Commentary
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1% sales tax paying for school construction

Anyone driving on H Avenue north of the Mid-Prairie Middle School will notice that the soccer field for youngsters between the East Elementary and Middle School has been replaced with a fenced off … more

Supervisors ignore public opinion, hire architect

The Washington County Board of Supervisors ignored public opinion and property taxpayers last week and signed a contract with Carl A. Nelson to develop plans on how to remodel the Orchard Hill … more

To ensure transparency, government notices should continue to be published by independent newspapers, not a government-controlled website

Some members of the Iowa Senate do not think that public notices published in newspapers remain relevant and necessary. A bill filed in the newly formed Technology Committee just over a week ago … more

Now and Then: Mom, Dad and creatures of the night

Several requests have been made for more stories about the times when I was growing up and to include my parents in the stories. Well, there are a lot of those days, very clear in my mind, yet. Some … more

Why I voted for school choice

This week the Senate and House both passed the Students First Act. Governor Reynolds introduced this bill after her Condition of the State speech. She has led on this issue for years and made it a … more

The spelling bee

Back in the “Old Days” when I had a problem with what I was trying to say on paper, an eraser was the best and sometimes only solution, but nowadays it takes little more than a quick tap … more

Students First Act advances

Last week the Senate Education and Appropriations committees passed Senate File 94, commonly known as the Students First Act. Governor Reynolds spoke at length about this bill in her Condition of the … more

The Driscoll Dispatch

        The gavel has fallen and the 2023 session of the 90th General Assembly has begun. This week, we welcomed a total of fourteen new members to the Iowa Senate. Along with the … more

What happens when your office server crashes on production day

Monday morning started off with a crash that presented a real challenge for The News staff to get this week’s issue of The News to press. The News’s central server where all ads, … more

Small favors are worth appreciating

On the day after Christmas just past, there came a person, well-known to me, to clear off my driveway and uncover my snow-coated vehicle one more time. Oh, happy day! It’s not the first … more

Looking ahead to serving you in 2023

The City of Kalona and KCTC should be congratulated on cleaning up the front of the old Kalona Bakery building. They have removed the store hours and the name “Kalona Bakery” from the … more

Holidays: an opportunity to help others in need

Thankfully we are five weeks past the 2022 midterm election. I can hear many voters exuding a sigh of relief and shouting, after $17 billion was spent on disinformation, misinformation and the … more

News, Advertisers give $1699.80 to firefighters

This week, The News/Slechta Communications sent checks totaling $1699.80 to our fire departments thanks to a revenue-sharing special section The News published during Fire Prevention week on Oct. … more

Sartorial Christmas wishes

Oh wow!   How can I be so lucky sometimes to remember the right things to say—and, at the right time? I’m referring to my recent reference to a subject matter commonly viewed as … more

Thanks for your services, Phil Ropp

At the Tuesday Kalona Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors meeting, Phil Ropp announced that he was stepping down as an ad hoc member of the board, and he was stepping down as President of the … more

Secrecy isn’t how you build trust

Middle ground is not something that often is seen nowadays in Iowa government or our politics.These days, candidates, elected officials and community members often are seen as flawed if they speak in … more

Let’s Defund EcoHealth

The shady organization that funneled U.S. tax dollars into China’s state-run Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) to conduct risky research on coronaviruses collected from bats is once again being … more

Bipartisan efforts on industrial hemp expand markets for Iowa farmers

I planted my first crop at age 15.  Today, 45 years later, I am about to harvest another one. Similar to working a criminal case when I was a Johnson County Deputy Sheriff, I don’t give up … more

Don’t cry over Spilt Buttermilk

I hope the word ‘buttermilk’, as shared here, doesn’t need too much explanation because it’s important that everyone knows exactly what it is I am talking about when I say … more

Commonsense policies are good for rural Iowa

My name is Eileen Beran, and I’m running for Iowa House of Representatives in District 92. The district is made up of eight townships in southern and southwestern Johnson County and all of … more
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