Linn County government faces study for potential reform
Editorial argues for a comprehensive review of Linn County governance proposing an elected county executive and nonpartisan offices, replacing several elected roles. It notes legal hurdles for combining offices, favors a citizen group to study options, and cites Cedar Rapids improvements as a model, while cautioning against casual changes.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Inn
Linda Langenberg
Joan McCalmant
Recorder
Linn County
Polk County
Des Moines
Iowa
Linn
Langenberg
McCalmont
Cedar Rapids
Settlement brings little relief to Shaw family in Iowa City
The Shaw family and Iowa City reach a 1.5 million settlement over the death of sculptor Eric Shaw after Officer Jeffrey Gillaspie encountered an open door at Iowa Vending. The family says justice timelines and apologies matter, insisting healing will take time and the community remains changed by the tragedy.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Eric Shaw
Shaw
Iowa Vending
Iowa City
Jeffrey Gillaspie
Gillaspie
Jay
Blossom Shaw
Eric
Shaws
Drum corps kids deserve praise for hard work and grit
The Grant Wood All-City Drum Corps sent 67 children ages 6 to 16 on three buses for an 18 to 20 hour trip to Washington, D.C. They practiced at least three hours a night three nights weekly, endured long waits and 20 mile marches, and still outperformed college students despite illness and fatigue.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Slayton Thompson
Chad Abernathey
Grant Wood
Washington, D.C
Iowa
Should We Lift This Foreman's Union Card
A long time Cement Masons Local 561 member questions the union leadership and a foreman who joined another local. He notes layoffs, a non union job with good pay, and a conflict between family loyalty and union duties. He asks whether to remove the foreman’s card to protect the brotherhood. He recalls his father’s stance on union rights and fears disappointing him.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cement Mason Local 561
Des Moines
Laborers Union Local 43
America
Dad
Iowa treasures lost as nature fades in modern greed
A reader laments disappearing Iowa flora and fauna once common in childhood. They recall hazelnuts gooseberries wild plums and sunflowers and warn that farming and development threaten wildlife and forests. The piece questions future food sources as deer and turkeys spread and habitats shrink.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Iowa
Gram
Mom
Reagan on Nile Kinnick and a weightlifter trip
A Dixon Illinois reader recalls meeting Ronald Reagan in his hometown and praising Nile Kinnick as a potential president. The letter notes Reagan’s past radio work in Iowa games and expresses anticipation for the Flexing the Nation's Muscle exhibit in West Branch.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Timothy Walch
Nile Kinnick
Ronald Reagan
Mr. Reagan
Reagan
Iowa
United States
West Branch
Mike Chapman Dixon
Last Wish Reflections on Death and Divine Will
A reader discusses death by own action versus illness and divine will. The letter critiques using religion to prohibit euthanasia while acknowledging personal conscience in end of life choices and the role of medicine in extending life.
Who Pays for City Annexation Improvements in Hiawatha
A local debate explains that sewer water and street costs are assessed when infrastructure is built and may be funded by owners or taxpayers. Cedar Rapids estimates total improvements at 17000 dollars per property with owners paying 6700 and the remaining 10300 covered by taxpayers. Randy Willman of the Hiawatha City Council weighs the equity of shifting costs.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Hiawatha
Cedar Rapids
Randy Willman
Hiawatha City Council
Spelling lapse sparks mystery in a wordy column
The piece riffs on spelling errors in sports and daily life. It notes misspellings like rythym and brissels, questions language drift, and ponders how readers and writers react to slips in common terms amid ongoing medical terminology shifts.
Also Mentioned on This Page
Ken Slaughter
Dale Lareen
Ononemagi Sug Reaps Sobeap Board Chairman
Mark Bowden
the Gazette
Drum Corps
Fairbank
Mother Nature
Gazette
Kinnick
God
Associated Press
Long Island
Russia
Poland
Netherlands
Cari
Kane
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