Opinion

To the Editor: Obamacare means less care, more costly care

  What is our future under the Affordable Care Act?  Simply less, and more costly, care  -   pure and simple. I have spent the past 30 years in serv...

An uncomplicated way to understand the Affordable Care Act

By Rosemary Schwartz Disclosure: I am chair of the Benton County Democrats and a non-producing licensed health insurance agent. I currently receive health insurance through my employer. I r...

Trying to decipher tweets about football, and a plea for a brother

Dear Dad and Mom, Do you remember how I used to tell you that having just two kids was boring? Another reason you should have had more kids (one I discovered on Friday night): This w...

Redskin vs. Hawkeye: The overlooked lessons of the mascot debate

The campaign to get the Washington Redskins to change their name has an Iowa connection -- and a history lesson that seems to be going largely ignored. The Oneida tribe of upper New York is pre...

9/11: A day we do not remember as well as we think

One of the top five stories in the news today starts with the name "Miley" in the headlines. The women of "The View" planned to discuss pop culture. Yeah, America rememb...

Thank you, IFA

Now that the revelry has died down and everyone has returned home. I would like to take a moment to thank our Fire Departments in Vinton and Garrison for their efforts in bringing the IFA conventi...

Letter to the Editor: V-S wasted $500,000

TL;DR: V-S superintendent, by eliminating the full-time technology director position, causes district to waste $500,000 on laptop 1:1 Initiative. We need to make some serious changes to keep from m...

The Ladder Lesson: A new perspective inspires appreciation for firefighters

Climbing the VFD aerial ladder truck inspires a writer to think about sacrifices firefighters make. Ever since I first saw the Vinton Fire Department's bright yellow aerial ladder truck extended to its height of more than 100 feet, I have wondered what it would be like to climb to the top. ...

Reality TV vs. reality: An example close to home

The headline for this column could say, “TV personality arrested near Vinton!” That statement is technically true – and it is most likely the way that a television producer wo...

Letter to the Editor: Not the time for missiles in Syria

Should the missiles fly into Syria? Following is in my opinion "spot on" analysis of the Actions of President Obama.   What the Democrat Party has done is give this Na...