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Opinion

Fairy Tales Part 5: Happily Ever After

Local Columns

They say that who you are is a product of the books you read and the people you spend time with. They also say that kids are sponges, that the brain reaches 90% of its adult size by age 7, and that these early years lay the foundation of learning and personality that will last the rest of their ...

Meggers’ Memo: Week 3

Editorials

Hello Friends. As we wrap up our fourth week of session, I wanted to brief you on what is happening here at the Capitol. Audits of the State Auditor’s Office Are Behind Schedule At the close of each fiscal year, the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) releases the Annual ...

Dengler Domain: Beef

Local Columns

Beef. It’s what’s for dinner. Well, for some, Argentinian beef. On February 6, President Trump signed an executive order to permit “an additional 80,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings per year from Argentina to be imported tariff-free in four quarterly tranches of 20,000 metric tons ...

On Nature: Energy Choices

Local Columns

The U.S. needs a great amount of new energy, mostly due to the massive data centers that power artificial intelligence. This electricity should be provided at the lowest cost, with the fewest environmental impacts, and as quickly as possible. The answer would seem to be a mix of electrical ...

Heather’s Highlights: County Government and You, January 2025

Local Columns

January 2026 has come and gone and cold temperatures are here, per normal Iowa weather. The Supervisors had our organizational meeting to start off the year, and I will continue to serve as Vice-Chair. The Boards I will represent for Tama County are the following: Tama County Economic ...

Meggers’ Memo: Week 3

Editorials

When Democrats Controlled the Budget When Iowa House Democrats controlled the legislature from 2007–2010, fiscal responsibility took a back seat. During those four legislative sessions, Democrats: -Rapidly increased state spending -Used one-time federal bailout money to mask revenue ...

Dengler Domain: Labor

Local Columns

For a person who is not actively farming, I spend a lot of my time thinking about agriculture. One question which has puzzled me is how farmers are expected to have a second job. What other profession has this expectation? No one tells a doctor, lawyer, or HR person, they need another job to ...

The Lord’s Work

Local Columns

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17 Today, you and I have work to do. In his first letter to the Corinthians, when the apostle Paul instructed the church to welcome Timothy ...

A Year of Putting Iowa Farmers First

Editorials

Since Jan. 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump has been working around the clock to put American Farmers First after inheriting one of the toughest farm economies our country has faced in decades. Here in Iowa, farmers and ranchers know the challenges firsthand – rising input costs, volatile ...