Easter! Ready to know what happens next

By Pastor Pam Reinig

Stephen replied, “…The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran.” Acts 7:2 

Mark and I have inconsistent TV viewing habits. We’ll watch several episodes of a series and then stop. And then come back again. For viewers like us, it’s nice to have each show preceded a good “previously on” refresher of what we saw earlier.

A recap that starts the next season of a show or even the next episode is essential. If it’s well-made, the whole story comes sweeping back. It reminds you of what’s already happened so that you’re right back in the action, ready to know what happens next.

On duty with the 9th Engineers in the 7th Army, Robert Swenson is shown standing in the snow in front of one of the large bulldozers he had to use as a combat engineer. (Courtesy photo)

An Army engineer remembers Germany

By Jerry Wadian

      It was 1963 when Robert Swenson got his draft notice. As a farmer, he could apply for deferment but his father, a Navy man in World War I, told him, “You’ll regret it if you don’t go.”

      So, he left the farm and went to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for basic training. After graduation, Swenson was sent to AIT (Advanced In-dividual Training) to be a combat engineer.

      “I didn’t ask for engineering, but the Army looked at my aptitude tests and thought I’d be good at it,” Swenson stated.

       In addition, the engineer-to-be didn’t have to travel far to learn his craft – the school was located at Leonard Wood.

To the people of House District 68

By Representative Chad Ingels

      Week 10 is the second funnel week for the 2024 legislative session. To pass the second funnel, bills originating in the House must pass a Senate committee and Senate bills must pass a House committee.

      So far this year, the Senate has only passed 57 bills, with zero in week 10, while the House has passed 163 bills. With that in mind, there wasn’t a lot of push for House committees to do much this week.

      I serve on four policy committees, Agriculture, Education, Economic Growth and Technology, and Veterans Affairs. Each of my committees only considered one Senate bill, except for Economic Growth, which considered none.

Greetings from the Statehouse

By Representative Michael Bergan

      This is the week of the second funnel, meaning that by the end of the day Friday (March 15), all bills eligible for debate on the House Floor must have been passed by either the House or the Senate. As such, things have been very busy amongst the legislators as we work together to decide which bills to advance.

      Speaking of bills, some of the bills that passed in the House this week involved the regulation of products containing THC and school safety. But while time has been scarce, it has not been scarce enough to the point where I could not find to meet with visitors to the Capitol. Some of these visitors included members of MiEnergy and Allamakee-Clayton Rural Electric Cooperative, and members of the Iowa State Association of Counties. 

      Here are some notable bills that were passed in the House this week.

Tribes of the Turkey River

Submitted by Terry Landsgaard

      Prairie du Chien was a real melting pot of cultures and peoples. Its location at the mouth of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers was perfect for all kinds of gatherings and confrontations. 

      Three major western cultures converged in Prairie du Chien; the French Canadian, British and American.  Each of them had a major "playing field" for this rich cultural center. 

From the pastor's desk

Submitted by Josh Schunk

Friends in the Community,

Greetings to each and every one of you from God our loving heavenly Father and our living Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Where do you look when you want to find Jesus? Many of us have those places we turn to when we are in need of God’s presence in our lives. Some of us look through the pages of Scripture (that is the first place we should look). When we read the Bible, we see Jesus intersecting with our lives. We read those stories where we are told that Jesus is with us and helps us to get through any situation we may face.

Tribes of the Turkey River

Submitted by Terry Landsgaard

      Because of the valuable concessions of the treaties the United States made with the various tribes, annuities were paid out as immediately as possible to the Native Americans.

      The July 29 agreement with the Ottawa, Potawatomi and Chippewa called for $16,000 annual payments forever.  There was a $12,000 present, 50 barrels of salt, to be delivered to the Native Americans at Chicago forever, and the "assignment" of money and land to particular Native tribes and half breeds.

NFV Community Coalition holds meeting

Submitted by Rev. David Coffin, retired, NFVCC Board Member

      The North Fayette Valley Community Coalition Executive Committee met Tuesday March 5, at the Elgin office on Canoe Road. Among the topics discussed included community resources for family, help and personal needs throughout Fayette County. We tried to identify contact persons for the respective organization, church, or business.

From the Fayette County Board of Supervisors

Submitted by Supervisor Janell Bradley
      "I have chosen to not seek reelection to the Fayette County Board of Supervisors in the fall November election. In large part, I am disappointed to see Iowa's county supervisors being given less local control as the Iowa Legislature continues to impose unfunded mandates. 

      While I thoroughly enjoyed my first term as a supervisor, the second half of my second term has me feeling the state Legislature wants to rule counties from Des Moines, while making it appear they are cutting taxes. What will likely result, is eventual cuts in services at the local level, unless there are modifications made regarding HF718.

Greetings from the Statehouse

By Representative Michael Bergan

      It has been a productive week here at the Capitol, full of many high-profile bills getting passed on the House Floor. Some of those bills included laws that would ensure election integrity here in Iowa, raise teacher's starting salaries, and address the growing problem of fentanyl.

      Outside of debate, I met with other members of the Appropriations and State Government committees to narrow down which bills to send through the second, and smaller, funnel of the session. There were also plenty of guests with staff from the Decorah Public Library visiting the Capitol on Tuesday and members of the Iowa Hospital Association attending on Wednesday. 

      Here are some notable bills that passed through the House this week.