Category Archives: Opinion

My wife and 13 or 14 of her female cousins went to Las Vegas last week. They met each other (several for the first time). She asked if I wanted to go along. Then she changed her mind and said I could not go. Boy, did that hurt my feelings. All was good until I was...

Dear Editor, Iowa is currently ranked second to last in the nation in animal-welfare related laws and second in the nation for puppy mills. In 2015, over half of them were cited for violations to the Animal Welfare Act. The Senate has approved a bill that would help protect the over 15,000 adult dogs currently housed...

40 years ago (1976) The youth group of Sully First Reformed Church sponsored a “slave auction.” The young people were available to be hired out on that day. The wages were given to charity. From “Remember When:” The Old Settlers Picnic was held each summer at Lynnville. A special train made the trip from Oskaloosa to Newton...

Nearly every holiday we celebrate starts with a story. That story gets told throughout the years until it becomes legend, at which point people decide the legend is worthy of celebration. Somewhere on the way to legendary status, the original story often gets embellished to the point where it becomes difficult to separate truth from...

Over 100 years ago on Mar. 6, 1912, Oreo cookies were sold for the first time. Thus began the argument about the best way to eat an Oreo. Do you go for the cream first or bite the whole cookie when eating the best-selling cookie in the world? We are set in our ways about how...

Dear Editor: Every August, the Iowa State Fair has the honor of hosting more than one million people at the historic 450-acre Iowa State Fairgrounds. The Iowa State Fair continues to attract people from all over the world and truly showcases Iowa's best in agriculture, industry, entertainment, and achievement. The Iowa State Fair is an American...

Eighty-five years ago on Mar. 3, 1931, “The Star-Spangled Banner” officially became the national anthem of the United States of America. It was written by Francis Scott Key. National Anthem Day celebrates this song and the rich history behind its creation. Celebrate today by proudly flying the flag or listen to and sing “The Star-Spangled...