to kee...
To the editor: Much to the dismay of Summit Carbon Solutions, easements for over 1,000 parcels on its hazardous CO2 pipeline route remain unsigned. The clock is ticking, and time is running out. Construction is behind schedule, and the project is over budget. The company needs speedy approval to use eminent domain to take this property, and recent events signal the IUB is willing to oblige. The Procedural Schedule, filed June 16, 2023, indicates the board intends to rubber-stamp Summit’s application by favoring the pipeline company over Exhibit...
Time is something that is precisely defined yet hard to gauge. As a dad six years in, I’m wondering where it’s gone. Our firstborn, Oliver, came into this world on May 11, 2017. He was followed closely by his sister, Cecelia, on Oct. 18, 2018. They are getting older by the day and so am I, but it’s hard to put a stamp on that. Six whole years? Fatherhood has been the most challenging duty of my life. Many of you are better at it than me, and I’m continually wrapped in my own brain wondering if I’m doing it right. Who knows – some days are be...
Nothing is so perfect as an evening in June. I sit on my deck on the south shore of Silver Lake with a good book and a cold beverage. The lake is calm. The birds sing. A hummingbird whizzes by on his way to the feeder. There are no boats or jet skis racing by. None of the neighbors are outside talking. No kids are swimming. No one is playing fetch with their dog. A lone duck quacks from the shoreline as he slips into the water. It is rare to see a duck here. Usually there are geese or pelicans. The sun is a bright fuchsia red ball as it sinks s...
Washington is borrowing money from China to pay for pointless projects in China. You read that right! Since 2017, more than $1.3 billion U.S. tax dollars have been sent to our adversaries, Russia and China. It’s a scary thought, but this sum likely doesn’t reflect the total amount because federal agencies do not follow the trail of tax dollars to their final destination. What we do know is your tax dollars have left the country and gone straight into adversarial countries. Just a few of the poi...
As a father of four, ensuring that our kids receive a quality education is a top priority for me. From trade schools to four-year universities, our great state offers our students many opportunities to further their education, develop the skills they need to enter the workforce, and live fulfilling lives. I am also proud that Iowa – particularly the Fourth Congressional District – is home to phenomenal community colleges that prepare our students for whatever the future holds. These local instit...
To the editor: I would like to express my appreciation for the editorial regarding Gov. Reynolds and the Republican legislators’ target on Rob Sand (auditor’s office), a Democrat. It was well stated and should be a concern of all Iowans. Our democracy depends on a two-party system. It would appear that in Iowa the Republican Party wants to be dictators. Thank you for your well-written editorial. Shirley Mori Sorenson, West Des Moines...
Suffice it to say, Iowa Republicans had a “great” legislative session in 2023. With suffocating majorities in both chambers and a friendly face in the governor’s office, the GOP had little trouble pushing through its agenda with ease. Bills forcing taxpayer dollars to be used on private K-12 education and other school-related changes faced little chance at being stopped. Other issues of monumental importance to Republicans in 2023 – like book bans, transgender-related legislation and loosened child labor laws – also topped the list. And then...
I’m not good at building things – even when I help my son with a LEGO set I’m bound to fudge it up once or twice. Though my handyman skills are nil, I can sure break things. I can do it without even trying, too – just this week I broke the laminate edge off the corner of a countertop when it hooked my hip while I was walking by. This “talent” is only helpful on projects that require demolition. Though I haven’t broken out the sledgehammer since we’ve moved to Hartley, I have been busy slamming my trees, shrubs and other vegetation with...
It's that time of year again, my favorite weekend of the year. I dubbed it Curbside Supply a long time ago. In fact I used to call the city clerk's office to inquire when it would be. At first she was puzzled until I could explain. The next time I called she knew exactly what I was calling about. We went to Worthington the other day for Bruce's physical therapy. When we pulled into town, I noticed lots of trash and other stuff out at the curb. I got so excited and told Bruce, " Look – C...
The governor recently signed Senate File 542, which makes updates to Iowa’s youth employment laws. This bill changed significantly in its journey through the Legislature. This bill was developed with Iowa Workforce Development and Iowa businesses, including grocery stores and restaurants, which hire many individuals under 18. This bill went through many changes throughout the process, including incorporating changes suggested by the labor unions, the bar association and House Democrats. It s...
On July 1, 2020, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) – which was signed into law nearly two years earlier – entered into force, formally replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). True to its original intent, this law reduced trade barriers for our farmers, opened new markets for American agricultural exports, and established a revitalized framework for free and fair trade between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. To date, Mexico and Canada remain our nat...
How blessed am I to get to mourn in this way, To grieve for the loss of a bright yesterday, To not have to wonder where he's gone or has been, To imagine his new form, running free once again, Sitting on the crick bank with his sisters and his friends, Holding his sweet grand babe, his deep joy shall not end, We don't know how to feel as we wipe away the tears, The Heavens rejoice as we reminisce our years, We think about our lifetime with such a wonderful man, And we rest assured in God's...
Some things in life just seem to run their course. I don’t know why that happens, but it does. I’ve noticed I have a lot more aches and pains as I age, and things just aren’t as important to me as they once were. With those thoughts in mind, I decided not to work at high school track meets anymore. I’ve always been a sports fan and have enjoyed watching sports on all levels. I didn’t participate in many sports growing up, simply because organized sports weren’t part of the curriculum at the paro...
There are many amazing people that have been impacted by Clay Central/Everly as a school system over many years. Students, staff and community members from the entire district have proudly been a part of this school family for decades, and have cheered "Go Mavericks!" together in unity through the good times and the bad times. CC/E has had its fair share of struggles – you might even call some of the unfortunate events forest fires. Despite those struggles, patrons have rallied together to m...
With the recitation of a few speeches and the tossing of mortarboards, the Class of 2023 will be sent into the "real world" this weekend. Local seniors from throughout the area will gather in their respective gymnasiums with fellow classmates, teachers and family members for one final sendoff before they start the next chapter of their lives. Graduation Day is always a bittersweet event. It's a celebration marking an end to the many years of hard work our local students have put into their...
Prom season is upon us, and I can say with certainty that proms have changed since my high school days. Securing just the right dress is of major importance. I was invited to go with my granddaughter, Emma, when she shopped for her dress. Can I say that I had sticker shock at the price of these beautiful gowns? Long dresses are in vogue again and the choices were shimmering either with sequins or with shiny fabric. They were strapless, one shouldered, backless, very low cut in front, or...
It doesn’t take long to find someone who doesn’t like The Media. Conservatives despise CNN. Liberals hate Fox. All the while, there are a million offshoots placating everyone’s political ideologies and affirming that what they believe is right. Social media fuels the fire, allowing endless opportunities for people to share supercharged takes and baseless lies. There was a brief break in the cycle last week, however. Fox News settled a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems worth $787.5 million over lies the network propagated durin...
To the editor: Chicago-style politics are playing out in the Iowa Legislature where the CO2 pipeline mafia has blocked all legislation designed to rein in the use of eminent domain for one of the biggest land-grabs in American history. Without eminent domain, the hazardous liquid CO2 pipelines cannot gain access to thousands of acres of private land on the 1,800-mile route crisscrossing Iowa. The CO2 pipeline mafia needs private property for a $5.5 billion-dollar, taxpayer-funded carbon capture and sequestration scheme. Many landowners signed...
Iowa law requires that all residential property be reassessed every two years on the odd numbered year by the county assessor. That means Iowans had their homes reassessed this year. When talking about assessing a home – what is really being talking about is the determination of market value. The law in Iowa is that assessed value is market value. The assessor finds the market value by analyzing recent sales, but also looks at the replacement cost (the amount it would cost to rebuild the p...
