Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
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To the editor: What does a safe community mean to you? Is it a small town where you know everyone? Is it feeling comfortable enough to leave your vehicle unlocked and the keys in it? Is it leaving your house unlocked? Is it having sidewalks that you can safely walk on? Is it having good roads? Is it having a library you can go to? Is it having quality services within the community? Is it having local law enforcement? Is it having a park you can enjoy? Is it knowing your children or loved ones can safely be out in public and not be afraid of...
To the editor: I write in full support of the candidacy of Dave Rowley for state senator. During my time in the legislature, I have had the opportunity of working with a wide variety of people. The most successful legislators have a fluid working relationship with their Senator. Bills go through the House and already have an advocate in the Senate. It can be done if there are differences, but it just takes longer and is harder. Rep. John Wills and I need a teammate on the other side of the Rotunda. I know that Dave can be that teammate. I have...
Like a re-occurring nightmare, I found myself up there again last weekend. The wind blasted my face as I clung to a teetering ladder clipping Christmas lights to the gutters. Light by light and foot by foot, I made my way around the house throughout the afternoon. The sun set just in time to reveal how many lights had broken during the installation process. What was the point of even checking them beforehand? I swore I'd never do it again. After going through the hassle last year, I vowed to...
Every Christmas movie on television has a perfect Christmas tree. Usually the tree is live, rather than artificial, and it comes from a tree farm or a downtown tree lot. The trees are somehow perfectly shaped to fit into the house, and beautiful ornaments and lights are waiting for their arrival. Hot cocoa and cookies complete the perfect holiday ensemble. After the star is placed on top, the people look out the window to see snowflakes floating in the air. You can almost hear Bing Crosby...
I’ve been ill lately. Some of it strep throat and caring for sick babies, and now an unknown back injury we are trying to properly diagnose. I’ve been down for the count for two weeks off and on, which has created quite a stir in my routine. Daily workouts look a lot different, cat naps are more frequent and pain relievers are administered whenever able. “Taking it easy” and “listening to my body” have been at the top of the to-do list. “Taking it easy” doesn’t come easy when you are owner/ope...
Today marks our annual celebration of the men and women who so selflessly served the country as members of the United States Armed Forces. Veterans Day is an important holiday, and one that every freedom-loving American should acknowledge. Sometimes it's easy to ignore occasions like this one. People are busy, work is hectic and there's just simply too much else going on. However, all of those excuses seem futile when you really stop and think about it. Our veterans gave us a commitment that's...
I have a friend who hates the weather every time the temperature falls below 70 degrees. It’s a small wonder he’s lived in Iowa his whole life. Summer is the only season he enjoys. He’s wrong, of course, because fall is the best time of the year. I can’t find a single fault with autumn’s charm. The trees are shedding their colorful foliage, front porches are decked out in pumpkins and other decor, and the weather is perfect. Like any sane individual, I enjoy stepping outside and not needing a shower after two minutes because of the humidity. My...
To the editor: Many Iowans are unaware of a plan by Summit Carbon Solutions to run a buried CO2 pipeline through 31 counties. The fact that the proposed route passes near populated areas raises concerns about public safety. The company claims, “Safety is and always will be our top priority,” but downplays the dangers of liquid CO2. This CO2 is not a harmless gas. In order to flow through a pipeline, it must be compressed under supercritical pressure into a liquid form. Liquid CO2 is an asphyxiant and caustic agent, rated toxic and haz...
The requirements for becoming a teacher were always straightforward: Earn a college degree in education, take enough classes in your area of specialty, practice your teaching skills for a semester as a student teacher. Politicians have added a new skill this year in some states: Be a mind reader. That’s what teachers in a Texas school district concluded recently after receiving guidance for how to comply with a law passed this summer by the Texas Legislature and signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. The law, known as H.B. 3979, restricts how t...
When we first got Heidi, our chocolate Labrador, she learned quickly not to get too close to either our horses or our barn cats. After a few close misses with our most aggressive horse, she learned not to go into their pasture when they were outside. It was fine to go along with us when we were riding, but don’t invade their territory. Likewise, after a few encounters with out barn cats, she learned not to go in the barn unless we were with her. If we were in the barn, the aggressive cats would...
I’ll never understand why people get so mad at social media platforms. You have to voluntarily sign up for them, and doing so puts you under their terms and conditions. It also subjects you to the idiocy, lies and unrestrained vitriol that have become the bread and butter of these platforms. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and their ilk can even censor you for reposting the aforementioned garbage, which leads to more hate and bitterness strewn throughout each person’s feed – a snake eating its own tail if I’ve ever seen one. If you’re the kind of...
The University of Iowa turned heads last month when it announced it would become the first Power Five conference school to add women's wrestling as a scholarship sport. The move is a landmark win for the sport, and it creates added momentum for the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) to sanction wrestling at the high school level. Though the UI may be the first "big" school to bring on women's wrestling, it's hardly the first post-secondary institution to do so. More than 125 schools...
As Cheri and I are closing in on our 50th anniversary, I have been reflecting on what has kept us together all these years. Here are some tips I have learned over the past five decades. 1. Your wife is always right (even if she isn’t). 2. The most important words in your vocabulary need to be, “Yes, Dear.” 3. No matter how difficult it may be, try to never go to bed angry at each other. 4. The dog belongs to both of you, so you need to take your responsibility. For me, that’s four walks per day...
This week provides local students, businesses and workers an opportunity to brush up on their safety skills during National Fire Prevention Week. The annual event focuses on raising awareness about what to do when the unthinkable happens, but it also gives us the chance to commend area emergency personnel for their service to the community. It's easy to forget about them. After all, it's not every day we have an emergency. However, the selfless commitment these men and women give to our...
Personal expectations for my favorite sports teams usually sit somewhere between “middling” and “low.” This is a rather pitiful mechanism of self-protection: When they do well, I’m surprised; when they do poorly, that’s what I thought would happen. Accordingly, you can imagine how thrilled I’ve been with the recent success of the Iowa Hawkeyes. Our 5-0 football team is ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll and has a tenacious defense capable of putting any team in the cellar for four quarters. With a massive matchup against No. 4 Penn State in Iowa City...
To the editor: We want to thank the citizens of Everly for your true Iowa spirit demonstrated by your acceptance and kindness to a stranger. I am referring to a recent member of your community, Steve Slater. Steve was a cousin to my husband, Gerry. Steve passed away in June and is now a resident of heaven. Steve lived in New Hampshire for many years and fought the crowds and the rat race traffic on a daily basis. Four years ago, Steve spent his vacation with us. He loved the rural atmosphere, the friendliness that was expressed by the guys he...
To the editor: As a young lieutenant, my father, V. LeRoy McCarty, led his men off the D-Day beach and on, behind enemy lines. During the Battle of the Bulge, three of Dad’s men were captured by the Nazis. Fortunately, Dad and his men later liberated a concentration camp where his brother-soldiers were interred. Amidst the Vietnam involvement, my parents tied yellow ribbons on the trees to remind us to pray for a family member held in a prison camp. Why not reseed the policy and tie red ribbons, representing American flesh and blood, t...
I'm not an overly adventurous guy. I enjoy experiencing new things once in a while, but I generally stick to what I know. With that in mind, you can imagine how out of my element I was earlier this month driving the Hana Highway on Maui Island. Kaity and I decided to take the route during our honeymoon in Hawaii, and though it was beautiful, I bit off way more than I could chew. I had never heard of the thing until Kaity brought it up after we landed. Here's a brief description from the blog...
Expansion was Big 12’s only choice Sometimes you’re against the wall and the only way out is through it. Just ask the Big 12 Conference. The league, of which Iowa State is a member, was thrown into turmoil this summer when Oklahoma and Texas announced they would soon be fleeing to the money-green pastures of the Southeastern Conference. With bigger names and more TV revenue, the decision was driven completely by the almighty dollar. Both OU and UT already rake in cash and the opportunity to make more was simply too enticing to ignore. That lef...
There are a lot of things that grind my gears – my kids’ whining, my old house, crabgrass…the list is endless. But there are some things I tend to ruminate on more than others. Here, dear reader, is a small snippet from my long list. • Bathroom doors Contractors take note: When building a bathroom at a gas station, restaurant or anywhere the public uses the John, make sure the door opens out when exiting the facilities. Nothing makes my skin crawl more than when I’m at a truck stop washing my hands after doing my business, and then noticing...
The news out of Afghanistan last month about the terrorist bombing at the airport in Kabul brought fresh heartache – and old memories – to Iowa. A native of Red Oak, Marine Cpl. Daegan Page, 23, was among 13 members of the U.S. military who died in the blast. Page and the others were screening U.S. citizens and Afghanistan civilians heading to evacuation flights – among 120,000 people the United States and its allies have airlifted out of Afghanistan after its government collapsed following more...
It’s never good when you wake up to multiple missed calls from one person. When I saw I had two from my dad on Tuesday morning, I already knew what he was going to tell me before I swiped to call back. My grandpa, Robert Pedley, had passed away in his sleep that night at the age of 94. Though his health had been declining in recent months, you can never truly steel yourself for the loss of a loved one who’s been there your whole life. I’m not sad, though. My grandpa lived a long and fulfilling life. He never had it particularly easy, but he mad...
It's September and kids are back in school. As a retired high school teacher, I always feel nostalgic this time of year as I remember the students. When they stepped into the building, the halls came alive. Some were excited, some were more hesitant, and all were wondering what would be expected of them that year. Most would meet those expectations and others would struggle. Unfortunately, some would fail. It was those students, especially, that drew my attention, and I spent the final 15 years...
I generally despise traveling. Long road trips make me recoil, and plane rides have my legs feeling cramped before I even board the bird. Right now, though, I wish I was 35,000 miles above the ground. My and Kaity’s wedding date is fast approaching – Sept. 4 is right around the corner. Final plans are being wrapped up and arrangements made, but I’m lucky to remember what day it is each morning. There are too many balls in the air for my narrowly-focused brain to make sense of it all. I’m currently working on the Sept. 9 edition of the Sentinel-...
Marking a milestone at H-M-S Middle School It goes without saying that Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn’s new 5-8 grade building is night and day compared to its predecessor. A brief walk-through will reveal hulking ceilings, bright windows, open spaces and a gymnasium some area high schools would envy. Much like the district’s new elementary school, the place is a gem. The middle school’s opening put the coda on H-M-S’s $18.9 million facilities project, which in addition to both a new elementary and junior high, significantly upgraded the high school....
