When I was a kid in the late 1950s, going to Midnight Mass on Christmas at St. Mary’s Church was a big deal. It was a coming-of-age moment. I don’t remember at what age I was allowed to go. It …

This famous editorial, written by Francis P. Church, first appeared in The New York Sun on Sept. 21, 1897, in response to a letter to the editor from an 8-year-old girl. The Storm Lake Times Pilot is …

Fred just emailed telling me to do something that is not in the offing this soon after prostate surgery, otherwise I would. And Merry Christmas to you, too, Fred old pal. I have reached an …

My hope by sharing these stories is that we can all get to know our community a little better. I feel thankful to have met so many amazing people in the Storm Lake area who are working hard to build …

It was Christmas time and I was at Fort Riley, Kan., training to be a radio operator. I was 18 years old and this would be my first Christmas away from home. Because Christmas fell on the weekend …

When the legislature returns to Des Moines in 2026, one issue will cut across every community and every income level: property taxes. Whether you live on a farm, in a small town, or in a growing …

It’s time to deliver for working Iowa families. That means all legislators working to find common ground and move past nearly a decade of single-party policymaking that has left too many Iowans …

First, the good news, but it began as bad news In March the current president issued an Executive Order to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). If you’ve never …

For years our schools have emphasized to kids that they shouldn’t bully others, especially online. Our Storm Lake schools teach our students to be nice to each other. We’ve had many …

The new president of the Iowa Board of Regents, Robert Cramer, thinks that our state universities are too liberal. Cramer earned an engineering degree at Iowa State University, and does not appear to …

Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell’s decision to accept Penn State’s head football coaching position devastates Cyclone fans, gladdens Nittany …

To truly experience the Trump tariff rollercoaster, hop on the ear-popping ride American cattlemen, meatpackers, and U.S. beef eaters have been on over the past few …

Can’t live with them, can’t live without them. Farm subsidies, that is. They distort markets, suppress diversity, and create winners and losers. We can’t get by without …

Rising electricity costs are becoming a prickly issue in politics. Higher rates and costs were a major issue in recent state and local elections nationwide. Data centers and cryptocurrency are …

One of the biggest fallacies in American politics is that we don’t have enough money to build roads and schools, provide healthcare for all, solidify Social Security, service the national debt …

Thanksgiving weekend brought a lot of snow to most of our state. For once, the forecast was on the money. Darn it. One of the joys of living in an apartment building is that someone else gets to …

There seems to be a lack of consistency — if not outright contradictions — in the president’s messaging on drug trafficking into the United States. Recent news headlines bear …

What will you be doing in the year 2033? If you’ll still be younger than 67 years of age, there are innumerable answers. But if you’re 67 or older by then, chances are the Number One …

Very soon on Dec. 9, there will be a special election in Sac County. This election is to fill the seat at the Iowa house for District 7 which covers Sac, Calhoun, Pocahontas and parts of Webster …

Detasseling at best is brutal, gritty, dirty work. If you are doing half-mile rows, going from one end to the other is going to take you around an hour, meaning you get to access your water at best …