Opinion

Vote in upcoming local elec-tions

Published by admin on Wed, 10/23/2019 - 9:48am

Democracy requires citizen participation. The more folks get involved, the more gov-ernment represents all of us.

Butler, Cerro Gordo and Franklin counties are home to 47,261 ‬registered voters. How many of them can we get to vote in this fall’s local elec-tions?

Casting your ballot in local elections has an immediate im-pact on your daily life. Local officials budget for education and roads, decide what can be built and where, set library hours and schedule your trash pickup.

Read more about Vote in upcoming local elec-tions

Joining the banned-wagon

Published by admin on Wed, 10/16/2019 - 9:32am

What does civil unrest have to do with a virtual card game?

That's the question Blizzard Entertainment tried to find a satisfactory answer to last week, with little luck.

Read more about Joining the banned-wagon

Beware of short-haired hitch-hikers

Published by admin on Wed, 10/16/2019 - 9:30am

We saw on the news that there was a storm off the Mex-ican coast. That, and a north-east breeze would produce perfect waves at Trestles, a surf spot on private federal land called Camp Pendleton. (Yep, private federal land.)

Five of us went south from Newport Beach in my Fiat 124 sedan hoping to get tubed or locked in on one of Trestles' long lefts or rights. (It seems like I encounter unfamiliar lingo increasingly these days; so join the club.)

Read more about Beware of short-haired hitch-hikers

Tips for traveling in Tokyo

Published by admin on Wed, 10/09/2019 - 10:10am

Age of the Geek Column: OK, here's the column I intended to write last week. After all, you didn't really expect me to spend two weeks in Japan and not come back with tales from my travels.

Don't worry though. I won't bore you with the details of my shopping trips to Akihabara or how much I geeked out while visiting the "One Piece" theme park in Tokyo Tower. Instead, enjoy this list of tips and observations from my experience, should you ever decide to take a trip to Japan yourself.

The Language Hurdle

Read more about Tips for traveling in Tokyo

Pink Ribbon Night reinforces power of community

Published by admin on Wed, 10/09/2019 - 10:07am

This space has been used before to commend various organizations throughout the community for working together for a common goal. Today is no different.

Tomorrow marks the annual Pink Ribbon Night at the Hampton-Dumont-CAL volleyball matches. Working in hand with the volleyball players, staff from Franklin General Hospital arrange and provide silent auction baskets for attendees to attempt to purchase. Money raised through the auction is then used to purchase gas cards for breast cancer patients who have to travel for treatments.

Read more about Pink Ribbon Night reinforces power of community

Talking to strangers

Published by admin on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 9:58am

Alternative Column: My friend Dirk and I were hitching up Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa when two guys in an El Camino pulled over. We hopped in the back and soon discovered the driver was inebriated to the point that he was visiting all four lanes ran-domly, and with us on board. So far, the other cars were dodging us but we bailed at about 35 miles per hour.

Yes, hitchhiking can be dangerous. But when I read the headline to a story in The Wall Street Journal that said, “How to Avoid Talking to Strangers,” I still thought... why? Strangers are society's door to new things.

Read more about Talking to strangers

Bad decisions

Published by admin on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 9:57am

Age of the Geek Column: By now you probably know the legend of Carson King, the 24-year-old college football fan whose chance encounter in front of a camera transformed his joke fundraiser for beer money into a real multi-million dollar fundraiser for a children's hospital.

It was the feel-good story of the year and obviously merited a profile on King by the Des Moines Register.

And, by now, you know what happened next.

Well, to an extent.

Read more about Bad decisions

Breast Cancer Awareness Month re-minds us to be a good neighbor, friend

Published by admin on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 9:55am

Editorial - The calendar has turned over to October, which means this month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Even in smaller communities such as ours, breast cancer and cancer as a whole has touched virtually everyone’s lives. Some of us have battled it ourselves while most of the rest of us have friends, family and neighbors who have. It does not discriminate who it affects.

Throughout Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we see pink ribbons on our televisions and in our communities but the ability to make an impact through the month extends beyond a color.

Read more about Breast Cancer Awareness Month re-minds us to be a good neighbor, friend

Homecoming a celebration of past and present

Published by admin on Thu, 09/26/2019 - 8:18am

As the town turns red and black this week, we’re reminded of the pride schools bring to a community.

Homecoming Week is underway at Hampton-Dumont-CAL. Students have already hit the town, painting windows with messages of support for athletic teams, conducting pep rallies and presentations and will continue to do so up until kickoff at Friday’s football game against Clear Lake.

Read more about Homecoming a celebration of past and present

A mind for the community leads to success

Published by admin on Sat, 09/21/2019 - 4:24pm

This space has been used to laude community organizations for determination and stick-to-it-ness.

In recent years, we’ve seen individuals and organizations team together to fund raise and raise awareness for causes meant to improve the community. We’ve seen those efforts lead to splash pads, events and other causes that prove why Franklin County is a safe, successful place to call home.

Last week was no different. The Franklin County Fair Board and the Franklin Convention Center project were awarded a significant grant - $200,000 – through Enhance Iowa.