Part of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act that is being considered by the Senate is a provision that would allow oil drilling in the fragile coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Drilling would jeopardize one of the world’s last unspoiled places at a time when we ...
School is out and summertime is welcomed! The Board of Supervisors had a productive and busy month. Laura Wilson has been hired as the new Zoning Administrator/Weed Commissioner. Laura has jumped right into the role and is doing a great job, ensuring the Tama County Zoning Ordinance is being ...
Well, I went to the Thursday, May 29, 2025 Board of Supervisors meeting. Tried to point out that the money they say the risk pool gave them doesn't come from taxpayer money. Wrong. Tama County pays dues of over $700,000 a year to the risk pool. Trying to point this out I was told by Supervisor ...
When I was a kid, I remember hearing older folks say to each other that as you get older, the years go by faster. As a kid, I did not think this was going to be the case as life always felt like everything would last forever. As an adult, I was wrong. Proven wrong like my other childhood ...
Last week, before a show, I was chatting with someone I had just met. He asked me about my job, my church, my theology. When I told him that I believe the Bible leads toward love, grace, justice and inclusion for all people (and in fact all Creation), he pushed back. He reminded me that the ...
Q: What is the Big, Beautiful Bill Act? A: The House of Representatives passed a 1,000-plus page bill in May that includes key measures to enact President Trump’s domestic policy agenda, including a once-in-a-generation opportunity to cut government bloat and prevent the biggest tax hike in ...
The 2025 legislative session is over, we adjourned “Sine Die” in the early morning hours of Thursday, May 15, after a 22 hour marathon session. This has been another historic session, there is so much to write about, but so little space in these newsletters. I will touch on a few key pieces ...
Recent federal actions have placed a critical source of funding for public libraries and museums in jeopardy. Within weeks following an executive order from President Trump, the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) staff was placed on administrative leave and grant processing ...
The Iowa Supreme Court gave citizen engagement and accessibility to public meetings a much-needed boost Friday (May 16) in an appeal of a lawsuit against the Iowa City Community School District. The district’s practice of posting full videos of school board meetings on the internet for ...
While driving by the North Tama school building recently, I saw the new addition being constructed on the northeast-eastern side of the school. The wave of construction will help push the school forward. This is like all the other additions to the school which have been made over the years. ...