Opinion
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Moving on to FY24
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 Jun...
Evans: School and state board blunder in major transparency case
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 l...
Due process in question at the Iowa Utilities Board
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 ove...
Pedley's Ponderings
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. The...
The Writer's Pen
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...
Ernst: Track down every last penny
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...
Feenstra: AgEd is a vital investment for Iowa, rural America
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 t...
Letters: The target on Sand's back
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 dem...
S-N Editorial
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 forci...
Pedley's Ponderings
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 laminat...
The Writer's Pen
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...
Update on the youth employment bill
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 w...
Protecting Iowa corn growers from Mexico's baseless attacks
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 Agr...
Bits 'n Pieces
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,...
The Writer's Pen
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 the...
Bits 'n Pieces
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...
S-N Editorial
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...
The Writer's Pen
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...
Pedley's Ponderings
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...
Letters: Chicago-style politics at the Iowa Capitol
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...
Jones: It's property tax time
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...
Pedley's Ponderings
With Easter behind us and warmer weather seemingly here to stay, I’m declaring Old Man Winter dead for the next seven months. This is the printed word and official now; no going back. What a bearcat the last four months have been. Early outs, snow d...
S-N Editorial
The best season in Iowa basketball history came to a heartbreaking end Sunday in Dallas. Hopes of a national title for the Hawkeye women came crashing down at the hands of LSU. The Black and Gold tallied 85 points in the matchup, but it was all for...
With parents' rights, Iowa Republicans giveth and taketh away when they want to
The Iowa Legislature and Gov. Kim Reynolds cannot seem to make up their minds whether they support parental rights or are against Mom and Dad being the decision-makers when it comes to their...
What I'm hearing from small business owners: Childcare
Traveling across the state, from River to River, I hear directly from working families who are looking for more childcare options and small business owners on a mission to find more employees. Childca...
