opinion

Gov. Reynolds attempting to bully Sheriff Marx into compliance

Friday, February 14, 2025 4:28 pm

Many have seen Sheriff Dan Marx’s letter outlining his department’s response regarding ICE. The USA Constitution prohibits search and seizures. Warrants issued by judges are required to do so, not detainers. I agree! And, you should have read Gov. Reynolds’ …

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Litigation, liability and debt

Friday, February 14, 2025 4:27 pm

Does anyone else remember the published opinion given by an independent expert at the time of the last MEU vote? He said that a community must not take on municipalization solely for rate relief, and that going through the lengthy …

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Absentee voting for the municipal electric utility special election begins Feb. 12

Friday, February 14, 2025 4:27 pm

Absentee voting begins this week, Wednesday Feb. 12, for the March 4 municipal electric utility special election. The Decorah City Council called for this MEU special election because of ongoing concerns from residents about Alliant’s high costs, and because of a …

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To be or not to be, that is the question

Friday, February 14, 2025 4:26 pm

Have you ever wondered why this state requires so many disciplines to be educated and licensed? And in all probability, there are good reasons to know that someone has met them. Chances are, you wouldn’t visit a doctor who wasn’t …

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Reliability of the Decorah Electric System 

Friday, February 14, 2025 4:26 pm

On March 4, Decorah residents will go to the polls to vote on whether the city should be authorized to create a Municipal Electric Utility, of which the initial costs are estimated at $85.6 million, according to a 2025 Preliminary …

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A lot of ‘ifs’ are at play following governor’s response to Sheriff Marx

Friday, February 14, 2025 4:25 pm

I’ll admit, I didn’t think the letter Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx wrote last week would turn out to be front page news. To me, the sheriff was simply explaining what actions his office might take if immigration officials were …

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‘Statistics and numbers can be very malleable’

Friday, February 7, 2025 4:15 pm

To the Editor: In an effort to strengthen the “vote yes” argument, some MEU proponents — some, not all — have tried very hard to paint Alliant Energy as a villain in this story. For my part, I don’t think …

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Thoughts on following Jesus’ example

Friday, February 7, 2025 4:13 pm

Thank you Marianne Edgar Budde and Catholic bishops for telling Trump what a man of God should be like and do. Our government has started picking up immigrants in California, even before they headed to their jobs picking oranges. The …

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Republicans mute about high costs

Friday, February 7, 2025 4:13 pm

No matter where we live, Iowans are impacted by the high costs of everyday goods and groceries. Donald Trump promised to bring down the cost of eggs, lower costs, and stop inflation. He proclaimed that prices would immediately fall if he …

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‘If it ain’t broke, what’s there to fix?’

Friday, February 7, 2025 4:12 pm

Residents, As a lifelong Decorah resident, I think all these three-column letters are getting old. I don’t spout wattage and kilowatt hours. It’s all on paper and not worth writing again. To me, it’s that easy-touch light switch.  I only …

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Passionate disagreement on matters of importance are a sign of healthy community

Friday, February 7, 2025 4:11 pm

Dear Editor, Luther College hosted over 150 business owners and citizens of Decorah on campus the last week in January for the 34th annual celebration of our relationship with the Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce and the bestowing of the …

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Why a no vote matters 

Friday, February 7, 2025 4:10 pm

On March 4, the residents of Decorah will go to the polls to vote on whether the city should be authorized to explore creating a Municipal Electric Utility. Supporters claim this vote only allows the city to see if it’s …

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A response to Klocke

Friday, February 7, 2025 4:10 pm

I’d like to correct some gross inaccuracies in Kent Klocke’s recent letter to the editor. Klocke begins by referring to the feasibility study commissioned by Decorah Power in 2017. He rightly asserts that the Decorah Power feasibility study included a …

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Fair warning: debate’s good, but the gate’s closing

Friday, February 7, 2025 4:08 pm

I had to chuckle while doing my proofreading this week, because I completely agree with the first line of Mr. Johnson’s letter to the editor — these three-column letters about Decorah’s proposed municipal electric utility are indeed getting old, regardless …

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Data and figures on electrical rates

Monday, February 3, 2025 9:56 am

Dear Editor, I would like to offer a more thorough analysis of electricity rates, comparing Alliant’s rates to those of other electricity providers. I will begin with a comparison between Alliant and MidAmerican Energy, the two investor-owned utilities that serve …

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