Sometimes in life an event occurs that causes someone to say, “enough is enough.”  In my case, there have been legislative attacks on the people I’ve served in public education for the past 40 years as a teacher, coach, bus driver, maintenance worker, administrator and board member. more

January 2025 marks Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a crucial time to shine a light on the ongoing issues of exploitation and trafficking, particularly in Iowa. Disturbingly, the average age of individuals affected by sex trafficking is just 15 years old, with a staggering 89% of victims being female. This reality calls for urgent action and support for survivors. more

Q: What are you doing to stop human trafficking? more

Q: What’s on Congress’ to-do list? more

Donald Trump filed a lawsuit this week against J. Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register, claiming their final pre-election poll that said Kamala Harris led by 3 points in Iowa amounted to election interference. Dubbing it the “Harris poll,” the president-elect makes this claim: more

The North Scott Community School District is excited to announce the launch of a comprehensive strategic planning process. This process aims to create a clear and focused road map for the district over the next 3-5 years. This initiative will guide our efforts to ensure student success, enhance community engagement, and foster continuous improvement in our schools.  more

American voters were under a lot of stress leading up to the Nov. 5 presidential election. That stress has continued since Donald Trump received less than 50 percent voter support. Hence, the majority of citizens are not wed to his unending plethora of promises. more

I was asked to speak last month 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 governments, not more secrecy from their governments. more

Editor’s note: Scott County supervisors on Nov. 7 approved these priorities of the Iowa Urban County Coalition for taxpayer-funded lobbying of state legislators during the 2025 session. The coalition is comprised of supervisors from Linn, Black Hawk, Dubuque, Johnson, and Scott counties. more

Tubbs family honored for initial pledge for bandshell fund drive more

As news reports say Donald Trump may try to bypass the Senate and its confirmation process in order to make recess appointments for some of his cabinet picks, it is worth remembering what Chuck Grassley had to say on the subject when Barack Obama was president in 2012. more

The Greeks heeded the goddess Erato to inspire artists and writers over the centuries. I think an American version of Erato lives around here and flourishes. more

Last week, Paul Pate tried to clean up his mess. more

It looks like Donald Trump is done using John Deere workers as campaign props. more

The National Weather Service recently consolidated and renamed winter weather events. Wind Chill Watch/Warning/Advisory will be consolidated into Extreme Cold Watch/Warning and Cold Weather Advisory. Hard Freeze Watch and Warning will be consolidated into Freeze Watch/Warning. more

Donald Trump has suddenly found a new cause: John Deere workers. more

The first full-time newspaper job I took after graduating college in the early 1990s resulted in the biggest disparity between what I would be paid and how hard and long I had to work in my entire career. more

State Auditor Rob Sand recently did what no statewide elected official in Iowa has done in a long time – he brought attention to problems in nursing homes. more

Bill used to occasionally chide me about the length of the stories I wrote, but something tells me he wouldn't be complaining today, because this one's about him. I don't think just a few words are going to cut it. more

Today, we are honoring the life of an extraordinary man. To many he was defined by his role in community journalism, and through his philanthropic efforts, and by his involvement in Rotary and the church. But to my sisters and me, he was Dad. Our best teacher, most dedicated coach, mentor, sounding board, our biggest cheerleader and supporter and our safest safety net. more