Of my father’s many “words of wisdom,” I remember one that really caught my attention early on. He said, “Don’t let school interfere with your education.” As an elementary school student, …

The explosions in the interminable war between the Abrahamic religions in the Middle East illustrates what happens when clerics and zealots control governments and militias. Lord only knows where the …

For many years, an Iowa State University political science professor and I met several times a year for coffee and conversation. During our coffee klatches, I probed my friend’s thinking on …

One of the last giants of the 1960s and 70s Green Revolution, M.S. Swaminathan, died at his home in Chennai, India, on Sept. 28. He was 98. Swaminathan was to India what Norman Borlaug, the Iowa …

The food processing industry is in a state of disarray as major companies shut down poultry and pork plants over a glut of protein. Tyson recently announced tough times in its pork division, which …

  Prior to the passage of the Students First Act which provides parents with $7,598 per student attending an accredited nonpublic school, Iowa has provided programs and resources to private …

Congress kicked the can down the road again. But that was better than the alternative. Last Saturday, Sept. 30, the absolute deadline before failure to act would have “shut the government down,” …

On Sept. 26, 2023, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources issued a press release observing that as fall harvest starts and progresses across Iowa, the risk of wildfires in crop fields increases. …

There went our buddy Dan Smith at 73, God bless. Brother John wrote about his classmate Friday. I asked John how he was feeling. He coughed. We proofread the obituaries warily. Friends keep showing …

Iowans should keep their heads about them when it comes to solving our immigration problems. Republicans are criss-crossing the state saying the craziest things trying to gin up support. Some …

Paul Pate: I am sending this email to you as the State of Iowa’s Secretary of State.  As one of your duties, you can remove unqualified individuals from a ballot.  14th …

This week’s ouster of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House again brings to the fore deep divisions between the radical right and Establishment Republicans that have ground the people’s business …

Back where I came from, you do not expect to have a bomb-sniffing dog circle your car when you pull into the parking lot for Sunday church services. But that is what occurred. After the dog’s …

I spend a great deal of time facilitating and coaching youth activities in the city’s parks, on school grounds and on private property. Each year, our facilities have become increasingly abused. …

A few words about a nice guy who passed away this week. Dan Smith was not just a friend of mine for over 60 years, he was a friend to just about everyone he met. I wrote about him two years ago when …

Helen Connell Bosley, 89, died last Wednesday at Methodist Manor. Helen was the grand dame of downtown, as the longtime owner-operator of Hoffman’s Flower and Candle Shop with her daughters. She …

I’m plopped into my chair eating apple pie on Sunday after four days of driving, and I think: What a huge country, how lucky we are, and what a flatlander I am. The milo was ripe and the …

We the People live in a country that’s elected to generously support its military industrial complex to protect our civil liberties. We can freely practice religious beliefs, pursue happiness (I …

Republican Speaker of the U.S. House Kevin McCarthy recently announced an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Democrats should reply, “Bring it on.” It’s no secret how …

Gov. Kim Reynolds last week reported that the state has a $1.83 billion surplus that she intends to spend on tax cuts next legislative session. Her main goal is to eliminate the state income tax by …