Obituaries

When did it become more acceptable to be a sexual predator than a woman?The quandary has been quietly lurking in the back of my brain, querulously waiting to be addressed ever since I saw a sign begging the same question during the Women?s March in January.In the same month, The New York Times reported Bill O?Reilly and 21st Century Fox, the parent company of Fox News where ?The O?Reilly Factor? has been a ...

By Curt Swarm Big news on the Empty Nest Farm! This February, during one of our warm spells, I found what appeared to be a leafy cocoon or chrysalis under our maple tree.It was about as large as my thumb, and seemed to have two twigs poking out of one end. When I picked it up, I could feel movement inside. I laid it down on the picnic table in the unusually warm winter sun, reminiscent of Indian Summer, and ...

Each Tuesday during the session of the Iowa Legislature, the Legislative Services Agency (LSA) produces a short article entitled ?Pieces of Iowa?s Past.?I enjoy history, moreso as I grow older. I am starting to think there is a correlation between age and enjoyment of history.Recently, Pieces of Iowa?s Past featured an article on Frontier Politics, which included Mt. Pleasant?s James Harlan (more on that ...

By Bryce Kelly, Mt. Pleasant News It?s spring and that means spring cleaning is afoot. Hooray!Now, for all you super cleaners and organizers out there, I?d like to share a precautionary tale with you when it comes to tackling that garage or shed of yours. After a long winter, it?s no secret that the amount of dust, dirt and grime that has accumulated from December to now is probably pretty thick ? as is the ...

By Karyn Spory There are some people who come into your life and you can recall the exact moment you became friends. Then there are the friends who have been such a constant in your life that you can?t remember a time before them. And trying to imagine what life would be like without them would be like if the world existed without the color blue ? the sky would cease to be and the ocean would turn to a murky-gre...

By Andy Krutsinger,Mt. Pleasant News I?m a big Team U.S.A. hockey fan. Actually, I?m a pretty big America fan in general. But Team U.S.A. hockey is my personal favorite team to cheer for.So you could imagine my disappointment when NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said to U.S.A. Today on Tuesday, ?As things stand now, people should assume (NHL players) are not going,? to the 2018 winter Olympics in South Korea.No...

To the editor:We, the students in a Social Justice class at Iowa Wesleyan University, have taken great interest in Karyn Spory?s column ?A deadly relationship? that was published on March 10 about the death of Valerie Williams, a victim of domestic homicide. Not only is the column interesting from a reader?s standpoint, but it is also factual. We share Spory?s concern that funding must be available for programs ...

Sometimes you just need to be with people who get you ? or at least that?s how I have felt recently.Three years ago, I graduated college. I had been a Hannibal-LaGrange University student for four years. From 2010 to 2014, I ate, slept and breathed all things HLGU, and then in one day, it was gone.As it happens, all of my close gal pals from university live in different states now, and I went through a bit of ...

For as long as I can remember, I have been a dog fan of epic proportions. My family has always had dogs. Even most of my extended family are dog people. In fact, my passion for dogs is so great that I asked for an encyclopedia of dog breeds when I was in elementary school, and yes, I have read that thing cover to cover at least twice!Between working full-time and living in town on my own now, it isn?t wise for ...

Alright, alright, alright. It seems someone in Hollywood is finally making logical sense that I can actually get on board with.Since President Trump?s election win, some of his most outspoken skeptics have been Hollywood elites. From Madonna?s remarks at a recent Women?s March, to Super Bowl athletes refusing to meet with the newly elected president, and the countless other celebrity Tweets and online videos ...