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'Getting Old' is getting old

Local Columns

It came to me about a year ago. My brother and I were talking on the phone and I mentioned the phrase, which we both immediately agreed would make a good bumper sticker or something. That Christmas, a daughter-in-law of mine surprised me with two T-shirts that had the expression printed on them; one for me and the second for my brother. Not that everything is more difficult as we age. As one who travels quite a bit, I was actually disappointed when the airport TSA agent told me I wouldn’t have to remove my shoes as I was “obviously old enough”… and I even wear Sketchers simply ...

Questions newspaper style

Letters to Editor

To the editor: I have subscribed to and read the Freeman Journal for over 50 years. I have enjoyed reading the local news and various articles in the paper. Recently, the font type changed and is so small that I have trouble reading it. It is especially bad under the photos. Why was it changed? What was wrong with the paper before these changes? Sincerely, Margy Wood Fort Dodge

An inside look at the Hamilton County Jail

Local Columns

When people think about the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, they usually picture deputies making traffic stops, responding to emergencies, investigating crimes, or attending community events. Those are certainly some of the most visible parts of our job, but there is another division that is essential to public safety and the daily operation of our office that often goes unnoticed. That division is the Hamilton County Jail. The jail is much more than a place where individuals are housed after an arrest. It is one of the most important pieces of the criminal justice system in ...

The loving hand of discipline

Local Columns

Many years ago, long before Facebook memes were a thing, I saw a plaque with an inscription which read, “Discipline your children now so correction officers don’t have to do it later.” I was raised by parents who probably never saw that inscription but certainly believed in its message. They took to heart the Biblical admonition of Proverbs 13:24 ̶ “Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.” You don’t have to look far these days to see the disturbing results of parents who are unwilling to discipline ...

Buffer Pilot Project just got better

Editorials

There are times when a good idea can be made even better. That is the case with the expansion of the state’s Streamside Buffer Pilot Project. It uses a comparatively small amount of money to help farmers plant vegetation along the sides of waterways, with the ultimate goal of cleaning up water downstream. And there is plenty of evidence showing that the all-natural processes of plants can make the nearby water cleaner. The buffers are the plant kingdom’s version of an NFL offensive line: they block things from getting through. But instead of protecting a quarterback, they ...

Be sure to attend your county fair

Local Columns

Times change. Even so, there are a few constants in life. One is the pleasure provided by the county fairs that continue to be a highlight of summer in Iowa. For as far back as anyone who now lives in this part of Iowa can remember, these summer festivals have been much-anticipated and much-enjoyed features of summertime. The fairs, of course, have changed over the decades. One central theme, however, remains much the same — a celebration of farm life and the assorted positive educational and personal-growth pursuits that are treasured features of life in rural and small-town ...