Well here we go again. At 7 a.m. Tuesday, voters in the Central Lee School District will be casting votes to spend $13 million for some much need upgrades as part of the district’s master [Read More…]
We’ve been having tomatoes three times a day, four and five or more, if you count passing by the counter and popping a few cherry tomatoes or Romas into our mouths. (I can fit a [Read More…]
IOWA CITY — The second pass of Nate Stanley’s day easily dropped into the hands of Ihmir Smith-Marsette for a 58-yard touchdown. Remember when Stanley, Iowa’s three-year starter at quarterback, wasn’t accurate on the long [Read More…]
I’ve never been happier to type a byline as I was Sunday morning when I edited a new sports column that’s appearing weekly starting this month in the Pen City Current. It’s a tremendous pleasure [Read More…]
The finches flew before us, hundreds of them, doing their “wave” flight pattern, their gold and black colors flashing, like fireflies in the day, leading us along their primrose path to glory. We had never [Read More…]
An overwhelming response to a six-day Facebook poll showed that about 64% of our readers don’t believe golf carts, ATVs, and UTVs should be allowed on the streets. It’s an interesting poll and quite a [Read More…]
The following editorial is submitted by Karissa Niehoff, executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations, and Tom Keating, executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Assocation. Inappropriate adult behaviors at [Read More…]
John Van Egmond looked over the garage sale items at the Beacon, Iowa home. Beacon is right beside Oskaloosa and rather indistinguishable from Osky (a suburb of Osky?). He decided there was nothing at this [Read More…]
Gator rides for my grandkids were on the menu for my 71st birthday, along with watermelon, sweetcorn, sliced tomatoes, garden salad and choice of barbecued ribeye or t-bone steak, plus half-pound burgers, courtesy of Blossom, [Read More…]
Lee’s heading off to watch tennis for 12 days in Ohio, It’s easy for her to watch the ball go back and forth because typically she’s pretty good at shaking her head no. 🙂 But [Read More…]
The tall, handsome, dark haired man found Sharon in her shop where the Quarter Maybe More Store in Mt. Pleasant is now. She had a used furniture business. He asked her where the restroom was. [Read More…]
Dear Editor; In early June, we officially announced our plans to go back to the polls on September 10, presenting a $12.9 million general obligation (GO) bond for the Central Lee Community School District. If [Read More…]
Dear Editor I’m writing this letter to voice some concerns I have as a member of this community. A May 22, 2019 article of the Pen City Current, which was titled, “City approves using sheriff [Read More…]
On September 10, Central Lee Community School District residents will vote on a bond question. If the question receives more than 60 percent support, the district will be able to move forward on several key [Read More…]
The following letter was received from Fort Madison Community School District President Dr. Tim Wondra via email Monday evening. The Fort Madison Community School District takes its responsibility to ensure that all students have the [Read More…]
There’s a whole lot going on in this town right now- good and bad – and our main objective is to try to provide information that helps shape the debate. Every now and then we [Read More…]
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR Well, as you can probably gather from the pictures of your balding, aging, and, apparently, lost editor, I’ve been on a working vacation since Wednesday, and even though we literally grow [Read More…]
June 16, 2019Response from the Slater Family: The Slaters were extremely disappointed in your ill-informed opinion piece. Has the Superintendent not earned any respect for her hard work and contributions to the community? The Superintendent [Read More…]
Spring storms have wreaked havoc on communities up and down the river this year, but we think a different kind of storm has been brewing in Fort Madison – and the first crack of lightning [Read More…]
We finally got our garden in, about a month late, we figure. There was way too much rain, and the ground was far too wet to do any tilling. What a spring! On the days [Read More…]
BY ETHAN LILLARD The band Cinderella said it best, ‘You don’t know what you got, til it’s gone’. Had to slip that reference in working at a rock station, you understand. That being said, I [Read More…]
Dear Editor; At our June meeting, the Central Lee School Board approved a bond issue question that will appear on the ballot Tuesday, September 10. If approved, it would allow the district to move ahead [Read More…]
In Central Lee, we are fortunate to live in a community with truly exceptional public schools. In fact, we are known throughout our region for the exceptional academic and extracurricular opportunities our schools deliver to [Read More…]
Editor: I am writing this letter because I know the four captains at Fort Madison Police Department. Anyone of them would be capable of being interim chief until a replacement is hired. City Manager Varley [Read More…]
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR For the first time I can recall, if ever, the Fort Madison High School held a signing day for seniors who have been accepted to college trade programs, full-time trades positions, [Read More…]
It was a Sunday morning and I was using my laptop computer and Android smartphone. All of a sudden the smartphone locked up and wouldn’t do a thing, like a cold mackerel. Hmmm.I tried to [Read More…]
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR As state legislators rubbed their eyes after debating into the early morning hours Thursday, a bill was being sent to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds desk that will do little to increase [Read More…]
Dear Editor: The Fort Madison High School family had a tough week recently. We lost one of our own. It wasn’t the first time this has happened in my tenure at the High School, unfortunately. [Read More…]
I don’t want to keep droning on about it this…see what I did there…but this past week was a true adventure. And a lesson in what a good community this is. This idiot editor went [Read More…]
Fort Madison Community, Over the last couple of weeks, Pack 7, in Fort Madison has participated in Scouting for Food. During this event, bags are distributed throughout the community and food is collected from residents [Read More…]
I arrived in Mt. Pleasant on a Sunday morning after driving all night. My 12-step sponsor in Colorado had told me, “The first thing you do when you get to Mt. Pleasant is go to [Read More…]
Dear Editor; This is a letter of gratitude to those whom have supported the past school bond referendums and a request for others to join them in supporting the current proposal. I am grateful for [Read More…]
Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, As members of the Fort Madison Community School Board, we are continually humbled by the generosity of the volunteers, donations, and philanthropic work that make the community of Fort [Read More…]
Tony Baxter told me he doesn’t seek out the media. He said he got burned a couple years back and tries to stay away from the press. After a couple different times of trying to [Read More…]
Dear Editor On behalf of the Fort Madison Education Association I would like to encourage you to vote YES for a unified elementary school. There are many factors to take into consideration when voting. I [Read More…]
Dear Editor; We’d like to extend a thank you to the following businesses, organizations, and individuals for their contributions to this year’s Bloodhound Booster Club Cake Auction. We appreciate your support! Ameriprise (Josh Denning); Appleberry [Read More…]
The Fort Madison city budget has hit the skids. Despite an increase in county valuations of almost 23%, the city is staring at a loss of almost $330,000 in sales tax in this current year [Read More…]
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR DES MOINES – The best stories are those that come with happy endings, but sometimes stories deserve to be written even when the end is met with heartbreak. Fort Madison’s Sam [Read More…]
Most of the time in newspapers, when a reporter/editor or balding owner makes a mistake, you get something buried in the bottom of page three off the valuable front page, but plausible. Not me. I [Read More…]
A huge thank you to all who helped make the Eagles’ Fish/Shrimp Fry dinner benefiting the Fort Madison Food Pantry the very best ever! To all who came for dinner; who brought friends; who told [Read More…]
I woke up at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, actually I was up at like 5 because I got a couple of messages from people wanting doughnuts. Kiwanis is selling doughnuts and they wanted on the [Read More…]
Libertarians believe every person has the right to arm themselves in self-defense. The right to self defense is one of our most fundamental rights. Few people will argue against that. However, some believe that people [Read More…]
Dear Editor: Catholic Schools Week, January 27-February 1, 2019, is an important time to celebrate the history and future of Catholic education in our communities. Holy Trinity Catholic is proud to carry on the tradition [Read More…]
“Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso John Bloom’s exhibition, “Close to Home” was on display at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport. It was a Tuesday, a day [Read More…]
With the Fort Madison Riverfront Business District dropping its partnership with Main Street Iowa, it’s clear that some healing needs to be done downtown. The RBD dropped the Main Street flag officially in December, but [Read More…]
On Friday, the Fort Madison High School inducted four well-deserving men into the Bloodhound Hall of Fame. Dick Burch, Jim Allen and Jay Skinner were brought into the Hall for their contributions to the athletic [Read More…]
Seven hundred sixty-three days and counting. Pen City Current will enter its third year of writing about the people of north Lee County on Dec. 6…. and we couldn’t be happier to still be here. [Read More…]
I stopped by to visit with Kumar Wickramasingha at the Elliott Test Kitchen on Monday after Sunday night’s heavy snow storm. He was in back shoveling about six inches of snow off the small sidewalk [Read More…]
I’m going to toss out four books for consideration or consumption, like tossing out bones for the canine to choose from—one, two, maybe three, or all of them? It’s going to be cold and the [Read More…]
I can’t drive 55…or 65 for that matter, there’s just too much to do. This week I’ve made the mind-numbing trek to the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids on what will be three straight [Read More…]
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