Military service was always a thing I looked at from afar. My biological father was in the Iowa Army National Guard and my mom received some veteran’s benefits to help raise the family. He died [Read More…]
November 3, 1989, a day I shall never forget. I had fallen drunk through the glass top of my coffee table, cut myself to smithereens, and nearly bled to death. November 3, 2019, to celebrate [Read More…]
Dear Editor: If I was a smart businessperson I would stay out of local politics, no matter what you do you could alienate a portion of the population. I guess I’ve never been too bright [Read More…]
A Letter to the Editor, As a member of the governing body of the Lee County Health Department, I want to express my gratitude to our Lee County Health Department for providing “30-Years of Hospice [Read More…]
With the final results being tallied and most everyone at the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course at Kennedy Park in Fort Dodge heading for their car, a kid in a blue windbreaker, and blue and white [Read More…]
Letter to the Editor A fresh start for a bright future I have been reading the letters to the editor that have been sent by my opponent and I have read the letters to the [Read More…]
I fully support, Matt Mohrfeld in the mayoral race for Fort Madison. Matt Mohrfeld has chosen to make Fort Madison home for his family and his very successful and growing business because he believes in [Read More…]
We watch sports for various reasons… entertainment, loyalty, certainly vicarious longings of days gone by. Most of us that played high school sports kind of shake and move with the games – be it football, [Read More…]
To the Editor, First of all, I would like to congratulate Mayor Brad Randolph on his very successful tenure as the Mayor of Fort Madison. Brad has demonstrated a great vision for our community and [Read More…]
The election is right around the corner, are you ready to vote? Our local election, not unlike those on the national level, is extremely important. Our community needs to move forward, free from radicalism, misinformation [Read More…]
Dear Editor: I am writing this letter from a perspective not many have or would ever want to take on as a citizen of Fort Madison. I am writing this letter as a citizen who [Read More…]
Matt Mohrfeld for Mayor of Fort Madison: I am writing this letter to the editor in support of Matt Mohrfeld running for Mayor. I know Matt both personally and professionally and I believe he has [Read More…]
After consuming this past week’s candidate forums hosted by the Fort Madison Partners, I’ve come to a couple conclusions. Things are never as bad as they seem, but to the individual, they are as bad [Read More…]
Ginnie and Curt: One key to happiness is someone to share that happiness with. “Happiness is a by-product of living the right kind of a life.” This is a quote from my daily meditation book, [Read More…]
Ned Hunger’s P-47 Thunderbolt, along with three other P-47’s buzzed the town of Arches, France. They were to liberate a group of 100 or so French Resistance Fighters that had been trapped by Nazi forces [Read More…]
I had a Facebook message from a Scott Watson in Douds. He is a SE Iowa dirt track announcer and had written a book about his thirty-some years of announcing. He was asking me if [Read More…]
“The spiritual and moral will eventually overcome the material and unmoral. That is the purpose and destiny of the human race.” Learning the purpose of life through prayer and meditation. Most people, myself included, have [Read More…]
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…]
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…]
IOWA CITY — Amani Jones’ road to quarterback Brett Gabbert was an open path of Kinnick Stadium artificial turf. “I saw his eyes, and he saw me, and I knew, ‘I got him,’” said Jones, [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…]
We both worked for the Mt. Pleasant News in the advertising department. I was new and Les was the top dog in sales. I was jealous. We used to tease Les a lot, and he [Read More…]
I cut through the aronia bushes on the way to the barn. The aronia bushes were covered with creepy, icky, Japanese Beetles—eating and breeding—thousands of them! The leaves were mostly stripped off the bushes. Oh, [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…]
A man ran across Sharon Bortz’s back yard. He had his shirt off and was wearing gray pants with a stripe down the side. The man had his shirt balled up in his fist as [Read More…]
Ginnie calls it a “staycation.” Instead of going on a summer vacation, we stay at home and get things done—staycation. It’s fine with me. I’ve always been a home body (boy). I love our home, [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…]
Barney has disappeared. It happened on Mother’s Day (wouldn’t you know). Barney has always been my cat, because I’m the one who found and fed him. Cats remember. Barney was a great cat. He would [Read More…]
The last time I was in Jefferson, Iowa, I was six years old and had my tonsils out in the Greene County Hospital. They used ether back then as an anesthetic and it was a [Read More…]
I’m From Dallas City, Il, so I knew where Fort Madison was and could actually navigate the city with relative ease. What I could not do however, was tell you how good the football team [Read More…]
Ginnie and I went to sleep with the rain falling gently on the roof of the two-story tree house, (sorta like being in heaven) and slept like a babies. Ginnie and Curt stayed in the [Read More…]
I’ve caught more flak about butchering Blossom than any other column I’ve written. Good grief. She had so many people rooting for her that I feel like a crazed carnivore. I must point out, however, [Read More…]
I got the first book where I get many of my books, from 89-year old Tommy Sinnott of Nauvoo. He’s my inspiration. The book, “Zealot, the Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth,” by Reza [Read More…]
The best way to interview an octogenarian who walked 30,000 miles in 30 years (a thousand miles a year) is to go for a three-mile, early morning walk with him or her. But don’t think [Read More…]
Sue Walker and her cancer sniffing rescue dog, Kendall.Kendall was on Sue’s lap as usual, after supper, while Sue and her husband, Gary, watched television. The half-beagle-half-pug rescue dog (in more ways than one) from [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…]
Mayhem struck the Empty Nest Farm. I was a little late doing the morning chores. It wasn’t until 11:00 or so before I got out to feed Blossom and take care of the hens. Before [Read More…]
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