The American Legion Auxiliary sends girls that have completed their junior year in high school every year to Girls State. more

A nonfiction picture book by local author Jill Esbaum, "Jack Knight's Brave Flight:  How One Gutsy Pilot Saved the U.S. Air Mail Service," has been named one of three 2023 Honor Books in the Children's Nonfiction category by the Chicago-based Society of Midland Authors at their annual awards banquet. more

The American/Schleswig-Holstein Society quarterly meeting will be held at 1:30 on Sunday May, 21, at the Walcott American Legion, 121 W. Bryant St., Walcott. more

Sally Sue Mordhorst, age 79, of Walcott, passed away Monday, May 8, 2023, at Wilton Retirement Community.  A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, May 12, at Calvary United Methodist Church, Walcott.  A visitation will be held from 10-11 a.m., prior to the service at the church.  Burial will take place in Walcott Cemetery.  Memorials may be given to Calvary United Methodist Church.  Online condolences may be left at www.bentleyfuneralhome.com. more

Darlene Hook, 91, of rural Wapello, died Sunday, April 30, 2023, at Great River Medical Center in West Burlington. more

Alan K. Kay, 82, a resident of Eldridge, died on Monday, May 1, 2023, at the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City, after an extended illness.  more

Lawmakers delivered on the Iowa Farm Bureau’s top priority: Strict limits on property tax increases, with more public votes on big capital projects, whether town councils or county boards borrow or not. more

"This is Teacher Appreciation Week. Let us celebrate our teachers in Iowa by showing them love and respect. The last several years have been difficult for all, but teachers had additional unforeseen burdens ..." more

"Given the vertiginous speed in which the Republican legislators passed bills this legislative session, and the lack of credible rationale for their passage, it’s time Iowans examine the carnage brought onto middle and lower economic status children ..." more

"Family farm groups from Iowa, Minnesota, and Missouri gathered in Des Moines on April 29 to celebrate the 90th birthday of our friend, country music legend Willie Nelson ..." more

May 4 was the final day of the 2023 session. Much of last week was taken up with debate over the $8.517 billion budget. During debate on the largest budget bill, Democrats claimed funding for Area Education Associations was being cut. more

The 2023 legislative session ended last week after some long days debating bills and finishing up budgets. We have allocated $8.517 billion for the next budget year, spending only 88.25 percent of ongoing revenue. Responsible budgets have been a key principle since Republicans took the majority in 2017, and have allowed us to fund important priorities, like an extra $107 million to K-12 schools this year. more

We heard from Republican lawmakers that the recently completed legislative session was “historic.” It sure was — historically small. more

May 9, 1973: North Scott area voters rejected a bond referendum that would have provided funding for a proposed junior high building an elementary school in Park View. The vote not only missed the 60 percent approval threshold, it failed to get a majority, with 55 percent of voters casting a “no” vote. School board president Phyllis Heuer expressed disappointment, but said, “We’ll wait about a month or so and think about where to go from here.” more

Friends and family of our 25-year NSP contributing writer and friend, Phil Roberts, came together at the Starlite Ballroom Saturday afternoon for a fitting farewell. Phil, 73, died Nov. 28, 2022, at Davenport Lutheran Home after a brave battle with Parkinson's. more

A question I hear frequently these days is, "How's retirement?" more

Copyediting shares with poetry a romantic attention to detail, to the punctuation mark and the ordering of words. more

The Iowa Legislature passed many significant — and many controversial — pieces of legislation in the four months of the 2023 session, but many still await Gov. Kim Reynolds’ signature before becoming law. more

Iowa’s area education agencies are indispensable to North Scott and all Iowa public school districts, board members and superintendent Joe Stutting said Monday. more

Jerry and Julie Skalak will present Egypt: An Amazing Wonder of the World Tuesday, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., May 16 at the Operahouse in DeWitt. more