Last week Gov. Kim Reynolds held a press conference warning Iowans of the dangers of kratom and encouraging state action to combat this dangerous substance. Kratom is unknown to many, and while it …

Iowa’s midterm elections remind us that all politics is local as clean water and cancer emerge as prevailing issues, unique from other battleground states. Sure, stupid, it’s the economy. …

Reason and process prevailed when the Cherokee County Board of Supervisors last week reversed a moratorium on battery storage for renewable energy development. This will allow the Smith Brothers of …

The Advertising Guide, which has been published weekly for nearly six decades in the Storm Lake and Cherokee trade territory, is switching to a monthly schedule beginning now. This free …

I bank locally — except that’s not completely true, and it might not be true for you, either. I recently stopped at the bank during lunch, but after I left, the teller had a question and left …

In recent weeks, people from Cherokee, Des Moines and Ottumwa have contacted the Iowa Freedom of Information Council with concerns about the refusal of local officials to share documents distributed …

By the shores of Gitche Gumee, By the shining Big-Sea-Water, . . . — from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “The Song of Hiawatha” Kathy and I are spending a few days at the beautiful …

I very much appreciated Joan Zwagerman’s column in the July 31 Storm Lake Times Pilot regarding the status of women in the military and the disrespect for which current Defense Secretary Pete …

It’s 36 counties covering 21,546 square miles of Northwest Iowa. It’s the largest congressional district in Iowa, but often overlooked, neglected and forgotten by politicians and pundits of every …

“Alternative facts,” the phase made famous by Kellyanne Conway in 2017, uttered in defense of a lie put forth by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, has always intrigued me, both as a …

Storm Lake’s workforce ecosystem already values learning by doing. Buena Vista University’s downtown Foundry connects students, entrepreneurs and businesses through mentoring and real projects, …

Ready or not, here it comes: They’re automating the packinghouse. Marble Technologies of Lincoln, Neb., uses artificial intelligence to eliminate human labor (and error) in packaging for …

President Trump toys with tariffs at our expense. He slapped a 50% tariff on Canadian goods and services despite a standing free-trade agreement. At the same time, Trump waived tariffs and cut a deal …

The United States of America reached a milestone last week that didn’t get the attention it deserves. Our national debt exceeded $40 trillion for the first time. That deficit far outstripped …

A couple of weeks ago, a local 53-year-old dad died. Two days later, a 59-year-old dad died. Both men had daughters who were my daughter’s classmates. Add to that, the father of two dear friends …

A series of ads on TV over the last few months haven’t tripped my trigger. I have finally figured out why. In those ads, an older guy with a trimmed white mustache tries to teach middle-aged …

“If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.” The Buena Vista County Bar Association believes the citizens of Buena Vista County deserve to have their elected and appointed representatives …

A recent report from the Institute of Legislative Analysis reveals significant shifts in voting behavior across both major political parties in Congress has occurred over the past three years. …

Following the floods in Northwest Iowa in 2024, the House Local Government Committee, of which I served as Chair, reported out of committee a bill that would become SF 619, which provided additional …

Two guys roam Scheels in West Des Moines, a bromance in the brew. Zach confides to Bobby that he likes Mepps spinners. Chartreuse. Bobby goes uh huh. So cool. Just two guys, doing what …