Besides the ill-defined Iranian war, DOJ-FBI created Epstein file debacle, tariff fiasco, Venezuela, Ecuador, Greenland and Cuba interventions, special elections turning in Democrats’ favor and the …

Mr. Trump pardoned hundreds of individuals convicted of attempting to subvert a lawful and secure national election by a violent assault on law enforcement officers. Did he go too far? In addition, …

Spring often just burst onto the southern Illinois farm of my youth. One morning you’d see a green blade of something peeking through the bare ground by the mailbox and by the time you got off the …

The 11th week of the legislative session means we have gotten through both funnel deadlines. We now will focus on any remaining legislation that will be considered in this legislative session. With …

While it doesn’t have a budget bill to produce this year, the Federal Funds and Other Funds Budget Subcommittee is keeping busy by looking into areas that have not been examined for some time. The …

Your typical dude avoids doctors and their probes because they would just find something wrong with him. Who needs that? Been there myself, for sure. Sometimes you’re forced to go and a blood …

Buena Vista County dismisses significant public preferences by insisting on developing the Storm Lake Marina for offices housing conservation department officials. We would like lakefront offices but …

Jaidyn Coon’s coronation last week as Iowa’s Mr. Basketball elevates him in the pantheon of the greatest Storm Lake prep basketball players. It was the capstone of a remarkable career, where …

Yo, nerd alert! I loved studying poetry and literature in college. nnI’m grateful to have been educated in an era when such things were valued. I work at Buena Vista University and in my job …

Tuesday of last week was St. Patrick’s Day, “the day when everyone’s Irish,” as the saying goes. I’ve always gone along with the celebration, wearing green and saying “top o’ the …

Last summer, all six members of Iowa’s congressional delegation voted for President Trump’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, which cut $1 trillion from Medicaid. As the Des Moines Register …

Councilman Piercy was elected in a competitive “jungle” election by a majority of Storm Lake citizens and is entitled to speak, in even his inelegant manner. He has simply shared his concerns …

There’s a line spoken by Harry Potter, the literary creation of author J.K. Rowling, in the film “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” that many in U.S. agriculture can relate to: “I …

For over 250 years, Americans have relied on the United States Postal Service for timely processing of their mail, no matter the conditions. After we dropped it in a box or gave it to a letter …

The 10th week of the legislative session kicked off towards the last major legislative deadline. The final "funnel" deadline is this week, narrowing our focus on any legislation that will be …

House Study Bill 596 passed out of the House Ways and Means committee this week. The historic property tax reform bill contains multiple divisions and covers a breadth of topics that holds the …

Storm Lake is a portal for refugees in pursuit of happiness, whatever that may be. Lao. Sudanese. Karen. It ain’t easy trying to be free. That’s an immediate impression after a sneak …

It’s not fair to put the blame for ballooning property taxes solely on the Iowa Legislature and Gov. Kim Reynolds. They are responsible. So are local government officials who don’t know what they …

I’ve heard that climate change is wreaking havoc on our planet, but it didn’t hit me until a couple weeks ago when the girls state basketball tournament was played without its customary blizzard. …

NOTE: A few weeks ago, I wrote about how owning a reliable car is a privilege most of us take for granted. It is. Now I want to explore another kind of privilege. I grew up walking or …