The only phone booth in my hometown stood on the corner of Main and Hibbard streets.
There is little I can say about Tuesday, so I will just say that I will wait for a couple of years to see what happens. An election should not be about “sides,” it should be about doing what i…
Every year in late October, the postcards go out inviting Henry County veterans and their spouse or significant other to a free Sunday night dinner at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mt. …
This day is special. Veterans Day is one day of the entire year when we can all stop and say “Thank You” and let our veterans know how much we honor, appreciate and support them. A veteran is …
I haven’t traveled much in my life. There are spectacular sights and sounds I may never experience. But my quiet life, spent in my own way, satisfies my soul.
Our sympathy to the family of George Siepel of Plymouth who passed away on Oct. 28. He was 95 years old which was a good long life. Also, our sympathy to the family of Dr. Lotz of Animal Medic…
Martha Wiley of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, loves teaching– with over 30 years of teaching advanced math, physics, calculus, statistics, trigonometry, engineering and programming at the high school, a…
Editor’s Note: The views and opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Hancock County Journal-Pilot or its staff.
When I was a little girl, my brothers and I looked forward to Halloween night with an excitement that made October seem magical. We whispered and giggled our costume ideas to our friends for w…
The Collectors of Illinois Pottery and Stoneware convention is over for another year. It was our 40th convention. For several years we moved it around the state then a few years ago we settled…
The following short story was written by one of my creative writing students, Ron Hawn, who lives near Marshalltown, Iowa. I thought Ron's story too well written and cute to not share.
The following is a summary of, and excerpts from, the pre-sentencing report on convicted criminal Donald J. Trump that was submitted to the Manhattan District Commissioner of Probation and Jus…
Just so you know, letters about good things being done is something I would love to see from people in our area. People could write a personal thank you about someone helping charge a car batt…
My wife has a high school classmate who brought to our attention the fact that there is a Democrat political party. However, there is not a democratic Democrat politcal party. A recent example…
In a few days, the 2024 election will be held, and our democracy is at stake. Will your vote preserve this sacred entity, or enable a narcissistic, unqualified buffoon who has stated many time…
Many local citizens in our county are extremely disappointed by last week’s advertisement from the Hancock County Democratic Party that appeared in our local newspaper. While we value spirited…
In recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction, we’re often not aware of how much we are changing until we see a difference in how others react to us. This is a story of my friend Steve, and w…
Imagine if you had the qualifications to serve as a public servant in government (including the military) and you realized that your boss was unfit and in fact, dangerous to our country and to…
I’m meeting a friend for lunch or run into someone I know at a grocery store. We greet each other with the surprise of long-lost soulmates, verging on theatrical shock. My friend begins the ve…
Beautiful week. The fall colors here are absolutely amazing. I have to drive back around blocks just to take photos of trees decked out in beautiful fall colors. My maples have started to turn…
Early voting has already begun, and our democracy hangs in the balance. To what lengths will Donald Trump go to ensure his occupancy of the White House again? Keep in mind, that he did not win…
Another Spoon River is in the books. Have had an antique store for 42 years and think we did Spoon River the first year we opened. We have always been in Smithfield but have been at the ball p…
I brought some fresh grapes home to live in my fridge. I plopped them inside, still in the plastic grocery bag. I felt proud when I bought them, as if had established myself as a healthy eater…
The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.
The president and politicians aren’t the primary entities to blame for economic issues; in fact, corporations and consumers are!
I’ve always been clumsy. It’s hereditary; my mother told many stories of her own clumsiness. Of falling up stairs. Of tripping over cats, kids and extension cords.
There has been a lanky, short haired black kitty uptown lately. When I came in from Spoon River this evening, the kitty and Gary Groundhog were playing together behind Antiques II. Have never …
It’s been a rough year. At the age of 76, in less than 12 months, I have had prostate issues, neuropathy in my legs, a heart pacemaker, and now, cancer. Yep. I feel like a worn out old Ford tr…
When a storm rumbles toward the house late at night, the first thing I do is look for my shoes. I am suddenly eight years old; my dad’s voice punches through the darkness. His shadow is outlin…
Editor’s Note: The views and opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Hancock County Journal-Pilot or its staff.
At 20 years old I was a Republican precinct committeeman in Bowling Green, Ky. I was appointed by Governor Louie B. Nunn to an internship in the 1972 Kentucky state senate, assigned to the Dea…
Trojan horse is a hug hollow wooden horse constructed by the Greeks to gain entrance into Troy, during the Trojan War.” (The Trojan horse was filled with soldiers.) A Twenty First-Century Troj…
Think I will begin with food this week. As not wanting to cook one day this week, ordered two extra Jr. Whoppers at Burger King. If you just leave them in the paper wrapper and microwave one f…
Like the Old Threshers Reunion in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, the Clark County Mule Festival turns the city of Kahoka, Mo., into one big garage sale. But Ginnie and I weren't there for garage “sailing…
It is generally thought that intelligence, as measured by IQ, follows a normal distribution in the population. A normal curve, if you will. There are as many low IQ folks as there are geniuses…
I used to enjoy in-person shopping. I remember the excitement of walking into a mall, knowing I would have access to dozens of shops just steps apart. I could try on clothing to my heart’s con…
This week began normally– did book work from 3rd Sunday. Everything balanced. Got a new political sign to replace the one stolen. Got two even. Went to Moore Tires to get lug nuts tightened af…
The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Mathew 9:37-38
Tis the season for vandals to steal political signs. Somehow Trump signs have been up for over four years and now that Harris signs are appearing along yards and roads, Harris signs are disapp…
A lot has happened in the last few weeks that necessitates further scrutiny. Just when you think something can’t get crazier… it does. Here are observations:
In 2020, the last year of the Trump administration an income of $59,000 could purchase a $400,000 home. Now in 2024, the last year of the Biden/Harris administration, a deflated income of $106…
Eventful week. Began Monday at Moore Tires in Macomb where I got the van aligned and two new tires on the front. Have not had to deal with this for a very long time and did not realize van was…
Most everybody in Henry County, and a lot of Southeast Iowa, know Jim Holaday. Back in the early ‘90s he started a business called Holaday Satellite, installing 10-foot satellite dishes. Remem…
I terrorize my stylist with pleas and threats when she leans in to cut my bangs. She knows that my happiness in life is tied to what happens in the next few minutes.
Letter to the Editor,
Monday was Labor Day. A day off work for some but a normal Monday for me as I always take Monday off from the store. One of my nephews met me to give me some plants from his mother’s funeral. …
All I know is my own story, and the stories of others whom I believe. I had an ugly skin cancer on my forehead called a neuroendocrine carcinoma. Yes, in all likelihood it was caused by sun. F…
Our parents did the best they could to keep us safe and happy. They protected us with a kind of stoic warmth that didn’t always seem soft and fuzzy, but let us know we were loved.
“You have money?” My granddaughter’s eyes expanded in wonder. “Like. Money?”
