I’m not a big fan of winter, but I’m especially not fond of that immediate period between Christmas and New Year’s. By the time you read this, my tree and the rest of the holiday accoutrements will be shoved back into the storage room. And with all the days off, I tend to sort of wander around, vaguely wondering what day of the week it is while listlessly shoving stale Christmas cookies in the general direction of my face. more

Thanks to the 123 letter writers and guest columnists on our 2024 NSP Opinion pages. more

Jan. 1, 1975: The Eldridge City Council voted to renew the city’s intent to annex portions of rural land. This was in response to reports that Davenport was looking to push for annexation to its northern borders. Eldridge was looking to annex land in Lincoln and Sheridan townships. more

Former NSP owner Bill Tubbs’ Impressions column appeared for 53 years on this page. Bill passed away Sept. 20. Here’s an excerpt from Dec. 25, 1974. more

Dec. 25, 1974: Grain thieves made off with $20,000 worth of soybeans from the Wes Rock farm in rural Eldridge. The FBI was analyzing two wagonloads of beans that had been detained in Clinton and Jones counties to see if Rock’s beans were included in those loads. Rock had been holding those beans, which represented 25 percent of his total crop for the year, in storage, hoping to get a higher price. If the beans could not be recovered, insurance would cover the loss, though Rock said he did not know the exact amount his insurance company would pay out.  more

When I retired from The NSP nearly two years ago, the last sports interview I conducted was with Kevin Tippet following the state semifinal loss to Cedar Rapids Xavier. In a way, it was only fitting, because my 25 years with Tippet was longer than any relationship I’d had with any other Lancer coach. more

The late NSP publisher Bill Tubbs reported on Jim Leach’s July 2017 speech to North Scott Rotary. more

Dec. 19, 1984: Cabbage Patch Dolls were all the rage for Christmas presents. But shoppers who weren’t lucky enough to get their hands on one could get a lookalike from Vicki Fischer of Dixon. Long before the Coleco company began marketing the dolls, crafters had been making the soft dolls and selling them at craft fairs. The only difference between the two was Cabbage Patch Dolls had molded plastic heads, and the lookalikes had fabric heads. But now, molded heads were available for crafters to purchase, and Fischer also included a “birth announcement” with her dolls. That said, she wouldn’t exactly be disappointed when the craze died down. “It has not really been my greatest love,” she said. more

Dec. 15, 1999:  Students at North Scott High School began a Key Club, which was a high school organization sponsored by Kiwanis International. Club members planned to wrap Christmas presents as a fundraiser and were looking for more projects. “It’s nice to get together to serve the community and not expect anything in return,” said club vice president Jill Pearson. more

Dec. 5, 1984: Although the news did not come as a complete surprise, employees at the International Harvester Farmall plant in Rock Island were still disappointed to hear the plan would close. Officials with the company were scheduled to meet with employees to reveal their plans for the 1,650 workers who would be unemployed, but Don Keding of rural Long Grove was one of many affected who said it would be tough to find a new job. “It’s going to be damn tough to find something that will even come close to giving workers the fringe benefits and high salaries that major manufacturing has provided in this area.” more

Former NSP owner Bill Tubbs’ Impressions column appeared for 53 years on this page. Bill passed away Sept. 20. Here's an excerpt from Nov. 28, 1984. more

Nov. 28, 1984: Marc Brown, author and illustrator of the popular “Arthur” children’s books, paid a visit to John Glenn Elementary School. He talked about his writing process, and made a large drawing based on student suggestions. Brown said he knew he wanted to be an artist when he was in second grade. “I promise I’ll keep writing more books if you guys go to the library to read them once in a while,” Brown told the students. more

In August, the Eldridge council adopted a social host ordinance, holding adult property owners liable for underage drinking in their homes. more

Nov. 20, 1974: North Scott sophomore Lisa Lau was surprised to learn that her prize-winning recipe for cheesecake cookies was selected to be in Better Homes & Gardens magazine. Lau won the cake and cookie division in the Milk Made Magic contest, sponsored by the Scott County Dairy Association, and prepared the cookies for judging at the Iowa State Fair. Several judges in that competition were associated with the magazine. Lau received a $50 check from the magazine for printing her recipe.  more

The election’s finally past, much to our relief, and the results were historic. Here’s a few reflections: more

Nov. 13, 1974: As Republican Robert Ray waltzed to an unprecedented fourth term, the GOP was also largely successful in Scott County elections. Ken Paulsen defeated William “Blackie” Strout to win his first full term as sheriff. Paulsen had been appointed to the position after Strout resigned. Richard Hagen also won his race for county recorder and would replace his father Clarence in the office. However, there was a significant upset in Iowa House District 24, as Democrat Herb Hinkhouse upset incumbent Edgar Holden. Holden was the majority leader in the Iowa House and had been expected to not only win a fourth term, but also play a major leadership role in the next legislative session. more

Nov. 11, 2009: A group of North Scott sophomores told their story to Scott Campbell after a teen drinking party led to a car accident in rural Clinton County. Caitlin Efstathiou, Leesha Jones, Leigh Cawiezell and Tyler Blondell wanted to share their experience to discourage other teens from making their mistakes more

The wheels or progress grind slowly, and the placing of a polling station in rather heavily populated Park View makes sense. more

Back in May, when Lancer Productions announced this year’s productions, I was so excited to hear that “Radium Girls” was part of the slate. more

Seventeen ancient images jammed into a notecard hinted at a story, and Carole Elston knew there had to be more to it. more