Opinion

By ART CULLEN

How times have changed. When I was born in Storm Lake 56 years ago the town was but 7,000 people. It has grown by fully 50% since.

A passenger train ran past the depot just south of our newspaper office (then Wisconsin Lumber, one of three or four in town).

By DON BEHM

“She’s just like new again” was the story about a boat being rebuilt. The picture and story were on the front page of The Storm Lake Times. There has to be a story about the she’s in the world. For some unknown reason anything that isn’t human is always female.

The City of Storm Lake contains over half of Buena Vista County’s population. The county seat generates nearly all the manufacturing activity for Buena Vista, except for Rembrandt Enterprises and Ranco of Sioux Rapids. Its parks provide for most of the outdoor recreation activity during temperate months. All the commercial property in Storm Lake pays a higher tax rate than farms or residences.

One would think that Jon Ites is running for Buena Vista County Supervisor, his contempt for Storm Lake is so great. No, but he is not running. Ites is the county engineer who was just awarded a three-year contract by the Board of Supervisors, despite the fact that he is supposed to retire in a year. He sends letters to the editor on the Buena Vista County email system trashing the Storm Lake Police Department because officers had the temerity to stop and ticket his adult daughter for a seatbelt violation.

By ART CULLEN

You could probably cut with a dull knife the tension in the air of the House tanning salon these days.

Steve King could not resist the mocking comeback at House Speaker John Boehner that was too cute by half.

By DON BEHM

Last year at this time all manner of red lights and alarms were set off when Gov. Terry Branstad proposed gutting the lake restoration account. We were greatly relieved, then, to learn on Wednesday that the governor proposes $8.6 million for the lake restoration account next fiscal year. It means that Storm Lake probably will not have to pull out all the stops again to save the restoration effort on more than 100 Iowa lakes.

Counties across Iowa are having a hard time keeping their roads and bridges up to date. Buena Vista County has more challenges than most with a higher number of paved miles than average. The State of Iowa has a purported shortfall of nearly $250 million because of declining road use tax revenues and increasing maintenance costs.

By ART CULLEN

Gov. Terry Branstad was doing his level best Monday to play hospitable Iowan to Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey before the assembled statehouse press corps. Let’s wait to see how this bridge scandal plays out. Christie was direct in his own press conference, expressed sadness and disappointment, and chopped off a couple heads for good measure.

By DON BEHM

You are probably thinking what a strange name for a Cracker Barrel story. You are correct. This was the name given when people listened in on the phone conversations of other people. Years ago everyone shared phone lines, especially rural phone lines.