Opinion

By Kevin KinneyIowa's lack of mental health care is a leading worry for the majority of Iowans. The recent Iowa Poll shows that almost all of us believe there are problems with our state's mental health care system. New recommendations from a Complex Needs Workgroup will help address Iowa's mental health concerns. The goal is to provide the right services at the right time to those struggling with severe, ...

By Curt SwarmIt's been a tough winter. But tough winters, with the accompanying housebound syndrome and flu, is perfect for you know what?yes, reading!Here's my recommendation for keeping the howling north wind and frigid temperatures at bay, ?Grant,? by Ron Chernow.I read Chernow's ?Hamilton? and ?Washington,? so it was only fair that I should follow up with ?Grant.? It's 1,100 pages long. No fooling. It took ...

By Curt SwarmBuffy is the Bully of our 13 hens.We call her Buffy because she has a buff tail. We inherited Buffy and Red from a person who didn't want to keep Buffy and Red through the winter.Therefore, Buffy and Red are ?adopted? hens. Buffy and Red stick together. The other 11 hens may be off in the garden somewhere, while Buffy and Red are beside each other in the mulch. Buffy may be a bully because she she ...

By Senator Charles GrassleyWith Congress at work on key priorities and the President spelling out his goals in the annual State of the Union address, I'm focused on a number of initiatives for Iowans and the nation.Last year marked many victories for Americans. The executive branch launched a regulatory reboot across the federal bureaucracy to remove unnecessary layers of red tape that were stalling innovation, ...

To the Editor:A while back I attended a memorial to Ione Burham, a lady and her husband I've had the pleasure of knowing for years. She was the most honest, educated, disciplined religious person. When she spoke or wrote, she had the facts. The stories she wrote or told weren't bent or distorted to please someone.If you missed the service you missed a lost music art. The bell ringers who gathered, students she ...

To the editor:The board of directors and staff of the Lord?s Cupboard of Jefferson County would like to thank the community for contributing to the success of the annual Christmas Box program. We are truly grateful to the countless volunteers who helped and to live in such a supportive community.We would like to thank all those who contributed time, talent, and treasure, including First Church of the Nazarene ...

To the editor:The city of Fairfield recently completed a major trail maintenance project. The City Streets and Park and Recreation Departments worked with Bob Brown Excavating and the Jefferson County Roads Department to complete the project. The project consisted of laying a new two-inch lift of granular surfacing on segments of the Fairfield Loop Trail from Eighth and Gear Streets east to Walton Road. In ...

To the Editor: We would like to thank all those responsible for helping to initiate and facilitate the Main Street Program coming to Washington. Many thanks to all the individuals, groups and businesses who have helped Washington to continue to be a Main Street community for its 10 years!The Main Street Program, its director (now Sarah Grunewaldt), its board and its hundreds of volunteers have helped Washington...

By Kevin KinneyJanuary is Human Trafficking Prevention Month. As a deputy sheriff, I worked to stop human trafficking for many years. It's a tragic crime that destroys lives.Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery. It happens throughout the country, including in Iowa, which is at the busy crossroads of I-80 and I-35.Numbers are on the rise, with thousands of cases of human trafficking across America ...

To the Editor:Ione in her letters to the editor, conversations and good works proudly showed her principles for all to see and hear. She was a hard worker, and a righteous woman with high moral character, with a good sense of what good behavior was. Thus, truth mattered and lies were abhorrent.She was never afraid to speak her mind. She called out the bad behavior and lies easily. She never flinched, it was her ...

Because of Donald Kaul, I'm a columnist today.Donald Kaul was a columnist for the Des Moines Register and Tribune back in the 60s and 70s. I was an English major at Iowa State University, living in a roach infested apartment on Lincoln Way in Campus Town. My roommates and I would start the day off by skipping class, nursing hangovers, drinking coffee at the L-Way Cafe and discussing Kaul's column, ?Over the ...

Grateful forthe LightMy husband and I are grateful for and humbled by the kindness demonstrated by so many on Monday and Tuesday of this week when an unfortunate, scary incident happened that led to some injuries and one of our dogs being lost for a night. Even though the event was traumatic, we will mainly think of those seemingly endless hours as an affirmation of all the light we are surrounded by in this ...