This Thanksgiving we are grateful for the many generous people who, over the past century, have donated money to this newspaper’s Mr. Goodfellow fund so that kids can stay warm in the winter. …

Alta needs a public library. More specifically, Alta’s Public Library needs a home. But, wait, you say, Alta does have a library. Yes, it’s complicated. It’s all in the name: Alta …

These are complex times. Some of us would think of them as terrifying. That is in many ways true, but Indigenous peoples who have lived here for a very long time have a different perspective. One of renewal, purification and hope in the birth of a new world. We are …

President Trump is said to like watching his advisors argue. He set up an apparent natural debate when rounding out his Cabinet by nominating former White House aide Brooke Rollins for agriculture …

Hang on snowflakes: If you think Iowa went crazy right the past few years, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Republicans widened their gaping majorities in the Iowa House and Senate. They …

I played a role in a movie three weeks ago, without even so much as a screen test. Well, technically speaking, I suppose, I didn’t actually debut on the big screen. It was more of an …

Nearly every autopsy of Vice President Kamala Harris’s stinging White House defeat begins with some variation of the phrase, “Voters pointed to the rising price of food as their chief …

Okay folks, if you want to talk to your senators, now is the time to do it. Here's what I wrote: Dear Senator: Like you, my parents have been long dead. I'm wondering how they might view …

Storm Lake and Buena Vista County can take some measure of relief that Sen. Joni Ernst assured us she does not believe there will be mass deportation of immigrants from workplace raids of local food …

I was asked to speak last week at the annual conference of the National Freedom of Information Coalition. My remarks boiled down to a simple message: The public needs more information about their …

There’s no one up and about yet, but it’s just light out. It’s the best time for Hank the dog (aka Sir Dog aka His Dogness) and me to be on a solitary walk, tramping the few blocks …

We write to you with hearts full of compassion and a deep desire to express our solidarity with you during this stressful time. We recognize the immense challenges you face as migrants, and we want …

The City of Storm Lake and its law firm, Dorsey and Whitney, stand at odds with the law by refusing to reveal to the public the contents of invoices sent by the law firm to City Hall for services …

Having simmered and frothed all week, it came bubbling out fast on the Friday night capping election week at the alma mater’s homecoming reunion: “The (manure) is hitting the fan, …

President-elect Donald Trump after securing victory in the 2024 election: “It’s time to put the division of the past four years behind us. It’s time to unite. And we’re going …

Ten years ago, 85% of young Americans said that they were extremely proud to be an American. Compared to now, only 18% of young Americans feel this way about the United States of America. How can we …

Every pre-election poll for the U.S. presidential race saw it as a too-close-to-call nail biter. Not one predicted the sweeping victory posted by former, now President-Elect Donald J. Trump. How did …

The recent nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services again brings forward concerning misinformation about essential and proven health practices. Mr. Kennedy …

After the drubbing it took this cycle, the Democratic National Committee should restore the Iowa Caucuses to prominence on the nominating calendar. After Joe Biden and Kamala Harris ended up among …

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about my modest fitness goal of walking at least two miles a day, most of it going to and from work. I received a lot of response from that column, including from …