Watching thousands of people crowd around the majestic riverfront that serves as the front yard to Fort Madison’s downtown district was something to see last week. I live about four blocks from RiverFest and decided [Read More…]
To Pen City Current readers: It has recently been announced that the University of Iowa intends to dissolve their Labor Center. For almost seventy years the University of Iowa Labor Center has been built up, [Read More…]
So it’s news literally heard across the world that Pen City Current is seeking visual evidence of an alleged incident from a December assembly at the Fort Madison Middle School involving Principal Todd Dirth. We’ve [Read More…]
A nice story of locals pulling together to keep a local business alive unfolded right in front of us here in Lee County. Keokuk radio KOKX (AM 1310) and Z93 was on the chopping block [Read More…]
Dear Editor; Tom Kruse is the son of Dan Kruse and Shelly Kruse, grandson of Ceil Kruse and Letta Grosekemper. Tom was born with three major heart issues that required surgery and long recoveries at [Read More…]
Now that we know that Officer Jesse Hill lied and Police Chief Beard and Attorney Amy Beavers covered it up, shouldn’t they be the ones to pay this lawsuit to the deserving Steele family? Why [Read More…]
I went puddle jumping Thursday afternoon. Literally. But I wasn’t dressed for the occasion. I was busy at the computer as usual in the afternoon and got up to stretch my legs. I walked through [Read More…]
Blossom doesn’t particularly like her small pen. She runs from one end of the small enclosure to the other, kicking up her heels, letting us know that if she had a larger pasture she would [Read More…]
BY CHUCK VANDENBERG As an elected official, you have an inherent responsibility to keep the trust of the electorate and to do your best to represent those that cast a ballot in your favor. When [Read More…]
Letter to the Editor: This letter is to show support of Bob Morawitz, Democratic candidate for the Iowa House. Bob has proven himself to put the constituents he is representing first, making sure their voices [Read More…]
Dear Editor I want to go on record as endorsing Bob Morawitz for the office of State Representative for House District 83. Bob currently serves on the Fort Madison City Council and represents my ward. [Read More…]
Editor My name is Kim Fehseke and my daughter McKenna Fehseke was involved in the senior prank at Fort Madison High School Sunday, May 20th. In recent days there has been much miscommunication and speculation [Read More…]
Editor (This is a copy of the letter FMCSD Tim Wondra has been sending to those emailing regarding the banning of students from graduation. We are running this intact as a letter to the editor) [Read More…]
Rebuild Nepal Education Namaste!!! Thanks to you Chuck and Lee and your staff for your continued support for my educational mission in Nepal. Rebuild Nepal Education Foundation. As most of your readers know the difficulty [Read More…]
Not doing enough for you? Fellow citizens: the next time you are sitting at home wondering about things the city should be doing for you, please stop are read Chuck Vandenberg’s article “Close to 100 [Read More…]
Dear Editor, On Tuesday, April 17th Potowonok Circle of King’s Daughters is teaming up with the Eagle’s Club for a taco and enchilada supper. The proceeds from our portion of the supper will go towards [Read More…]
A heated conversation started last week toward the end of the Lee County Board of Supervisors meeting when Supervisor Ron Fedler suggested that the county not backfill a full-time and part-time correctional officer for the [Read More…]
Dear Editor One thing I immediately noticed that gave me concern upon moving to this community was the inclusion of the 4th and 5th grade students in the middle school. While I understand they are [Read More…]
Dear Editor: “The keys to brand success are self-definition, transparency, authenticity, and accountability”—Simon Mainwaring Once again the voters in the Fort Madison community have said no to building a new grade school. This is the [Read More…]
Thank You, I wanted to take time after reflecting on Tuesday’s efforts toward the Fort Madison Community School District elementary bond vote to say “Thank You”. First, thank you to all those who took time [Read More…]
Dear Editor There were lots of reasons Fort Madison school district voters rejected the elementary school bond referendum. It would behoove supporters to contemplate some of them before bringing this up for a fourth round [Read More…]
Dear Lee County Voters, I respect all voters on both sides of the school bond referendum because I believe there are legitimate concerns on both sides. However I have been disturbed with the responses from [Read More…]
Dear Editor; I am a mother of 4 children. 3 of my children have already graduated from Fort Madison and my youngest is disabled. I am hoping that everyone who reads this will at least [Read More…]
Letter to the Editor I was elected to the Fort Madison Community School District Board of Directors in 2015. I moved into the district in 1976 and my three children attended and graduated from our [Read More…]
Dear Editor On behalf of the Lee County Food Bank, I want to convey my thanks for the overwhelming response from the Fort Madison community to our cry for help. Cash donations from employees of [Read More…]
Editor: Since I became Superintendent of the Fort Madison Community Public Schools almost 2 years ago, we’ve tried to keep school financial business as transparent as possible. There is nothing about the school bond and [Read More…]
Tuesday turned into a not-so-normal day for a reporter who’s covered just about every beat and every type of story in journalism. Nothing has really intimidated me in this business until Tuesday afternoon when I [Read More…]
Fort Madison isn’t sitting still, and neither should its educational system. Activity is in the air, from new subdivisions, to new businesses. There is significant investment in infrastructure, updating and improving our community for a [Read More…]
LETTER TO THE EDITOR, I have heard some say that they won’t bother to vote because they have no kids in the school system. Some say they went to school in Fort Madison and the [Read More…]
BY CHUCK VANDENBERG Well, the letters have been printed, and we’ll print any more up until Sunday at midnight, on the upcoming school referendums. I’m in the bag and always have been on these new [Read More…]
Letter to the Editor: Fort Madison Partner Affiliates: Fort Madison Area Chamber of Commerce; Main Street; Fort Madison Economic Development; and Fort Madison-Southeast Iowa Regional Riverboat Commission, recognize the value that quality educational opportunities bring [Read More…]
Serving the Public Trust People in paid community leadership positions serve the people who pay their salaries. Included in that salary is a pre-ordained obligation to be unambiguous and accommodating when it comes to doing [Read More…]
Please vote YES for the new school on April 3rd. This is for our future generations, that hopefully will stay and raise families, start businesses, work in our industries and help this town prosper. To [Read More…]
Dear Editor: The time has come, once again, for us to have the opportunity to provide a New Elementary School for the youngest members of our community. The safety and security of our youngest citizens [Read More…]
Dear Editor; I am a parent of two kids in the Fort Madison Community School District and an active member of the KIDS Committee. To keep Fort Madison moving forward I believe the residents of [Read More…]
Dear Editor, To all my friends and FMCSD, please make your voice heard at the polls April 3rd for the future of Fort Madison with a new elementary school. While my youngest is a student [Read More…]
How can folks vote yes? Taxpayers should be seeking (and getting) a lot more clear answers about the proposed new elementary school. I’ve heard it said the reason the bond referendum failed twice so far [Read More…]
Tonight I reviewed two letters about the new school Tonight I reviewed two letters in The Daily Democrat letters to the editor. Both letters have many good points in them. The first was written by [Read More…]
Let’s Do The Right Thing FM – Votes Yes On April 3 Dear Editor; I know when people go to read this letter the comment may be that this is just a retired former teacher [Read More…]
Mad as a Wet Hen I’m a little confused with the term, “mad as a wet hen.” Our hens don’t get mad when they get wet. As a matter of fact, they seem to enjoy [Read More…]
KIDS Committee/Letter to the Editor: Fort Madison Partner Affiliates: Fort Madison Area Chamber of Commerce; Main Street; Fort Madison Economic Development; and Fort Madison-Southeast Iowa Regional Riverboat Commission, recognize the value that quality educational opportunities [Read More…]
Ginnie gave me the book, “Leonardo Da Vinci” by Walter Isaacson for Christmas. It’s a large, heavy, pretty book. But don’t let the size fool you. Its pages are of high-quality, thick, satin paper because [Read More…]
To the Editor: You ask why we want gun control. What our definition of ‘reasonable’ is. What this will mean for all of the other gun owners, the ones with licenses and safes and use [Read More…]
After a couple of issues at meetings Tuesday night, I think a discussion is in order on closed and exempt public meetings. The Fort Madison City Council almost went into what’s called an Exempt Session [Read More…]
Dear Editor; Each month the Fort Madison Food Pantry serves over 300 local families. Lee County ranks Number 2 in the State for food insecurity. Our funds are dangerously low. The past year we have [Read More…]
Buffy 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 [Read More…]
I was sitting at my laptop with two warm blueberry muffins. The house smelled of muffins and my wife was sitting in the chair next to me taunting the Google Home we got for Christmas. [Read More…]
The taxpayers will find some other company to give millions and hundred of millions to make new jobs. The fertilizer plant was $2.5 million per employee. Lee County has had the honor to be in [Read More…]
We all had a bit of sticker shock when the Fort Madison City Council approved an immediate 8 percent increase for City Manager David Varley. It was big enough news that I sent it out [Read More…]
Well the holidays are over and I made my usual trek to some regional airport, this round Lambert-St. Louis, to drop my daughter off for her flight back to LaGuardia on the waterfront of Bowery [Read More…]
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