Last month Prof. Steve Corbin’s letter to the Times Pilot complained about both presidential candidates, with more complaints about Trump. He wrote that 43% of voters are independent and that 63% …

Storm Lake will be a hot mess if local police are bound by state law to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants. Presumably, it’s the direction we’re headed since the legislature passed a …

Congress may finally be getting it together. Overruling a few outspoken ultraconservative Republican members, the U.S. House by wide margins last Saturday belatedly approved crucial aid for …

Genetic fragments of the avian flu virus have been found in milk, federal authorities reported last week, suggesting that the disease is more widespread among dairy cattle than previously thought. …

The Legislature took an important step last week in voting to toughen penalties for state and local officials who violate a key government transparency tool, Iowa’s open meetings …

As the Iowa Legislature completed its work, Iowans wondered what happened to our state. Iowa has long been a beacon of high-quality public schools where students thrived and which parents supported. …

I must admit, I like trees. I wouldn’t call myself a tree-hugger, but then, I’m not much of a hugger in general! I am blessed to have grown up and to live on an old farm in the shadows of …

Recent demonstrations on a few U.S. college campuses over the Israel-Hamas war reminds me of the turmoil on campuses during the Vietnam war. I was a college student in the 1960s during the Vietnam …

It was reassuring last weekend to see that the will of the majority can prevail on issues of urgency. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana put his short tenure at risk by finally moving security …

House File 2655 provides that childcare centers and facilities will be given the residential rollback (instead of commercial) for property tax purposes. The bill passed out of the House Ways and …

The Iowa Legislature ended its session last weekend before it did even more harm. The Republican trifecta of the House, Senate and governor continued to push the state hard to the right as it has for …

Tax bills in the Iowa Legislature have always been approved or disapproved by simple majorities. If most legislators want to raise taxes, or lower them, they do it the usual way: take a vote, up or …

As a daily user of Storm Lake’s sidewalks and streets to walk our dog, I applaud the city’s attempt to keep our sidewalks safe. Unfortunately for the homeowners, there is a lot of bright green …

These remarks were delivered to the Storm Lake United Banquet on April 17. You realize that you have almost achieved fossil status when you are asked to review the past half-century in Storm …

“Unsustainable” is a fascinating word, especially when it is used in government and politics. Merriam-Webster, the dictionary folks, tell us unsustainable means something cannot be continued or …

Humorist Mark Twain, when he heard rumors that he had passed away, reportedly replied, “Reports of my death are grossly exaggerated.” The same might be said of print publications. In …

“I hate wind,” Donald Trump told a crowd of oil industry executives at a Mar-a-Lago fundraiser last week, according to the Washington Post. We hate wind, too, when it leaves dirt in your teeth, …

It was the best of luck, it was the worst of luck. On the one hand, a dimwitted skunk who stuck its snout in an empty cup but was rescued by a kindly cop. On the other, a fellow minding his own …

Our homeowner’s insurance carrier a few weeks ago sent me our annual premium notice for the 12-month period beginning April 10, 2024. The valuations of our house, garage and personal property had …

Last week, the House released the House Health and Human Services Budget. This budget appropriates $2.217 billion of state general fund to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of …