Even prior to moving to Storm Lake my dad, Leonard, was always a fisherman. When we lived in Ute, you would find him and yours truly at Blue Lake, Lake Okoboji or some small river in the surrounding …

The American writer James Agee, together with photographer Walker Evans, in 1941 released “Let Us Now Praise Famous Men,” a book documenting the lives of impoverished Southern sharecroppers …

I became a widow at age 38 when my son was 7. Solo parenting is hard, but thanks to the Affordable Care Act I’ve been able to work part-time from home in a way that makes our lives work pretty …

Well, John, your Christmas story was an easy read until Holy Communion. Then, I started getting nervous. What was up with John? Clearly, John was not feeling well. You elicited genuine …

Iowa is a national leader in wind production, and that leadership has brought real benefits to rural counties like Adair and Howard. As local governments work to stretch limited budgets to keep …

Recently, the following was provided by the Iowa Attorney General’s Office: Scammers often target older Iowans, exploiting their kindness and good will. These schemes can take many forms, such …

2025 was arduous and is good to have behind us. The fever might have broken. Trump was raving mad on TV last week, almost spitting into the camera. This just days after saying that he doesn’t …

Time for me to heap some praise on the Storm Lake Times Pilot to express my appreciation for a very high quality newspaper. The reporting achieves high journalistic standards, unlike so much of …

For too long, higher education in Iowa has drifted from its core mission: preparing a highly skilled workforce and anchoring talent in our communities. This next legislative session, we have a clear …

There was so much blarney and puffery flying around the Cabinet Room during the Dec. 8 White House farmer/ rancher gathering that it became impossible to tell fact from fiction. For example, in …

Roughly 43% of U.S. adults identify themselves as politically independent. However, according to Gallup polling, only around 7-12% of Americans are considered “truly” independent, which means …

What makes freedom of speech so difficult to understand and accept? That question came up at Sunday’s discussion at the Des Moines Valley Friends Meeting. The Friends invited me to speak at …

Donald Trump’s second presidential term is nearly a year old now, and his Republican Party maintains control of both houses of Congress. Americans have had ample opportunity to weigh the pluses and …

I’m not what you’d call a church-goer. My attendance at structured worship services is spotty, with all due respect to spots. When I go, I go out of respect for family, but, when it comes to …

When I was a kid in the late 1950s, going to Midnight Mass on Christmas at St. Mary’s Church was a big deal. It was a coming-of-age moment. I don’t remember at what age I was allowed to go. It …

This famous editorial, written by Francis P. Church, first appeared in The New York Sun on Sept. 21, 1897, in response to a letter to the editor from an 8-year-old girl. The Storm Lake Times Pilot is …

Fred just emailed telling me to do something that is not in the offing this soon after prostate surgery, otherwise I would. And Merry Christmas to you, too, Fred old pal. I have reached an …

My hope by sharing these stories is that we can all get to know our community a little better. I feel thankful to have met so many amazing people in the Storm Lake area who are working hard to build …

It was Christmas time and I was at Fort Riley, Kan., training to be a radio operator. I was 18 years old and this would be my first Christmas away from home. Because Christmas fell on the weekend …

When the legislature returns to Des Moines in 2026, one issue will cut across every community and every income level: property taxes. Whether you live on a farm, in a small town, or in a growing …