Following is a comment from Senator Chuck Grassley on the death of Aplington-Parkersburg High School football coach Ed Thomas. Grassley lives near New Hartford, approximately 9 miles east of Parkersburg.
"This is a tragic day. In our area of the state, it's hard not to know Coach Thomas. He was a pillar of the community. His success on the football field made him an icon in his profession, but the people who knew him will remember him most for his leadership off the field. His leadership to help pull up a community knocked off its feet by an F-5 tornado only a year ago will forever be etched in the minds of Parkersburg residents and Iowans across our state. For more than three decades Coach Thomas led young men in more than just the game of football. He led them in the lessons of life. Barbara and I express our deepest sympathies to his family."