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Local Columns

On the Record with Sheriff Schmidt

I know I have said this before, but I want to say it again. My goal has always been to do an “On the Record” each month, but important work continues to take priority. The days are full, and that is a great thing because it means progress is being made. Between projects, cases, and the ...

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

Harvest is in full swing for my family and parents. I’m proud to be a 4th Generation Farmer. My main role is trucking grain to town and the grain bins in a semi, combining, and picking up repair parts. I’m thankful to have a small family farm and the opportunity to be a part of it. The ...

Charlie Kirk: American Martyr

On September 10, 31-year-old Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking at a college campus in Utah. He was married and the father of two young children. Charlie was known for these kinds of events, travelling around the country to speak on college campuses. He usually sat under a banner ...

Dengler Domain: Soybeans

As it stands today, delivering a bushel of soybeans to Tama-Benton Cooperative would be $9.35. For farmers, this is probably below their cost of production. These soybean prices have been in the tank, and they appear to be staying there for the near future. The main reason prices are so low is ...

On Nature: Climate Choices

Recently, in less than a week, Texas, North Carolina, New Mexico, and Chicago, Ill. all experienced 1-in-1000-year rainfall events. Really weird. Moreover, this was not the only weird thing happening. Ocean currents are being altered, animal migration patterns of many birds and the monarch ...

Living in the Age of Terror

18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. -Isaiah 1:18- Will we ever learn that violence begets more violence, and that an eye for an ...

Dengler Domain: Morg’s

A couple weekends ago, after an evening celebrating my aunt’s birthday followed up by staying at the Isle Casino Hotel, my wife and I lost a mere $12. Gambling has never stuck. Too scared to play the card games and too bored while playing the slots. After staying in the lovely Isle Casino ...

Running The Race This Fall Season

I love fall …September always feels like a HUGE CHANGE in the calendar – schools are all back in session, amusement parks are closing for the season, football is in the air, Walmart and Target have jumped into Christmas crazy mode and you can get pumpkin spice EVERYTHING. Fall seems to ...

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

Happy Labor Day and start of the school year! I cannot believe August is over already. The summer months seem to go by so fast, but the cooler air is refreshing and finally a slow down on lawn mowing. One of the main topics discussed by the Board of Supervisors in August was the Salt Creek ...

On Nature: Limit Climate Change

Senator Grassley recently released a public statement in which he acknowledged that climate change is a serious issue (i.e. not a myth), but he also called for a vigorous debate to determine if climate change is an “existential threat to the planet” as the Biden administration had ...