Opinion

The Iowa School Report Card was developed by the Iowa Department of Education in the last five years. It was designed to be an independent and non-bias evaluation of each of the buildings that provide education to Iowa youths. The site meets a legislative requirement and aligns with Department efforts to provide Iowans easier access to meaningful education statistics and to pair accountability and support for ...

submitted By Curt Swarm December 12th is hard for 62-year old Susie Clark. It's the date her teenage daughter, Lisa, passed away 15 years ago. Memories come flooding back, like the murky water spilling over the dam at Oakland Mills. It can be a Christmas tree ornament, or a note found from years past, or Christmas music that trigger the memories lying just beneath the surface.I published Susie Clark's story in ...

To the Editor:The general norm for Second Avenue is eastbound and westbound traffic stops at Second Avenue; northbound and southbound vehicles have the right of way.A few exceptions such as Van Buren Street, McCreedy Drive and Polk Street have stop signs on Second Avenue. Why should Second Avenue and Main Street be any different?I realize there is a bit of a blind spot, but two blocks north on Second Avenue, ...

By Pamela HolzIt stated with a simple question about turtles. While they hibernate in the mud at the bottom of ponds, they still need to breathe, right? So how can they, when they are technically under water for months?The answer, not so simple, is a combination of the nature of hibernation and turtles' unique adaptations.First, levels of hibernation can vary. Bear, for example, are light hibernators. They ...

Nearly a century ago, Sen. Thomas Hardwick sent a blue sheet of paper to the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee claiming that a nominee from his home state of Georgia was ?personally offensive and objectionable.?Nonetheless, the committee proceeded on the nomination and reported the nominee to the Senate floor.That blue sheet of paper was a part of a newly-adopted courtesy to get insights on federal ...

By Mike JorgensenWhen the Highland CSD School Board determined the goals for their five-year plan, ?Learning Environment? was in the top 5.This included upgrading course offerings for students. I have enjoyed the opportunity to closely examine the course and curriculum offerings for the district and to assist in making tweaks that more reflect courses of interest to students and that match career and industry ...

Residents of Washington, it is time for your voices to be heard loud and clear and inform the YMCA Board of Directors that the majority of us do not want our YMCA to be on West Fifth Street, but rather to be remodeled and built onto and left at its present location.In the past, the YMCA has been upgraded and built onto and always left in its present location (why?).It is our largest building, and it is the ...

By Curt SwarmI was leaning on the tail gate of the pick-up, talking on my smart phone, when there was a flurry, squawk and something gripped my shoulder like a claw. I'll be danged if a hen hadn't flown up and landed on my shoulder. She seemed to be real curious about the phone I was holding, and inched her way down my arm to where she could get a better look at what I was holding.?What the heck?? I thought. ...

Creative Writing Class: I will be teaching a creative writing class in my home in Mt. Pleasant this January and February.We will meet for six sessions on Saturday mornings for a couple of hours to discuss your writing. Ginnie may provide chocolate chip cookies, if I can sweet talk her into it. Class size is limited to six. If interested, my contact info is at the end of this column.Speaking of Ginnie, I think ...

To the editor:After Obama got reelected I sat down and started thinking how has this country slid down to the point where it is now.I started out with blaming the elected leaders and the laws they are making that are turning us into a welfare nation. Then I turned to our school system because they are teaching our children things they have no business teaching.After some time I started to realize that the ...

Growing old gracefully isn?t as simple as it sounds.It must be an awareness that?s learned over a period of time. Some people learn quicker than others.Last Saturday?s Fairfield Park and Recreation Department annual Turkey Trot 5K run was a learning experience. The first lesson was accepting the event was a run, not a race.The only race going on was for the young guys who jumped out to a fast start. I saw them ...

To the editor:How and who do I talk to about [?Committee considers non-lethal deer management techniques,? Front page, Nov. 9]?I am interested in making a donation to the project so we don?t have a bunch of kids killing things other than deer with bows and arrows or other because children would reason that the main thing is to kill it with something. This is just crazy to even suggest to hunt in town. What are ...