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Local Columns

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 ...

Dengler Domain: Gardening

While I am no longer growing food on a large scale, I became a slightly more aggressive gardener this year. I planted popcorn, peas, green beans, green peppers, sweet peppers, and sunflowers in a plot with a diameter of five feet. Marigolds and zinnias from the farm were also sprinkled in the ...

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

August is here and we are in the home stretch of summer. July has been very eventful for the Tama County Board of Supervisors. We appointed three new members to the Board of Adjustment and one new member to the Zoning Commission. I welcome the new members who’ve been appointed and am ...

On the Record with Sheriff Schmidt: July 2025

It’s been a couple months since I’ve written one of these, and I appreciate everyone’s patience. Things have been busy, and while that’s not an excuse, I know how important it is to stay in touch with the people we serve. When I took office, I said I would keep the public in the loop, ...

Dengler Domain: The Drive

Last week, the cornhead was moved to its final resting place before it is sold. While traveling the country roads to the destination, it was a trip down memory lane. Whether it was driving by formerly Dengler farmed fields or familiar farmsteads which laid on the path to my Grandma Pohlman’s ...

Dengler Domain: Going Up

Since retiring from farming, I have reflected on it more than needed. While there are parts I could have done better, it also showed me how hard it is for a younger generation to gain a foothold in today’s farming world. It is no secret that farmers are an older bunch, and consolidation keeps ...