Opinion
A grandfather's moment to celebrate nature and progress
Ari (short for Arianna) got halfway across the bridge and sat down.
It was a moment this grandpa has been dreaming of for years.
Nobody noticed in the spring of 2003, shortly after I arrived in Vinton, that I had begun clearing the brush and weeds from the woods and pasture of the area we still call "Grandpa's farm, although he's been gone for almost 10 years. We just had to ask... ourselves
Vinton Today Editor Dean Close has been asking some silly questions of area people. So we thought it only fair that he have to answer them for himself.
Q. Is there anything that you ask your wife not to cook, ever again?
A. Beans. Navy Beans. Black beans. Refried beans. Chili Beans. Kidney Beans. She cooks them fine but I just do not like any of them.
A 'changed forever' NYC now is home to Tim Tebow
“Are you ready for some Tim Tebow? You better be, because he’s coming to your town and he wants to party down.”
Those are some of the lamest words written about the quarterback in a weekend full of lame words.
The person who began his story on that particular CBS web site is identified as a “senior blogger,” which of course makes one wonder how bad a junior blogger’s writing is.
Give me liberty: Remembering America's first famous speech
I spent the weekend the best way possible, hanging out with the granddaughters while their parents were at a Dare to Share event in St. Louis.
Here is the second-best way you or I could have spent last weekend: Reliving the "Give me liberty" speech.
Every year, on the Sunday closest to March 23, the St. John's Church in Richmond, Va.
RAGBRAI: Sit back and enjoy the ride-through
"RAGBRAI is not like it was years ago," said an organizer who came to Washington, Iowa, a dozen years ago.
I was working for the newspaper there when RAGBRAI riders spent a night in that county seat, 87 miles south of Vinton, a few miles west of Highway 218.
As they do each year, event organizers from The Des Moines Register visited Washington and all the other overnight cities to help them prepare.
Pastor's Blog - RECKLESS GRACE: FORGIVENESS AND RESTORATION
Luke 15:11-32
Kate Braestrup in her book, Beginner's Grace, tells a story about her own "prodigal son," Peter (pp.94-97). When Peter was around fourteen, he and a friend, Ted, sneaked out late one night for an evening of adventure and stupid human tricks. Because Ted was a fan of the TV program, Jackass, they made a video tap of everything they did that night -- climbing trees, hurling themselves into drainage ditches and climbing on the roof of the high school. I'm from the country, and I like it!
So many time as I head out of the huge city of Vinton to my humble abode in the country, I ponder how privileged we are to live where we do.
I marvel at the lack of whining you hear among neighbors who live on this road.
I still think of myself as a city gal, and find I still whine.
I used to whine when the snow plow hadn't been past the house in an hour since it quit snowing, but have learned to enjoy being snowed in. Letter to the Editor - Copper theft hits local REC; group asks for new law
Dear Editor,
Across the country and here in Iowa theft of precious metals (including copper, aluminum and bronze) is on the rise from abandoned buildings, empty houses and most dangerously, from power lines along rural roads, electric cooperative power substations and storage facilities. Copper theft is a growing, expensive and dangerous trend in Iowa that threatens electric reliability, safety and lives.
How a traditional newspaper (which we are not) gets its funding...
(Just in case anyone out there is still not sure about this:
We are not, no more, not, not at all, not either, in no way, not even in the slightest little bit associated with any newspapers...)
After our last column about our successful fundraising efforts, we had a note of concern about where the money would go.
Sandy, Sherry, Candy, Jackie and the boys of summer
I was in the middle of one of those "buserable" -- busy and miserable -- February days last week. It was snowy and windy and cold.
But I saw something that warmed my heart and inspired new hope for the coming days: Spring training was on TV.
Way more inspiring than the sight of the first robin, spring training reminds us that soon, we will put away the shovels and salt and start seeing the annual renewal of green.