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Opinion

Brass Tacks from Rural Iowa: A funnel to forget

Editorials

The second legislative funnel at the Iowa statehouse came and went on April 4. That process winnowed down bills that are eligible for consideration so lawmakers can focus on legislation that has traction in both chambers in addition to spending bills. Of course, property tax reform will ...

Letter to the Editor: Builders and destroyers

Letters to the Editor

Some people are builders, and others are destroyers. Some people want to help others by creating new opportunities, giving them new skills, or finding new ways to help them achieve their dreams. Other people want to create obstacles, deny opportunities, or frustrate their hopes. Take the ...

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

Local Columns

March has come and gone and we are now in the home stretch of the FY 25-26 budgets being approved. The Board of Supervisors and Auditor have spent over 40 hours in the office working on the budget, as well as several hours at home to ensure a balanced budget. We’ve reviewed each line item to ...

On Nature: Embrace the night

Local Columns

It is no secret that if you live in a city or town, you see fewer stars. The reason for this is that light escapes from where it is needed and forms a dome of light overhead. Although not obvious, this waste light brightens the night sky far into the country. Only a few places are far enough ...

A Fair View

Local Columns

After reading the article in the newspaper the weekend of March 29, I would say the Tama County Board of Supervisors should rethink their position on wind and solar instead of trying to dictate to farmers what they can and can't do on land they OWN. With what they say we have for a budget ...

Dengler Domain: Pharmacy Benefit Managers

Local Columns

When I was a child, I wandered the small pharmacy near the end of Second Street, formerly known as Wright Pharmacy. Now known as NuCara Pharmacy, most memories are of being with my grandma, Mildred, at the pharmacy after or before she picked me up from daycare. While this was over 25 years ago, ...

Brass Tacks from Rural Iowa: Investing in the ABCs

Editorials

It hasn’t been a good news cycle for Iowa’s public schools recently. The Waterloo Community School District announced budget cuts of over $10 million for their upcoming school year. Then I saw that the Cedar Rapids Community School District is facing a $12 million budget deficit and is ...

Fairy Tales & Cultivating a Christian Imagination

Local Columns

As a father, I have come to truly love the old fairy tales: Cinderella, Snow White, Jack and the Beanstalk… even the short, folksy tales like Three Little Pigs and Three Billy Goats Gruff. All of them are simple and memorable, yet profound. But why these stories? There was no great council or ...