Columns/Opinions

Tue
23
Jan

A Fountain of Joy

A Fountain of Joy

By Garry Birth

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. John 15:11

We are nearly a month into this new year of 2024. How is it going for you? Have you continued to have the stress and distress of the old year that has passed? Or have you found joy in the new year, the days, and hours, and minutes that God has placed before you?

Tue
23
Jan

Open forum

Open forum

      On Tuesday, Jan. 9, Governor Reynolds delivered her Condition of the State Address. In this address, she unveiled her plans for Iowa’s Area Education Agencies (AEA’S), with a goal of shifting the nine agencies' focus to solely be on Special Education Services. Although, AEA’s do provide these services to school districts and families throughout the great state of Iowa, there is so much more that the AEA’s provide as support to Iowa’s education system.

      Before starting at Heartland AEA, I admit that I knew very little about the agency. Sure, I knew that they were there to support special education students; however, as I’ve spent the past five years of my career with Heartland, my eyes have been opened to the good work all AEA’s do throughout the state. My hope is that by the end of this article, I can share the reasons why it is so important to keep our AEA’s intact and continue doing their good work throughout Iowa’s school districts.

Tue
23
Jan

Greetings from the Statehouse

Representative Michael Bergan met with Fayette County Economic Development and Tourism Director Mallory Hanson last week in Des Moines (Photo submitted)

Greetings from the Statehouse

By Representative Michael Bergan

      The second week of session has been shorter than usual with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and winter weather influencing travel and scheduling.  The workload has ramped up for me with the release of the Governor’s recommended budget. 

      As a member of the Appropriations Committee and chair of the Administration and Regulation Appropriations Subcommittee, I have begun a series of meetings with department directors, commissioners and state-wide elected officials covering 13 budgets. Our initial meeting included presentations by IPERS Chief Executive Officer Gregory Samorajski and Secretary of State Paul Pate on their budget requests for FY 2025.

      The filing of several bills also affected the workload, as the bills are assigned to committees and subcommittees are assigned.  A bill that has generated a lot of attention is HSB 542, assigned to the Education Committee.  The bill increases starting teacher pay by 50% to $50,000 annually. The bill also restructures regional Area Education Agencies and delivery of Special Education and other services, providing individual school districts more flexibility in their own role in meeting educational needs in their districts. 

      I have received dozens of emails and phone calls from constituents with concerns over the proposed changes to AEAs and the disruption that is anticipated and feared. Many of the emails share information on Keystone AEA, their services, and testimony to the value of the services received by area schools, teachers, and students. 

 

Tue
16
Jan

Tribes of the Turkey River

Tribes of the Turkey River

By Terry Landsgaard

     There were several forms or types of clubs used in defense or other purposes.

One tribe favored placing a stone in a hide bag and attaching it to a 2-foot-long stick or pole.  The hide bag didn't fit tightly around the stone, so the stone shifted in its bag.

     Another tribe wrapped a 2-pound stone in hide and attached it to a stick that could be whirled around because the stick had been attached to a wrist thong that would allow that type of club action.

Tue
16
Jan

You become what you worship

You become what you worship

By Rev. Ralph Davis

In the Church, there is a phrase in Latin that goes “Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi.”  Translated it means “The law of praying is the law of the believing.”  Some more recent translations go with “As we pray, so we believe.”  In effect, it means that how we pray (and worship) our Lord Jesus Christ will ultimately dictate what we believe about Him and His teachings. 

Tue
09
Jan

Tribes of the Turkey River

Tribes of the Turkey River

By Terry Landsgaard
I have not mentioned materials that have both a defensive and domestic purpose but now it is time.

One of the primary multipurpose objects used by Native American is the lance.  Lances could be straight poles which have a sharp stone or metal head.  These lances were used for the hunting of bison and other large animals like elk, deer, moose, bear.  The large animal was dispatched by thrusting the lance into the animal as the hunter rode alongside the prey. Or, in other cases, the hunter would lie in wait for the animal in dense cover or camouflage. 

Tue
09
Jan

Accountable to God and Posterity: Choosing Wisely as Christians in the 2024 Caucus and General Election

Choosing wisely as Christians in the 2024 caucus and general election

By Pastor Ethan Bogan
Separation of Church and State is a phrase we are all familiar with. As a pastor, I frequently hear it used as a proverbial cudgel to beat American Christians into a sense of silence and apathy regarding the political landscape of their communities, states, and nation. After all, it is the law of the land, right? Wrong. The phrase separation of Church and State is absent not only in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, but also in America’s founding documents. Instead, it comes from an 1802 letter written by President Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association, whereby he assures the association that the First Amendment, that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” guarantees a “wall of separation between Church and State.” In other words, separation of Church and State does not exist to keep the Church out of the State, but the State out of the Church.

Tue
09
Jan

Guest column: Sue Wolf

Guest Column
The Giver of Gifts

By Sue Wolf

      In gathering my thoughts to write my own tribute to Jerry Blue, I was searching for just the right way to describe Jerry. Then I received my Dec. 27 Union Echo Leader, and on the front page, there it was: Remembering Jerry Blue…The Heartbeat of West Union.  Perfect!

      Mike Van Sickle’s article and personal tribute to Jerry brought tears to my eyes. Having worked for and with Jerry for 19 years myself, I found myself nodding in agreement with so many of Mike’s reflections, which mirrored many of my own experiences with Jerry. Now I’d like to share my additional thoughts.

      I believe each of us is blessed with a gift, or some who are especially fortunate are blessed with several. To me, Jerry Blue’s gift was his love of people, and he shared that gift in a multitude of ways, whether that be with friends or strangers.

The Gift of Generosity

Tue
02
Jan

Letter to the editor

Letter to the editor

      “Dr.” Chad Ingels is not an OB-GYN doctor but plays one in the Iowa Legislature.

      As such, by the laws he helped pass, he has put himself in position to stand by your doctor’s side, tapping them on the shoulder, and forcefully reminding them that he is here to help. He will be the ultimate guide in your treatment…..helping by impacting the courses of treatment that he has now denied to you.

      Iowa is at or near the bottom when it comes to OB-GYNs per 1,000 women of childbearing age. It is a good thing that “Dr.” Chad and his fellow Republican legislators have stepped up and are willing to pick up the slack. Who wouldn’t want a politician to be intimately involved in their health care? Who wouldn’t want, as your only choice, to see a witch doctor or a politician when your pregnancy heads south?

      You can take great comfort from knowing that “Dr.” Chad knows best.

Tue
02
Jan

Tribes of the Turkey River

Tribes of the Turkey River

By Terry Landsgaard

I have not mentioned materials that have both a defensive and domestic purpose but now it is time.

One of the primary multipurpose objects used by Native American is the lance.  Lances could be straight poles which have a sharp stone or metal head.  These lances were used for the hunting of bison and other large animals like elk, deer, moose, bear.  The large animal was dispatched by thrusting the lance into the animal as the hunter rode alongside the prey. Or, in other cases, the hunter would lie in wait for the animal in dense cover or camouflage. 

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