Opinion

     In May of 2017, my dad got a job in Oregon. The whole family was ecstatic about it. Oregon is arguably one of the most beautiful places in the world, with forests, ocean, mountains, and of course, the City of Portland. About a month later, my family took a trip to see him. It didn’t take too long before our visions were turned into reality.

     Everyone thinks of Oregon entirely as a lush piece of land with trees and waterfalls. What most people don’t know is while part of the state has all those things, the other part is desert.

To the Editor,

     I have worked at Jones Regional Medical Center for the past 14½ years. During that time, I have had the privilege of being involved in building a new hospital, an expansion project and seeing healthcare in our community go from the perceived “band aid” station to a pillar in our entire Jones County area community. It is now the first stop for many to receive healthcare and a great source of community pride!

     Our rural communities have rich histories, natural beauty and hard-working people. Most rural residents love where they live and want to stay put. Many others would like to relocate and enjoy the small-town Iowa lifestyle.

     The Monticello City Council has been discussing and considering best practices related to the collection of garbage, recycling, and yard waste in Monticello off and on for many years.

     In 2007, the Council gave serious consideration to contracting the collection of waste versus buying a new truck. The Council purchased a new truck and continued to collect solid waste. In December 2015, the City Council contracted with Republic to collect dumpsters, not including recycling dumpsters.