Opinion

R. Kelly once told us in a song that if we “believe it” we can achieve anything or even fly. The song goes on to say that it is a matter of working up a belief in ourselves in order to accomplish anything and “there is nothing to it.” Well, as much as I liked the original “Space Jam,” this type of believing has nothing to do with gospel or saving faith in biblical Christianity...

Severe illness and death from COVID-19 and COVID variants are now preventable. The simple prevention is a vaccination that is fully approved by the CDC and FDA. Hospitals and ICU wings have not surged beyond capacity with patients suffering side effects from the vaccine. ...

So jest you rear back and tell ol’ Alphonse here what you think of this, OK? Alphonse Wilson, here, the one they call Windy, a-course, bringin’ you whatever’s the latest stuff you need ta know jest to make your life a bunch gooder. This here guy did a write-up in a barber shop magazine t’other day ‘bout how we got goldanged lizards runnin’ the United States of Congress! If I’m lyin’ may my suspenders get caught in a grain drill and deposit my butt in the silo!...

“Yes Day,” a family film released this spring, was a modest success, with a premise that every child would dream of — a day where they flip the script and the kids (within reason) are in charge. A day of hijinks with their parents ensues, tickling funny bones and resulting in lots of parents across the country giving their kids a “Yes Day” of their own...

Saturday was a very mixed bag of emotions for me. Of course, like so many Americans and peace loving people around the world, I struggled to maintain a dry eye as I watched the continuing coverage of the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. ...

The extreme heat and drought of 2021 across much of the country has turned many lawns brown. Damaged lawns may be thin, contain dead patches or are overrun with weeds. Fall is a good time to improve the health and appearance of a weather-worn lawn. Start the process by evaluating the damage. Then plan a course of action and be prepared to follow through as needed with proper care...

We in the Lakes Region are fortunate to be given many options for a wide variety of music genres to enjoy. Last week the Pearson Lakes Art Center brought us two very different shows on two consecutive nights. Tuesday night BAT performed a one-man show that was such a delight to the packed Pomerantz Hall...

Doctrine. It’s what saves us. It’s what filled the city of Jerusalem (Acts 5:28). It’s what we pray will fill the City of Spencer. Many doctrines are found in the Holy Bible. Today let’s look at the doctrine (and examples) of miracles. Isaiah prophesied that “the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped, the lame will leap, and the tongue of the dumb will sing (Isaiah 35:5-6)...

Why President Biden, why? I have so many questions about the last couple of weeks. Questions that keep me up, stomach churning, teary-eyed as I watch a hopeless situation in Afghanistan. People so desperate to escape a country overrun by the Taliban they were willing to clean to the exterior of a rescue transport, hoping to hang on to escape the country only to fall to their death from the sky. ...

School has begun. Labor Day is past. There’s just one thing left to really signal the beginning of fall here in northwest Iowa. That’s the Clay County Fair. On Saturday, the gates will swing open after nearly two years, for nine days of fun. I, for one, can’t wait...

The Sioux Rapids Bulletin Press is such an enjoyable read each week. There are so many gems, from “Rebel of the Week” to “Days Gone By” in addition to the town’s activities. But my favorite, must read is “South on 71” by Ginny Smith. I get exhausted just reading about all she and Rusty do. ...

Sept. 12 is Grandparents Day and families are hoping to make up for time lost to the pandemic. We are more aware than ever that time together is precious. That’s why a new trend in prescription drug pricing has us concerned. Many policymakers, including those working on Medicare, have turned to a group called the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review to put a price on prescription drugs. ...

In response to the Sept. 6 article posted in the Spencer Daily Reporter titled: “Petition against SHS dress code enforcement tops 1,500 signatures.” At Spencer Schools, we take great pride in our students, our staff, our schools and our community. We have students who want to learn and grow as individuals. ...

If you believe that we, as a nation, are facing circumstances that are restricting our rights and spending our resources faster than we can afford, are you ready to learn about Article V of our beloved U.S. Constitution? Article V was designed to allow individual citizens and their local state government representatives the opportunity to counteract misplaced federal control and use a collective, common-sense approach by us, the governed, to determine the “good of the people.”...

These days, the media is full of stories about matters such as constitutional rights, personal choice, trustworthiness, and on and on. Indeed, the Fifth Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution declare that government cannot deprive any person of "life, liberty or property" without the process of law. ...