The Cherokee County Board of Supervisors this week reaffirmed its earlier decision not to name the Aurelia Star an official county publication. The loss of revenue, about $8,000 annually, will throw …

Service clubs, which used to be the backbones of community service, are fading into obscurity. We’re talking about groups like Kiwanis, Rotary and Lions. Plus fraternal societies that were …

I was in Eagle Grove last week. Like many travelers in Iowa, I stopped at Casey’s before leaving town. Eagle Grove is a meatpacking community, and many jobs are held by Hispanic men and …

From the cheapest seats, far removed from the National Cathedral, the chatter on socials was all a-twitter (or would it be all an-X?), about Bishop Mariann Budde speaking to the re-president, aka …

So what if the City of Storm Lake took the $27,000 they spend on an outside retail consultant and instead, use it to promote and help small, home-owned, downtown businesses? They could offer …

It came with some relief Friday, capping a momentous week for immigrants, when Storm Lake Police Chief Chris Cole issued a statement saying that people will not be stopped and detained for being …

If you really wanted to clear out undocumented immigrants fast and send a ringing message, you would start around Omaha and Sioux City. They have thousands upon thousands of paperless Latinos waiting …

A Jan. 9 Iowa Appeals Court decision could bring a major change to the conduct of meetings by Iowa’s local government bodies, including county supervisors, city councils, and school boards. …

We climate science experts at the University of Iowa strongly advise Iowa’s Department of Education to maintain its existing educational standards on climate change. Climate change and human …

Last Tuesday I hosted a delegation representing the Spencer area at the Capitol. I was able to introduce the group on the House floor and share a little bit about the flood with the entire House …

The produce man in the grocery store smiled and nodded as the vendor walked past on Inauguration Day with the greeting: “Can’t you feel the freedom this morning?” We could mainly …

Last week we regretfully announced that at the end of this month, the Aurelia Star will cease publication. We never really made money on the Star since taking it over about five years ago, but …

Gov. Terry Branstad was frustrated eight years ago with what he believed was the inability of officials to tell the public why a government employee was fired or resigned under pressure When the …

If you knew the truth about someone’s murder but it could get others — or yourself — killed, what would you do? More to the point, if you belonged to a group responsible for that …

On Jan. 13, the 91st General Assembly gaveled in for the official start of the 2025 legislative session. Throughout the first week, the leaders from both the House and Senate, as well as Gov. Kim …

This happened just last week: Cargill agreed to pay $32 million in a settlement over a lawsuit alleging price-fixing on turkey products. In a separate matter, meat processors JBS and Perdue agreed to …

For real, not joking, listen up: Joe Biden thinks that big money might be in charge. “I want to warn the country of some things that give me great concern. And this is a dangerous concern. …

I sent this letter to Senator Joni Ernst and a slightly edited version to Senator Chuck Grassley.   Ernst publicly said she would support Hegseth’s nomination, and Grassley sent me a reply …

What a year we had in 2024. There is so much to say — but no words can express what we have experienced. Our area saw horrific devastation, but also the best in humanity. Volunteers came …

On Jan. 7, the day after Congress certified Donald J. Trump’s election as the next president of the United States, the U.S. “Border Patrol conducted unannounced raids throughout …