The mom shook her exasperated head as if she’d heard it many times before. more

The headline in the March 15 issue of the Monticello (IA) Express caught my eye: "City council wards abolished after special election." On March 7, voters in the eastern Iowa city of 4,045 residents voted 139-122 to end their longstanding wards and elect all members of the city council "at large." more

March 24, 1983: Lisa Klindt, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ken Klindt of rural Walcott, was crowned Scott County Pork Queen. Among her duties, Lisa wanted to write a letter to Richard Simmons on the good qualities of pork, which Simmons contended was poor for dieters. Sheila Keppy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Keppy of rural Davenport, was named Pork Princess. more

Gary Abbott, of Donahue, provided a six-page statement to the Iowa Utilities Board with concerns about the Wolf Carbon Solutions pipeline route near his home. Here are edited excerpts with added headlines addressing three of Abbott’s key concerns. Find his entire statement with this story at northscottpress.com, along with links to others on the Iowa Utilities Board site. more

Edited excerpts from Wolf Carbon Solutions’ pipeline permit petition. Find links to the entire petition with this story online at northscottpress.com. more

The March Revenue Estimating Conference report on the state’s budget and revenue confirmed our pro-growth policies and responsible budgeting have been working. Our budget target for the next fiscal year is $8.486 billion and is the same target Gov. Kim Reynolds put forward. It is a 3.3-percent increase in state spending and continues our goal of responsible, conservative budgeting so we can focus on investing in important priorities and keep providing tax relief for Iowans.  more

Last week, we passed a fairly large government reorganization bill. This bill came from Governor Reynolds, with the purpose of streamlining many state operations and cutting down on excessive bureaucracy in our state government. more

By aligning functions and services that are similar, taxpayers will have a more straightforward process for interacting with the government and receiving the proper services without unnecessarily going to several agencies. more

"Think about this - in a district like North Scott, where seven school buildings are spread out over 220 square miles, from Eldridge to Long Grove, and Dixon to Princeton, one nurse would be responsible ..." more

"I am writing to thank Eldridge​​-area residents for sharing the true meaning of Christmas with children in need this past holiday season ..." more

"We wish Steve and his crew the very best of luck in this new chapter of their lives.  Your dedication and service to the community is very much appreciated ..." more

March 12-18 is National Sunshine Week, which has been celebrated every March since 2005 by the American Society of News Editors. Participants include print, broadcast and online news media, civic groups, non-profits, schools and libraries, "to enlighten the public about their right to government information and strengthen their communities." more