Just to be clear: No amnesty, no sir, no how. That’s Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins after President Trump bopped into the Iowa State Fairgrounds to say this about undocumented ag …

President Trump came to the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on July 3 ostensibly to set the stage for celebrating the USA’s 250th anniversary next July 4. Trump indicated that the Iowa …

Last week we celebrated not only the Fourth of July but also the 35th anniversary of The Storm Lake Times. Our first edition came out just before the Fourth in 1990, and featured the upcoming …

When my daughter and I traveled to Italy in 2007, our guide told us that Italy had one of Europe’s lowest birth rates. Wait, what? Historically, Italy has been a very Catholic country — …

Memory is a tricky thing for older folks. Sometimes we can remember specific people, places and events from decades earlier, while at the same time we can’t remember much about yesterday or …

The photo of Poncho drew me to this story.  I was raised with two female German shepherds who were my sisters. When I started my family, we adopted mixed-breed dogs from shelters. Once …

Reflecting on a very productive 2025 session of the 91st Iowa General Assembly, we accomplished a great deal! nnThis edition of the newsletter highlights some important legislation passed this year …

Long before I went to work in a grocery store way back in 1943 we sang “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Many farms had orchards and often times if you did not own an apple tree you …

In 1976, looking for a summer job that would advance my career goals, I approached the director of the State Historical Society of Iowa to see if there were any special projects on the docket. As it …

Ivan Boesky, an Inside Trader, once opined, “Greed is all right... I think greed is healthy... You can be greedy and still feel good about yourself.” Really? In the same frame of …

With 2025 half gone, the cautious American ag economy, like the slowing U.S. economy, now tiptoes into its second half. Key U.S. ag markets quietly survived the raucous first half. For example, …

Rob Sand pines for the days when you could safely take a dip in the Upper Iowa River near Decorah. He is not so sure it is safe for his sons, 9 and 11, and that says a lot about the state of the …

Within a month, Iowans born in Storm Lake could have their birthright citizenship revoked, allowing the government to deport them anywhere it chooses. Iowa is among 28 states that did not join a …

Art and I were in Los Angeles for a few days last week. No, we weren’t auditioning for roles in a new “Dumb and Dumber” movie. We were there to see what’s happening in the …

The United States system of government is one of the most complicated such mechanisms in the world. It’s a blessing and a curse. A blessing, because it disperses power. That’s what …

Every Fourth of July, the First Reformed Church of Hospers held its church picnic on the church grounds, and unlike going to church on Sunday mornings AND evenings, it was one event I looked forward …

I’ve celebrated the 4th of July in many places all over the United States. Whether it was in Iowa, Ute and Storm Lake, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Houston, Anchorage, or San Jose, …

With the city cutting the library budget, two full-time employees, who had worked there for many years, had their hours cut in half. Shouldn't good work and seniority be rewarded? Newell, …

This session the House and Senate advanced reform of Iowa’s pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) with bipartisan support. More than 200 pharmacies have closed in Iowa in the last decade, …

Peggy Noonan has been a right-leaning columnist for The Wall Street Journal since leaving the Ronald Reagan Administration as his primary speechwriter. Five of Noonan’s books have been New York …