Sun Courier

12/07/2024

Help G-R select the district's next secondary principal.

12/07/2024

FREE Inside Out 2 showing! Tomorrow night only - Saturday, July 13!

12/07/2024

The front & back of this week's Sun Courier. Hope you'll !

12/07/2024

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) addresses National Social Media Day which took place on June 30 this year.

National Social Media Day took place on June 30 this year. Q: What comes to mind in observation of National Social Media Day? A: As an early adopter of social media, I appreciate the opportunity to use technology to directly communicate with constituents. Representative government is a two-way stree...

12/07/2024

A letter to the editor from Anne Michael of Tama.
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"Eighty percent of Americans see our country as polarized. They see polarization as a blockade to governing because the two polarized political parties can’t work together to legislate. ..."

Eighty percent of Americans see our country as polarized. They see polarization as a blockade to governing because the two polarized political parties can’t work together to legislate. However, fifty percent of Iowans enjoy polarization. This is obvious because they support a candidate who has sai...

12/07/2024

Adair County farmer and columnist Barb Kalbach writes about the Iowa Utilities Board's recent greenlighting of the Summit Carbon Solutions’ pipeline project in Iowa.

Corporate ag kingpin Bruce Rastetter has made many investments in his career, but it’s hard to imagine a bigger payoff than his high-dollar political donations to Governor Kim Reynolds. The Reynolds-appointed Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) gave Rastetter what he wanted on June 25 when it greenlighted ...

12/07/2024

With so many local candidates & issues (Tama County EMS as an essential service to name just one!) on the upcoming Nov. 5 General Election ballot, local columnist Sean Dengler urges people to think locally & VOTE.
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"While the two running for president make most people not feel good, be the one who does good by voting for the (local) candidate who will help their community the most and/or be the one who most helps the community. It is that simple.

It would be an understatement to say this upcoming presidential election does not have the electorate fired up. Each candidate has their flaws, and neither feel like a once-in-a-lifetime, straight-from-central-casting presidential candidate. With it being a runback of 2020 no one was clamoring for;....

12/07/2024

The Gladbrook-Reinbeck baseball team surrendered three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and suffered a 3-2 loss to Fort Dodge St. Edmond in last Saturday’s first-round game in Class 1A District 6 bracket.

FORT DODGE — The Gladbrook-Reinbeck baseball team surrendered three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and suffered a 3-2 loss to Fort Dodge St. Edmond in last Saturday’s first-round game in Class 1A District 6 bracket. The Rebels (3-21) led 2-0 through five innings before the host Gaels (8-...

12/07/2024

Obituary for Mary Bess “Bess” Fulster, age 95, of Urbandale and formerly of rural Gladbrook.

Mary Bess “Bess” Fulster, age 95, passed away peacefully early Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at Illahee Hills Independent Living Center, Urbandale, Iowa. Bess was born April 29, 1928 in Hampton, Iowa to Edwin Wheelock and Hazel Irene Wilson. She grew up in Marshalltown, Iowa, graduated from Marsh...

12/07/2024

The biggest area of discussion during the Monday, July 1 Tama County Board of Supervisors’ meeting was the agenda item concerning the appointment of an interim zoning administrator.

Following a somewhat heated public comment session held at the top of the meeting, the supervisors appointed Garrison Reekers, Tama County Safety Director, as temporary Zoning Administrator due to zoning work getting backed up.

TOLEDO – The biggest area of discussion during the Monday, July 1 Tama County Board of Supervisors’ meeting was the agenda item concerning the appointment of an interim zoning administrator. The 15 minute comment time allowed multiple people from the audience to have their say on the topic, incl...

12/07/2024

The Alpha Study Club met at the home of Marcia Koester on May 28 with 16 members present to review Iowa native Bill Bryson's book "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid."

GLADBROOK – Alpha Study Club met at the home of Marcia Koester on May 28 with 16 members present. Vice President Deb Wentzien called the meeting to order in the absence of President Avriel Koester who had knee surgery. The Secretary’s and Treasurer’s reports were read. There was no corresponde...

12/07/2024

Lilly Bru, Iowa’s 2024 Pork Queen, was the featured speaker at the Garwin Lions Club's June 13 meeting.

GARWIN — Lilly Bru, Iowa’s 2024 Pork Queen, was the featured speaker at the Garwin Lions June 13 meeting. Bru is the daughter of Laura and Ryan Bru, of rural Gladbrook, where the family is engaged in row-crop farming. She was elected the Iowa Pork Queen in January of 2024. The selection process ...

12/07/2024

Thank you to Tama-Grundy Publishing correspondent Margaret Thomsen for her excellent coverage of this year’s spectacular Garwin Freedom Days! 🇺🇸

A selection of photos features in color on the back page of this week's Sun Courier.

12/07/2024

A new plan for Iowa agriculture seeks to increase the state’s production of food rather than ethanol and animal feed, the Iowa Food System Coalition announced at a July 8 press conference. Iowa House District 53 Democratic candidate Tommy Hexter (D-Grinnell) was one of four featured speakers during the presser.

DES MOINES – A new plan for Iowa agriculture seeks to increase the state’s production of food rather than ethanol and animal feed, the Iowa Food System Coalition announced at a July 8 press conference. The plan, known as Setting the Table for All Iowans, outlines the coalition’s policy goals w...

12/07/2024

It's almost fair time! The Tama County Livestock and Fair Association invites you to the 2024 Tama County Fair set for NEXT WEEK, July 15-21, at the fairgrounds in Gladbrook. Click below for a round-up of highlighted daily activities and events.

GLADBROOK – Each July, over 200 4-H and FFA members enter their exhibits at the Tama County Fair. Ribbons and trophies are earned. Even more important, goals are met, lessons are learned and friendships are made. The Tama County Livestock and Fair Association invites you to come to the Tama County...

12/07/2024

The GMG school board took one more baby step forward in the process required to put a bond referendum on the ballot this November to replace the district’s nearly century-old secondary building in Garwin.

“When I speak with anyone in the community, I don’t hear anything different that we should do except take down that old [secondary] building,” board member Ann Jackson said. “I don’t think we’re going to get a different answer by putting this off … We already know the answer.”

GREEN MOUNTAIN – The GMG school board took one more baby step forward in the process required to put a bond referendum on the ballot this November to replace the district’s nearly century-old secondary building in Garwin. The bulk of the board’s regular meeting this past Monday evening was spe...

12/07/2024

The weather was hot, humid, and sunny last Thursday afternoon for Reinbeck’s 4th of July Grand Parade enabling all the patriotically dressed folks from both near and far to rather comfortably enjoy the roughly half-hour, annual procession through town. 🇺🇸

Gallery below + several photos feature in today's Sun Courier on newsstands now.

Story link: https://www.sun-courier.com/news/local-news/2024/07/12/let-freedom-ring/

10/07/2024

05/07/2024

Front & back to this week's Sun Courier. Congratulations again to Reinbeck's Dale Wambold on his recent honor & to Garwin's Abe Dieleman for being selected by the Iowa Cattlemen's Association to serve as an intern in D.C. this summer!

Enjoy the holiday weekend! (preferably ours!) 🇺🇸

05/07/2024

Sean Dengler writes this week about dollar stores following the recent financial difficulties experienced by Dysart's Bobby's Grocery and BBQ.
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"An argument can be made that Dollar General is only going to make their competitors more competitive, but this is not the case ... chain dollar stores have the resources to lose money indefinitely in a community until their competitors have folded.

"This means they can drive their competitors out of business and once they are the only store in town, they can extract more wealth from the community which will not be reinvested.

"No one has ever said a Dollar General adds culture to a town. Locally-owned grocery stores do."

The recent news of Bobby’s Grocery and BBQ in Dysart asking for support illustrates locally the perils of running a small-town grocery store. As noted by KWWL, the derecho did not help but more importantly, Dollar General came to town. While Americans love a good pull-them-up-by-their-bootstraps s...

05/07/2024

Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party Rita Hart writes about the recent Iowa Supreme Court ruling on abortion.
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"Last Friday’s Iowa Supreme Court decision to uphold and implement Governor Kim Reynold’s and Iowa Republican’s 6-week abortion ban is one of many ways Iowa Republicans are trying to control women’s bodies and how they build their families. ..."

=Last Friday’s Iowa Supreme Court decision to uphold and implement Governor Kim Reynold’s and Iowa Republican’s 6-week abortion ban is one of many ways Iowa Republicans are trying to control women’s bodies and how they build their families. Just the week prior to the abortion ruling, Iowa At...

05/07/2024

Local flower farmer Holly Robertson writes this week about dried flowers coming back in vogue. What? Really??? Really, she says.
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"As a kid in the 70s, I remember being fascinated by Strawflowers and intrigued by the weird, velvety Cockscomb Celosia my mom would hang to dry in our garage, but I’ll admit I wasn’t a fan ... but as I’ve learned more about dried flowers, I’ve realized there is so much more to them!"

Dare I say dried flowers are making a comeback? If social media is an indicator, with posts of dried wedding bouquets and dried flower installations, then it must be true, right? (As we all know, everything on the internet is true, haha!) Now, some of you might be thinking “I didn’t know they’...

05/07/2024

Obituary for Elaine Alvena Dreessen Thede, 91, of Gladbrook.

Elaine Alvena Dreessen Thede, 91, of Gladbrook passed away Monday morning, June 24, 2024, at Westbrook Acres Nursing Home in Gladbrook. Funeral services were held Friday, June 28, 2024, at Peace United Church of Christ in Gladbrook. Visitation was held one hour prior to service. Interment followed s...

05/07/2024

On June 13, the annual Gladbrook Corn Carnival Collectors Fair was held in the Gladbrook Memorial Building. Nineteen exhibitors had their unique collections on display for the public to view. Learn all about this year's fair courtesy of Pauline Flamme.

GLADBROOK – On June 13. 2024, the annual Gladbrook Corn Carnival Collectors Fair was held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Gladbrook Memorial Building. Nineteen exhibitors had their unique collections on display for the public to view. In addition to many local exhibitors, the fair also drew exhibito...

05/07/2024

Further details on South Tama County High School Class of 2024's Jenna Meyer's selection as the inaugural Wilson Scholar. Thanks to a generous endowment from Traer native David Wilson, at least one Tama County high school graduate (any Tama Co. high school) will be given a FREE RIDE to the University of Northern Iowa to major in business just like Jenna!

Although Jenna Meyer is quiet, her newest accomplishment speaks volumes. A member of the South Tama County High School Class of 2024, Meyer was awarded in late May the newly established David W. Wilson Scholars Endowed Fund Scholarship from the University of Northern Iowa. The scholarship covers tui...

05/07/2024

Dinsdale native David Voigts writes about all there is to see this month in the night sky.

For those desiring to learn more, a Star Party sponsored by the Grout Museum + Black Hawk Astronomy Club will take place at Prairie Grove Park in Waterloo on Saturday, July 13 from 9-10:30 p.m.

July will be a special month in the sky. Scorpius (the Scorpion), the most characteristic constellation in the summer sky, will be at its highest and best for observing. To find it look south as soon as it gets dark for the bright reddish star Antares that represents the heart of the scorpion. Its b...

05/07/2024

Congratulations to Reinbeck native Ainsley Slade upon being named to Upper Iowa University's Dean’s List for the Spring 2024 semester!

FAYETTE – Upper Iowa University is pleased to announce the Dean’s List for the Spring 2024 semester. To be honored, the undergraduate must have earned a minimum 3.50 GPA and be enrolled as a full-time student. Among those named to the Dean’s List was Ainsley Slade, a Biology major from Reinbec...

05/07/2024

Barely a month into summer vacation it’s already that time again – time to start thinking about heading back to the classroom for the 2024-25 school year at Gladbrook-Reinbeck Rebel Page. Get ALL the details in this week's Sun Courier on registration, nutrition, payments, open houses, orientation, and more.

REINBECK – Barely a month into summer vacation it’s already that time again – time to start thinking about heading back to the classroom for the 2024-25 school year. Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School parents will receive ‘mail-in’ registration information for the upcoming school year via...

05/07/2024

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is conducting a dozen in-person farmland lease meetings in Central Iowa in early August including in Toledo on Monday, Aug. 5 and also in Grundy Center.

ALTOONA – Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is conducting a dozen in-person farmland lease meetings in Central Iowa in early August. Meeting sites include Adel, Altoona, Ames, Boone, Grinnell, Grundy Center, Indianola, Knoxville, Newton, Marshalltown, Oskaloosa, and Toledo. Participants...

05/07/2024

New & notes from last week's Tama Co. Board of Supervisors meeting.

TOLEDO – Last Monday morning, before the heat decided to settle on Tama County for the day, the usual band of locals gathered for the Board of Supervisors weekly meeting. The county engineer gave his report saying they are still working on cleaning up debris from the flooding a few weeks back. Wor...