Breaking News

Local Columns

Some mid-winter fishing thoughts

A glance out the window of my central Iowa home reminds me that this isn’t open water fishing season. The wind and snow limit visibility so travel isn’t recommended, and it’s too cold to leave the house anyway. It’s times like this that I daydream about fishing in warm weather. Following are some fishing things that have my attention. The more time that I spend on the water, the more I realize that the water has changed. In quite a few places, the water is clearer and the vegetation is deeper. Invasive species like zebra mussels have found homes in lakes where they didn’t ...

Putting students first in higher education policy

At Iowa Central Community College, our purpose is simple and student-centered: we want students to finish their degrees or certifications in the shortest time possible, with the least amount of student loan debt, so they can have a better life. This purpose helps us fulfill our mission by meeting Iowans where they are and preparing them for successful careers that strengthen our communities. That mission guided our participation when the Iowa Legislature asked community colleges to study whether offering bachelor’s degrees could help address unmet workforce and student needs. What we ...

The Lenten Season is near

It is hard to believe that the Lenten season is only a couple of weeks away. In the Catholic Liturgical Calendar, there are four Liturgical seasons: Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time, and Lent. Currently, the Church is in Ordinary Time, but we are quickly approaching Lent. Ash Wednesday, which is February 18, is the start of this especially important season. The Lenten season lasts from Ash Wednesday to the start of what is known as the Easter Triduum, which begins on the evening of Holy Thursday. Lent is more than just a season that leads to Easter; it is an invitation to break ...

It’s time to get re-wired

I have a confession to make. I don’t trust computers any more. Don’t get me wrong: I’m typing on one right now and I really appreciate many of the functions for writing and storing information. But I think we’ve gone too far. When I first started writing, I used a typewriter. An old fashioned, black, typewriter, probably an Underwood. It was the one my dad used for typing competitions in high school, back in the 1930s. You had to push hard, and change the ribbon. If you made a mistake you started over, or used a special eraser, but there was nothing more comforting than ...

Sit right down and write a letter

Back in 1935 when Fats Waller recorded “I’m Going to Sit Right Down and Right Myself a Letter” he had no idea that the written letter, a common means of communication for centuries, would be an endangered art form 90 years later. You don’t think so? How many handwritten personal letters have you received in the past week compared to, say, 40 years ago? Do you have an up-to-date postal mailing address book? I don’t. E-mail, text messaging and cheap long-distance calls have nearly eliminated handwritten letters. In my case, the exception to e-mail was an occasional letter to ...

The gift of music

It was a pleasure to sit in the school board meeting this past week and listen to the members applauding the efforts of the high school music instructors, Kaitlyn Abens, the high school band instructor and Aaron McCullough who is in charge of the vocal music department. This week, there was a post on social media with this message: You don't have to choose. You can do sports. You can do extracurriculars. You can participate in community activities. You can have a job. And you can do band while you do it. If you've ever had the desire to learn an instrument, join band. If your ...