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An Open Letter to Governor Kim Reynolds

Letters to Editor

Dear Governor Reynolds, The picture of you and your grief-stricken face at the press conference in Perry on Thursday reflects the pain and shock all Iowans feel at the horror of the school shooting there. You graciously pledged at that press conference to provide the “full resources of the state government to provide support” to the Perry community for its healing. Did you mean it? Are you sincere? If so, prove it. Prove it to the young people who all of a sudden have been forced to grow up too soon to what hatred can do. Prove it to the hurting families in Perry. Prove ...

Understanding life backwards

Local Columns

Danish theologian and philosopher Søren Kierkegaard observed, “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” I’ve been thinking about that concept all week. Fifty years ago this month my wife, our one-year-old son and I moved from a community we loved to a city nearly three hours away. I moved to Webster City, Iowa, in October 1967. Two years later I married Cindy Fisher, a Webster City native. The next summer we purchased a modest house and settled down to a life we enjoyed. Cindy worked full-time until our son was born in December 1972. While we ...

Way, way too close to home

Local Columns

You'll recognize these words. I'm going to run this until somewhere, someone grows a spine. I'm going to run these words over and over until the people who imagine they are in power can understand that with power comes responsibility. I'm going to publish this column until we are sick of it in the way that we are sick of violent and needless death. To our politicians: Find a way to work together. And stop telling us you're praying. Jesus taught, “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by ...

It's good to be back in 'Our Neighborhood'

Local Columns

In early November I had to have a knee replaced. During the recovery period following surgery, my mind was a complete fog (even more than usual); between drugs for the pain and the focus I put toward rehabilitation, it just didn’t feel normal trying to write. I was able to continue research, though walks through Graceland had to be put on hold for a time. What I began to study led me to a new adventure; I’m beginning work on a new novel about the Dragoons and their trek through Iowa in the 1830s. At first, I convinced myself that this would be of more value than continuing “Our ...

Random thoughts about the new year

Local Columns

Here it is — a brand new year. Yippee! Every January 1 brings back memories of New Years 2000 and the Y2K scare. Readers of sufficient age should remember all the anxiety that was wasted in 1999 as some folks thought the world was coming to an end (or something similarly calamitous) on January 1, 2000. Of course, radio talk show Chicken Littles added to the apprehension with fear-laden predications of what would happen when our computers failed at 12 a.m. on January 1. There were predictions we wouldn’t be able to withdraw funds from ATMs, buy groceries or gasoline and other ...

Crimestoppers could use the community's support

Letters to Editor

To the editor: Season’s Greetings from Hamilton County Crimestoppers! In this season of giving and goodwill here is something everyone can do to help create safer communities in our county: Support Hamilton County Crimestoppers! Since 2011 Hamilton County Crimestoppers has worked with law enforcement to keep our communities safe by securing sponsors for our P3 anonymous tip-line, raising funds to offer rewards for individuals listed on the “Most-Wanted” poster, and maintaining a website and very active Facebook page to keep the public informed of our work. Since 2011 the ...