Editorial

BY ART CULLEN

We’ve been reading up on climate change and how it might affect agriculture and food processing. First, you should be happy to know that Iowa State University and its associated labs have taken the lead in research and reporting. Deserving special note are Drs. Gene Takle, Jerry Hatfield and Rick Cruse, who have contributed substantially to the national discussion; Takle shared in a Nobel Prize for his work on climate modeling. These are top-flight scientists, agronomists and climatologists who have issued sober analysis about climate impacts.

This editorial from the first issue of The Storm Lake Times, June 29, 1990, expresses the philosophy that gov­erns this news­pa­per. It is published annually on the anniversary of The Times founding as an affirmation of our principles.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pur­suit of Happiness.

BY ART CULLEN

BY ART CULLEN

Two studies published over the past couple weeks intertwine interestingly: The Wall Street Journal reported May 27 that the economic blight that beset urban America in the early 1980s has shifted to rural areas: fewer jobs, higher divorce rates, out-migration and a brain drain. The Democracy Fund’s Voter Study Group analyzed the election of Donald Trump as President. It found through 8,000 detailed surveys of voters that white, non-college-educated voters were driven by attitudes about race, culture and Muslims.

BY ART CULLEN

Dan Smith is Storm Lake. He sat facing headwinds with his dad, Joe, trying to catch a catfish from the muddy roil off Chautauqua Park jetty. He crooned the Beatles in a high school garage band and the pretty girls dug him. They still do, judging from the photo above the fold on Page One of The New York Times on Tuesday. There he was at the bar with a lovely laying a hand on him as he spoke the truth about Our Hometown.

BY ART CULLEN

Following a historic run by Terry Branstad as the longest-serving governor in US history, Kim Reynolds created significant history last week by becoming the first female governor of Iowa. Branstad is off to China as our ambassador, bless him, and Reynolds is off on a tour of The Tall Corn State introducing herself in a new role. She is a blank slate, really. She seems nice and moderate. She spoke last week in bipartisan tone, which is easy enough after such a horrible streamrolling by the Republicans and Branstad in the last session.

BY ART CULLEN

BY ART CULLEN

Jesse Barnett, who lives on a stub of College Street blocked by the railroad tracks, has a legitimate beef. That little stub is a wreck. It has gone from asphalt to gravel. Rerod sticks up and punctures tires. It is a forgotten little street, but there are houses along each side. They pay property taxes just like someone on Lake Avenue. They pay sales taxes. And as they puncture tires taking their vehicle in for wheel realignment, they are paying fuel taxes that are supposed to be used to take care of College Street.

BY ART CULLEN

The Iowa Supreme Court has informed us that the state bears no responsibility for dumping repeat geriatric sex offender William Cubbage on a private nursing home in Pomeroy. The state wanted to spring him from the sex offender unit in Cherokee to save money — kicking him to a nursing home would shift the cost of his care to the Medicaid program. So it went that William Cubbage was placed at the Pomeroy Care Center, where he raped resident Mercedes Gottschalk in her room.

BY ART CULLEN

The first of them go forward this weekend across the stage for Alta-Aurelia and good old St. Mary’s, our alma mater, full of relief, joy and aspiration. Some of them will keep on walking, and we pray their path is smooth. Others will stay among us and flower where they’re planted. Every time this year, as we grow a longer tooth and conjure musty smells of old stairwells, we offer our friendly exhortations.

Our first always is this: