Opinion

To the Editor,

   It has been almost 200 years since the late 1820s when Reuben Ely came from Bucks County, Pa., to Monticello Township in Jones County, Iowa. (This is now Lovell Township.) Sixty-seven years after Reuben and his family came to Iowa, he and his son, Reuben Ely, Jr., built a stone bridge northwest of Monticello. The bridge was built over Wet Creek – also known as Deer Creek.

    As we approach the second anniversary of a tragedy that shocked the people of Davenport and brought national attention to the issue of building safety, government secrecy continues to cloud public understanding of just what happened and who to hold accountable.

   The tragedy occurred a few minutes before 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 28, 2023, when the back wall of a Davenport apartment building gave way, bringing down much of the six-story residence that occupied a quarter block across the street from City Hall.

To the Editor,

   May 1 is National Day of Prayer. The nation surely needs it!

   Motley First United Methodist Church will ring its church bell at noon on May 1. Will the rest of Jones County join in ringing the church bells? Would Iowa? Would the nation join us?

Lois Jess

Morley, Iowa

To the Editor,

   As children, many of us occasionally believe we are something we are not. Most do not carry this into adulthood, replacing the earlier fantasy with feelings “if I had MY way, I would…”

   Unfortunately, some do.