I have been kicking myself since being reminded that procrastination comes with a price. This lesson arrived the week before Christmas when I spotted a small obituary in the Bloomfield Democrat. …
We lost a great one when Paul Struck died on Monday at age 78. Our sympathies go to his wife, Darla, and family. The editor of the Cherokee Chronicle Times will be missed dearly. He was a …
On November 5 th , 2024, the American people delivered a mandate for our government by electing President Trump and Republican majorities to Congress. Like me, our families and neighbors want secure …
The four-page executive summary of the November-issued report on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) doesn't predict when or how the hopefully-named "green" aircraft fuel will be produced. Instead, …
A big shout out to the residents of Euclid Street on Christmas Eve. In fact on Christmas Eve it should be called Luminary Lane. Great job neighborhood. So this is a big atta boy and atta girl to you …
If you’re reading this, there is no avoiding 2025. It can’t be that bad. 2024 wasn’t the greatest, may old acquaintance be forgot. People poking in indiscreet places, a lot of that, …
Why the results surprised anyone is itself a surprise. After the state of California began testing dairy herds for highly pathogenic avian influenza, known also as bird flu or H5N1, in August, …
Tis the season when professional and amateur theaters and drama clubs mount productions of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Some may find the story overly wrought or too …
Fast-moving mutation and spread of avian flu to humans should set off alarms and be met with an all-out effort to protect health and a reliable, safe food supply. Unfortunately, there is a prevailing …
Congress extended the farm bill for another year as part of a spending deal approved last weekend that avoided a government shutdown. The five-year farm bill should have been approved in 2023 but has …
Two of my favorite days happened this week: Dec. 25, Christmas; and Dec. 21, the Winter Solstice. The reason I like Christmas should be obvious. I like the Winter Solstice because it’s the …
When I was a little boy living in the Chicago area, my parents welcomed a teenage girl, Linda, into our home for about eight months. My father previously was a pastor in Creston, Iowa, and …
When it comes to freedom of religion and the rights enshrined in the 45 words of the First Amendment, the devil is in the details in Iowa. Gov. Kim Reynolds' administration recently revoked …
There are roughly 1,200 positions in the federal government that require Senate confirmation. The first cabinet official was confirmed in 1789 when the Senate unanimously approved President George …
Each of us probably has a list of family members and friends to whom we give gifts at Christmastime (and sometimes on other special days as well, like birthdays.) It’s a heartwarming tradition, …
In addition to Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Day, Iowans have another reason to celebrate during the last week of the year. On December 28, 1846, President James K. Polk signed a bill …
Before 2024 slides into history, some noteworthy farm and food updates, please, to ensure these stories go with it. First, on Dec. 10, two judges–one federal judge in Oregon, the other a …
A share of Iowa’s Republican electorate appears ready to abandon Senator Joni Ernst in favor of a more Trumpian replacement in the 2026 Iowa Republican primary election. It’s yet another …
A public policy dispute over plans for about 1,000 miles of carbon dioxide pipeline across Iowa took a concerning turn last week. The pipeline company’s latest tactic demonstrates why Iowa …
The Christmas tree was a scrub cedar hacked from the edge of the woods that bordered the farm. Big-bulbed lights, strung in barber pole fashion, generated almost as much heat as the nearby …