When I knew I was not going to farm anymore, I needed to cheer myself up. I decided to ride Amtrak. Due to a bomb cyclone cancelling my ride from Seattle to St. Paul, I ended up riding the California Zephyr from Emeryville, Calif. to Omaha. As a child, my mom and I rode a partial version of ...
I would like to thank the voters of House District 53 for once again putting their faith in me as their Representative in the Iowa House. I am humbled and honored by your support. This will be my seventh term, and the second term in this new district that includes all of Poweshiek County and ...
Greetings, friends and neighbors, This will be my final newsletter as your state senator. It has been an absolute honor to serve the Cedar Valley in the Iowa Senate since March of 2019. It is fitting that this newsletter is going out right before Thanksgiving because I want to express my deep ...
With election season behind us and winter approaching, I’m looking forward to the holidays and getting together with friends and family. It’s generally a peaceful time of year, filled with plenty of joy, laughter, good food and fond memories. But this year, I'll be thinking about a storm ...
As I begin to prepare for our Thanksgiving celebration, I usually find a book on my shelf called, Thanksgiving, “A Time to Remember,” by Barbara Rainey. As she says on the book jacket, "A holiday for celebrating faith, family and freedom, Thanksgiving Day is both distinctly Christian and ...
I recently bumped into an Appanoose County woman I have known for several years. She thanked me and the nonprofit organization I manage for shining the spotlight on the actions of Centerville Community School District leaders. This mother told me I was responsible for her spending part of a ...
For over 50 years, our country has guaranteed students with disabilities the right to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). This promise, protected by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), ensures each student in special education receives a personalized education ...
It’s that time of the year again when we all pause to give thanks. For the farmers, it is a thankful time for the Harvest that has been brought in. For others, it is for health or family, or maybe just because we are told to be thankful this time of the year. Whatever you are thankful for, ...
Q: What is a lame-duck session of Congress? A: Each congressional term has two, one-year legislative sessions. A lame-duck session refers to a period of time when Congress meets after an election is held – prior to the end of its constitutional term – and before freshly elected lawmakers ...
DES MOINES — On Thursday, Nov. 7, Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart sent a letter to members of the Iowa Democratic Party State Central Committee. It reads as follows: Fellow Democrats, I'm not going to sugarcoat it, Tuesday was an absolute gut punch, both here in the state of Iowa ...