To the editor: As we celebrate the 2019 graduates, we need to remember that all over the United States, there will be seniors not graduating. And some, by choice, but others because they are part of a grim statistic. Every year in this country nearly 2,900 children and teens (ages 0 to 19) are shot…

To the editor: With the state focused on the flooding on both sides of the state, the Republican law makers wasted little time furthering their personal agendas and the interests of the industries they serve. The first thing done, under the clock of darkness, was to pass a provision which prevents utilities from voluntarily spending…

To the editor: Before relocating to Mount Ayr, Iowa my wife and I were reluctant (to say the least) to move to small town Iowa. This was primarily due to the fact that I am a city boy at heart, spending almost 40 years in the cities such as Des Moines, Rockford and Champagne, IL,…

To the editor: The 2019 session of the Iowa Legislature has closed and once again, they have not failed to disappoint. At the last minute on Friday, amendments were sneaked in when the Senate introduced what a Des Moines Register opinion writer called “encouraging teenage pregnancy” by removing federal funding from Planned Parenthood’s program to…

To the editor: I have often spoken out about “whackadoo” ideas and the recent upsurge of the anti vaccine movement seems misinformed or just plain crazy [and thanks to social media there is a lot of that going around]. The truth is that “vaccinations are one of the most important measures of preventive medicine to…

To the editor: Is a co-op lineworker career in your future? Those of us who work for electric cooperatives pride ourselves on powering lives and empowering communities, but we tend to shy away from boasting about the great career opportunities that co-ops provide. For decades, Southwest Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative with offices in Corning, Mount…

To the editor: In a recent “Legislative Coffee” State Senator Mark Costello responded to comments regarding the failing privatization of Medicaid as just a political ploy by Democrats. That, in fact, the privatization is a great success.  He was wrong on both counts. It is true Iowa Democrats were, and still are, against the privatization.…

To the editor: This has been another “whackadoo” week, i.e. nutty or just plain crazy, in American politics.  On the congressional level, 4th District Congressman Steve King, Iowa’s long time national embarrassment, spouting off about what would happen if Red States and Blue States were involved in another Civil War.  Sorry, Steve, really glad you…

To the editor I just want to give a big old great job slap on the back to the guys at the secondary road crew. This winter has been never ending with more on the way, maybe not the worst I’ve seen but bad none the less. Only a handful of people know what they…

Letter to the Editor, While the letter addressed to the Board of Supervisors in response to a letter written by the Iowa DOT dated December 14, 2018 has a lot of good information in it, we are already aware of the code sections pertaining to a county engineer, having gone through the hiring process in…