Iowa

Morgan Brooke Caudill, the daughter of Lisa Renee and Phillip David Caudill of Crab Orchard, was born Tuesday, Nov. 11 at the Fort Logan Hospital at 7:02 p.m. She weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces and measured 18 1/4 inches at birth. Maternal grandparents are Edna House of Crab Orchard and Kenneth Caudill of Harrodsburg. Maternal grandparents are Eddie Wayne Anderson of Lancaster and Iowa Hoffman of Danville. She joins a brother, Corey Zeznanski, age 7 and sisters, Taylor Jade Caudill, age 2, Callie Breeanna Zeznanski, age 3, Ashely Madison Lee Caudill, age 7, and Hailey Alissanne Caudill, age 9.

Katie Cross of Jessamine Career and Technology Center was among the top students in the country selected to attend the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute Oct. 13-15 in Des Moines, Iowa. The World Food Prize was founded 25 years ago by Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug in order to recognize and inspire great achievements in improving the quality, quantity and availability of food in the world. In order to be considered for participation, students from across Iowa and the United States researched global food-security issues in the country of their choice and then submitted papers on those critical topics, which they also presented to renowned experts and scientists.

Charles Elvin Hilton, 87, of Louisville, died Wednesday, Aug. 6 in Louisville. A native of Brodhead, he was a retied yard master for the L & N Railroad and a member of Fern Creek Christian Church and the Lincoln County Historical Society. Survivors include three daughters, Rebecca J. Hilton, Iva D. Bradford, and LuAnn Thoman of Davenport, Iowa; two sisters, Eva J. Franz of Clarksville, Ind., and Mildred Bowling of LaGrange; one brother, Harry E. Hilton of Kettering, Ohio; 12 grandchildren; and 14 great grandchildren.

It's time America stopped letting a bunch of cob cultivators and sap suckers decide who our presidents are going to be. It's time to let a bunch of booze distillers and burley growers get in on the act. Iowa produces great corn. But why should a state of only two million, mostly white people, have such a big say in our presidential elections? And when you get down to the real numbers involved in Iowa's caucuses, only 10 percent of the state's population shows up at those complicated caucuses where the votes are weighted so that a tiny burg's results are valued the same as larger towns'.

Is it all over but the shouting? Proponents of gay marriage may have reason to think so after major victories in Iowa and Vermont this month. On April 3, a unanimous Iowa Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, and four days later the Vermont Legislature overrode the governor's veto to enact a bill allowing same-sex marriage. Of course, four states (Massachusetts and Connecticut are the other two) is still a long way from 50. Culture-war shouting will continue unabated on many fronts: lawsuits, protests, ballot initiatives and state constitutional amendments.

WASHINGTON - The Democratic contest in Iowa - and possibly the battle for the party's presidential nomination - hangs on whether Hillary Clinton can use the next two weeks to encourage second thoughts about Barack Obama, and get voters to take a second look at her. A month and a half ago, Clinton was widely seen as the inevitable victor. Now, she faces a moment of great peril. For most of 2007, Clinton benefited from a virtuous cycle. Her continuing lead in the polls slowly eased Democratic doubts about her ability to beat the Republicans next fall.

Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Petersen will observe their 50th wedding anniversary Saturday at their home, 171 Cherokee Drive. The couple were married at the Congregational Church in Harlan, Iowa, on Feb. 2, 1958. The late Dale Petersen was his brother's best man and LuAnn Gustafson was her sister's maid of honor. They have lived in seven states (Nebraska, Iowa, Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Kansas and South Dakota) and moved more than 34 times within 25 years. Mr. Peterson worked as a construction superintendant with Elliott Construction for 28.5 years and his wife worked as a registered nurse and retired from Clark Regional Medical Center with 19 years of service.

James "Jim" Edward Gugeler, 85, widower of Ethel Bryant Gugeler, died Sunday, Sept. 30, at the VA Hospital. Born in Burlington, Iowa, he was a son of the late Edward and Edna Gugeler. He was a retired mechanical engineer of Mason and Hanger and a World War II Air Force meteorologist veteran. He graduated from Iowa State University, a member of Southern Hills United Methodist Church and a member of Methodist Men's. He was also a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and past vice president of the national group, American Orchid Society, Board of Trustees for Jessamine County Library, and a state board member of the Kentucky Library Association.