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Letters to Editor

Tell Feenstra the people of Ukraine still need help

To the editor: As I write, it is day 776 of Russia’s war against the people of the sovereign nation of Ukraine. The Kyiv Independent reports that Ukrainian air defense units destroyed all 20 Shahed-type drones that Russia launched overnight and seaborne Ukraine forces have retaken a set of Black Sea oil drilling platforms severely crippling Russia’s reconnaissance capability in the Black Sea. It is not due to a lack of courage or skill that Ukraine forces cannot stop the slow but steady advancement of the Russians against civilian targets — it is about a lack of basic ...

Astonished at the mayor’s comments during splash pad meeting

To the editor: I would like to share a few comments about the Webster City council meeting on February 5th. Community members were allowed to express their comments/concerns about the splash pad project. Multiple community members, including several high school students, expressed their reasons for not being in favor of the project. Several expressed their concern of wasting water, a very valid concern, in my opinion. Mayor (John) Hawkins said, “we waste water anyway.” Then with a smirk, he stated, “It will run to the river and there will be a little more water for those who ...

Say no to Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed expansion

To the editor: More Iowa landowners: Are you ready for a dangerous CO2 pipeline to go through YOUR land, through YOUR backyard, across the fenceline from YOU (your home, your school, your business, your hospital), near YOUR community? Summit Carbon Solutions is attempting to expand its range. Recently POET signed a partnership: Those sites would extend Summit’s footprint into at least seven new counties in Iowa, but the precise routes of those extensions are not yet clear. "The company could not immediately provide an estimate of how many additional miles of pipe will be ...

Cities are not prepared to replace local library boards

To the editor: Iowans before us understood why the legal liabilities and complex policies inherent to library (First Amendment) services require specific and robust management to successfully steward collections, programs, and spaces which are openly and freely used by the public. Senate Study Bill 3131 transfers oversight, power, and property of public library boards to their cities. Our cities are not prepared neither will they be additionally resourced to tackle the work of over 500 public library boards around the state. Iowans before us recognized how robust libraries ...

Learn about AEA before changing it

To the Editor; Even though I’ve lived out of state for several years I still keep tabs on happenings in my home state and home town (Webster City). Having worked for the local Area Education Agency (5) in the past, I was troubled to learn of the proposed legislation to (basically) decimate that agency system and the quality services it provides to the education community in the state, including Hamilton County. The best argument I’ve seen in opposition to that was recently written by a professional colleague of mine, Randy Allison, who worked for AEA 11 in Johnston. As Randy ...

An open letter to Iowa state senators and representatives regarding the AEA system

An open letter to Iowa State Senators and Representatives regarding the AEA System: My name is David Tilly and I was the deputy director at the Iowa Department of Education (IDE) between 2012 and 2020. I administered the state education budget for PK-12 Education at the IDE during those years, and I managed all of the Department’s PK-12 programs and staff. I am a special educator by training (my Ph.D. is in School Psychology) and I worked for over 30 years in Iowa at all levels of the education system. Through these experiences, I learned quite a bit about how Iowa’s education ...