×

Opinion

Q&A: Protecting American Taxpayers Act

Editorials

Q: What drives your decades-long work as a taxpayer watchdog? A: It boils down to a simple principle. Taxpayers work hard for their money. The U.S. Treasury is not a piggy bank for fraudsters to exploit and drain public assistance programs for profit. Four decades ago, I resurrected a ...

Entrepreneurship is vital to rural communities

Editorials

Small businesses play a critical role in creating jobs, driving economic growth, and contributing to the overall well-being of rural communities. In many areas, they are the backbone of the local economy, providing essential goods and services. Spring offers a good reminder of the importance ...

Let Summer Begin

Local Columns

Nothing gets me more excited than the smell of freshly cut grass, the chalk lines being drawn around the batter’s box, and the smell of hotdogs and popcorn in the air. I am sure by now you know I am talking about the great sport of Baseball. Nine innings of trying to figure out who is going ...

Celebrate rural libraries this week

Editorials

Libraries are a vital part of our rural communities. That’s why I invite you to celebrate the library in your small town during National Library Week, April 19-25, 2026. These book-filled buildings serve as community spaces, wi-fi hotspots, children’s imagination stations, and more. Many ...

On Nature: Feedback Loops Troubling

Local Columns

It has been generally accepted that Earth’s global temperature is rising as the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide increases. However, temperatures currently are rising faster than expected from rising carbon dioxide levels alone. According to research reported in the peer reviewed ...

Dengler Domain: The Difference

Local Columns

As I drove through parts of West Des Moines while a sleeping baby rested in his car seat, I was astonished by the homes. Despite this trip being slightly unique because it was due to letting a previously crying, very tired baby rest, I have always been astonished by these types of neighborhoods ...

Q&A: Government Shutdowns Fail the American People

Editorials

Q: How do government shutdowns fail the American people? A: The insufferable pattern of government shutdowns stemming from a lapse in approved funding needs to stop once and for all. Since 1981, failure to enact the 12 annual appropriation bills by the end of the fiscal year has resulted in a ...

A New Cross

Local Columns

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. –I Corinthians 1:18 I was at the pinnacle of my Holy Week preparation (for my church’s Maundy Thursday and Good Friday Worship Celebration) when I wrote this ...