Springtime a couple of years ago we lost two old-timers in our neighborhood. They were showing their age, but it sure looked like they had a lot of good years left. They still waved to the kids when …

After spending Easter weekend with our families, the 13th week of session was busy as we talked about important issues in the Iowa Senate. One of the big issues debated this week was House File 2254, …

The Iowa Department of Transportation is again warning consumers of recent text phishing scams that is occurring across the country this spring. Citizens are receiving fraudulent text messages that …

If you steal from taxpayers, you should go to prison. It's as simple as that. But in Iowa, that's not what happens. Public dollars meant for schools, roads, and public safety have been …

Iowa has proven something many states are still struggling to figure out: you don't have to choose between public safety, accountability, and rehabilitation. You can have all three. Iowa's …

Ashley Hinson and Randy Feenstra might regret hitching their wagons to Donald Trump’s star. It could turn out to be the Hindenburg. Rep. Hinson says she is honored to fight beside Trump …

As waterfowl move through, avian flu again floats to the fore. Dr. James Roth, recently retired dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University, reminded us with a 2024 essay he …

Been there. Done that. That’s the way I look at the Artemis II moon orbit that the United States launched last week. Oh, it’s exciting for the astronauts on the 10-day lunar fly-by …

I’m tired of being held hostage. Aren’t you? This guy, bulldozing democracy with the same unconcern that he ravaged East Wing, says we have plenty of our own oil. In one breath, he says that we …

Growing up in the 30s, if you were a boy, meant owning a slingshot and hoping to soon own a .22 rifle. Making a slingshot was simple: Take the crotch of a tree branch of even a sapling that had …

In the movie version of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” attorney Atticus Finch’s young daughter Scout says to a schoolmate of hers at dinner, “What in the Sam Hill are you doing?” It’s the same …

While President Trump is playing 5D chess, his critics, detractors, and his enemies are struggling to get the drawer open that holds their checkers.  Jeff Myers, Newell   We …

It may be a surprise that last year’s biggest ag story — tariffs — was swept off today’s front pages by even bigger news: a Middle East war, its sharply higher fuel and fertilizer prices and …

We are in the final weeks of this year’s legislative session. While we continue debating bills, we are covering several topics brought to us by constituents, inspired by recent events in our state, …

Some of the best American-made liquid fuels are produced in Iowa: ethanol and biodiesel. This week, a House Ways and Means subcommittee advanced House File 2071, a bill I sponsored, and supported by …

President Trump took over the TV to tell the world that he intends to bomb Iran back into the Stone Age. God Bless America. And YABADABADOO! I had been thinking that I might be losing my …

Sunshine is good. It can power a solar array. It also can illuminate what goes on in the dark recesses of our government. The Cherokee County Board of Supervisors surprised the public with a 4-1 vote …

Lord knows I’m no fashion plate, but a recent trend really bugs me. It’s men wearing tailored suits with sneakers. I’ve seen it a lot in the last year or two, on TV and even at formal …

Let’s be honest. America is no longer the greatest nation in the world, and it certainly isn’t the happiest. It is usually considered the richest country by gross domestic product, but we all …

Noah Petersen and Priscilla Villarreal live 1,200 miles from each other, Petersen in Newton, Iowa; Villarreal in Laredo, Texas. They share a key connection despite that distance. Each has …