Columns: Seth Boyes | Dickinson County News

Seth Boyes

Seth Boyes joined the Dickinson County News staff in March of 2017. In his first week at the DCN, he covered a train derailment near Graettinger. The tankers carrying ethanol burst into flames. Seth's photo of the event won first place for Best Breaking News photo at the 2018 Iowa Newspaper Association Convention and Trade Show. Since, Seth has won nearly a dozen awards for writing, photography and multimedia content. Seth graduated from Iowa State University in 2009 with a degree in Integrated Studio Arts. His original cartoons run regularly in the Spencer Daily Reporter and the DCN. Both he and his wife Janet hail from Clear Lake and have come to expect summers to be full of the hustle and bustle of tourists and visitors.

Stopping COVID-19 has always been the right thing to do, Iowa. (11/17/20)

Monday's prime-time address from Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn't a terribly long message to Iowans, but I imagine the goal was to have the state's full attention rather than lose it during a lengthy speech. She told us that, where once it took our state about five months to generate 52,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, we're now racking up that many in just two weeks. ...
Working together to smooth stones (10/27/20)

It seems oxymoronic, but two divisive topics will intersect in our national history next week. When the votes were tallied in November of 2016, no one had the foresight to predict we Iowans would be under a viral pandemic come the 2020 presidential election. ...
Community effort can keep schools open during pandemic (9/1/20)

By now, most young people in our community are back in school, in a classroom, at a desk. A whole spectrum of emotions — from joy to fear — comes with that depending on the circumstances, but the doors are once again open. It might be tempting to take this as a sign that we've finally got the COVID-19 pandemic on the run, but that all depends on where our community goes from here...
'Thanks for introducing us' (7/14/20)

Oliver sat forward in his chair. It was the first of three heaves needed to get out of the sagging recliner. Oliver had to admit both he and the chair were starting to show their age — a tear here, some spots there — but he still felt young. He hadn't even retired yet and, if he needed to rock himself a few times to get out of a chair and grab a snack during a commercial break on his day off, then Father Time hadn't the stamina to go a few rounds with ol' Ollie...
A free press (still) isn't free: Little, red writing good rides again (5/26/20)

Folks, I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed that there are still people out there who are shocked and sometimes offended when asked to pay for their local news. Hopefully that sentiment is the exception rather than the rule in our community – in fact we've seen an increase in subscriptions, and we've actually received a handful of donations, so thank you — but somehow the problem persists. ...
When in Okoboji, do as the Okobojians do (5/12/20)

It's a distinction we try to make as often as possible in the current COVID-climate, and it's also an important one — confirmed cases vs. recovered cases. Here in Dickinson County, all six of the confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been listed as recovered by the state as of May 6. That means, as the bustling summer season in the Iowa Great Lakes draws ever nearer, we're back to zero official cases here...
Supporting businesses now will benefit buyers later (4/21/20)

There's an awful lot of focus on reopening the economy these days. I suppose it only makes sense we landed on the term "reopen" during a time we're asked to stay inside as much as possible but, like the proverbial dog chasing a car, we need to ask ourselves what we will do when the moment arrives...
Helping gives others hope through crises (4/7/20)

The governor's recent extension of Iowa's COVID-19 recommendations is the latest note in a minor chord our society has strained to hold for several weeks. Businesses and schools will remain closed at least until the end of the month, and we're being asked to continue limiting any social gathering to no more people than can be counted on two hands. This would all be easier if we had a definite date when we knew things would snap back to normal, but that's not often how life works...
Communities need to be brave in the face of an outbreak (3/31/20)

It's almost impossible to estimate the number of recent press releases and public statements that have began with phrases like "In these unprecedented times," "in these uncertain times" and "in these unprecedented and uncertain times." We can all feel the gravity of the coronavirus crisis weighing on our hearts with all its girth, but it's become clear that weight is bearing down on our community quite a bit more now that officials have confirmed a case of COVID-19 in Dickinson County...
History on our heels (3/24/20)

The footfalls of those who came before have not seemed so far ahead as of late. Once fall finally arrives in full, it will have been 150 years since this county was first home to a newspaper. Ulysses S. Grant was in the White House when the Spirit Lake Beacon first went to print. The paper changed editors, publishers, owners and offices over the years, but it eventually merged with its competitors to form the paper you're reading today...
A paper's purpose in times of need (3/17/20)

Even though the COVID-19 virus hasn't yet made its way to this county, the fear it instills certainly has. Some of that's been beyond our control. Recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control are prompting schools, libraries, nursing homes and any number of public entities to close doors, cancel events or otherwise keep the general public at bay. ...
It's never too late (2/25/20)

Our country did something terrible. We stayed silent as hundreds of thousands of Americans were taken from their homes by the government and placed in detention centers for years on end simply by virtue of their heredity. Last week — some 78 years after the fact — the state of California is preparing to apologize for its role in the historic blemish...
We don't have to be afraid of cameras at the caucuses (2/11/20)

Chances are I walked through the doors of at least one more caucus than most folks last week — as an observer in both cases of course, rather than a participant. With a news staff our size and three caucus locations to cover in Dickinson County, I pulled a little bit of double duty and took photos at both the local Republican Caucus at Arrowwood Resort and the Democratic Caucus at the Expo Building. ...
Let's not stand in the way of youthful changes (12/30/19)

First, let me tell you the kids at Harris-Lake Park are pretty special. I say this because it was my job to pick up some holiday-inspired writing assignments from the H-LP elementary earlier this month, so the Dickinson County News could publish some of the New Year's wishes from some of our youngest people. It was just a couple of small stacks held together by a couple of paper clips, but I've got to say I was pretty impressed by some of the sentiments expressed by the young Wolves at H-LP...
A bit about how it's done (11/26/19)

Get out your ear plugs, because I'm about to toot my own horn again. Don't say I didn't warn you. As I've mentioned before, this paper participates in the Iowa Better Newspaper Association's annual competition. As great as winning those awards is, the true purpose of the competition is to cultivate — you guessed it — better newspapers in the state of Iowa. ...
Righting a sinking mental health ship (11/12/19)

It's too big, folks. The mental health situation is too big to condense into a column for you. Earlier this year, our family of papers did an entire series on mental health in northwest Iowa, and the beast is rearing its head again...
A lunch break take on Poe (10/29/19)

Halloween admittedly snuck up on me this year. I typically have a personality for my All Hallow's Eve column picked out well in advance of the especially spooky celebration. Not this year. This year, I gave it no thought, until just a few days ago. So I am forced to rummage through the leftovers of the dollar discount costume shop in the back of my own mind for the column's costume this year. Let's take a look...
Healing and help through stories of grief and hope (10/22/19)

I didn't know Heath Huberg personally. I only knew knew him through the stories I read and the things his friends told me. I know he was an accomplished singer from the Lakes Area. I know he was married with a young daughter. I know he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. I know all this because I wrote a piece about Heath and a fundraiser his friends organized after his diagnosis. So I felt truly saddened when his obituary came across my desk this week...
Trouble with a capitol T, that rhymes with V... (9/24/19)

Let me give credit where credit is due. The Trump administration — on Sept. 11 of all dates — said the Food and Drug Administration has been instructed to crack down on "non-tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes." A statement from the FDA says this is in an effort to tackle the epidemic — their word, not mine — of vaping among young people. ...
Handling criticism (9/3/19)

Folks in northwest Iowa have been seeing a number of political candidates come through the area as of late. It's almost as if there's an election cycle coming up in the near future. I kid of course. We Iowans know what's coming. Soon there will be a bombardment of campaign ads and recorded telephone messages from those seeking office. Without fail, those campaigns will both give and take criticism from their opponents as well as the public...
Gifts from the earth and signs of life (8/20/19)

It looked like a tennis ball. That was my first instinct anyway. After initially catching a glimpse of something round breaking through the dry dirt at the base of my maple tree, I was reasonably sure I would soon be digging out a buried dog toy of some sort. What I found was more intriguing...
Little, red writing good and the case of the far-flung photo (8/6/19)

I got to feeling a bit like the little, red hen this week. I harvested the wheat, I ground the flour, I rolled the dough and I baked the bread, when I covered the Iowa Great Lakes Rotary's inaugural Boji Brewfest back in 2017. Come last week, I found not one but four different websites using one of my photos from that year to promote the Brewfest on their events calendars and the like. ...
Falling for the fake in a real world (7/30/19)

Accidents happen, but one of the week's most prominent mistakes cost a Turning Point USA employee their job. If you haven't heard, the president recently spoke at the organization's event and the presidential seal displayed behind him wasn't quite right. ...
The greater burden (7/23/19)

We've all had a good number of questions posed to us in recent days. The issue is whether we heard them and, if we did, how we responded. Above all the tweeting, name-calling and chanting, some underlying issues can easily slip through our fingers and never truly sink into our American minds. ...
Symbiosis and invasive species (7/16/19)

I recently found myself plucking an interesting juxtaposition out of the waters of another famous Iowa lake. My family returned to roost in Clear Lake this past Fourth of July. From tourist traffic, to fireworks to zebra mussels, Clear Lake is very similar to the Lakes Area in this corner of the state. So, with all that in mind, it's possible I should have predicted said juxtaposition waiting for me in the waters of my former hometown...
Suffer the little children (7/2/19)

I'll tell you a story. Take it for what it's worth. I don't think it's any secret that some of my opinions aren't widely supported in this corner of the state, particularly on immigration. The issue almost always circles back to potential violence and crime among those crossing the border illegally, and my critics have asked me in the past how my opinion might change if my own child were harmed because of it. They're on the right track. We do need to consider the children...
A mouse, an elephant and a job (6/4/19)

I'm going to go ahead and tell you. "Mental Health in the Heartland" has taken a good chunk of time and energy for every one of the authors in this series. It's a really complex subject, with a lot of background and a lot of faces in a lot of different fields. Just like everyone's least favorite Facebook relationship status — it's complicated...
The jackets in our closet (5/21/19)

A maroon Members Only jacket hangs in the back of my closet. It is neither warm, nor comfortable nor stylish. It simply exists as continued proof of a plethora of fashion choices society wishes it hadn't made. Of course, May is a month known for decisions being made by the young as they graduate — where they will go, what they will do, who they will become. It's a time when the community watches with great interest as the quasi-adults answer those questions for themselves...
The danger of the little, red X and free comic books (4/30/19)

Come Saturday, the spheres of pop-culture geekdom will come into alignment. The first Saturday in May is traditionally held as Free Comic Book Day across the country. It's a day in which comic retailers of all types open their doors and promote literacy through — you guessed it — free comic books. ...
A big o'l bag of well-being (4/16/19)

In less than a week's time, the public in northwest Iowa went from being surprised by the sudden closing of addiction treatment center Compass Pointe, to wondering what society will do with the hundreds of clients who were suddenly dumped, to a twinge of relief as Seasons Center for Behavioral Health took steps to pick up the slack. ...
The Biden paradox (4/9/19)

Despite my strong desire to address the ludicrous nature of supposed cancer-causing sound waves emanating from wind turbines, I can't get the situation surrounding former Vice President Joe Biden out of my mind. It's not simply because he's now been labeled "Creepy Uncle Joe." Rather, it's because I believe our response to the accusations surrounding the last administration's VP will have some wide-spread implications for political discourse moving forward...
Community-focused cash drawers (3/26/19)

If the lines at the hardware stores were any indication, this most recent batch of rainy weather hit us all pretty equally. Each of us tried our best to keep the rain at bay as it fell on frozen ground before winding its way down the path of least resistance — ending in the basement for many of us. ...
Educators are not options (3/6/19)

This week, we were presented with another one of those difficult conundrums our system of laws creates from time to time. We almost had a state bill eliminating the mandate for both school nurses and school librarians. Thankfully, the bill was amended to remove the sections about nurses and librarians before being passed by its committee, according to Iowa Public Radio. ...
The fourth's use of The First (2/26/19)

"Genuflectant omnes in plano." All kneel at the same level. It's a phrase meaning we're all the same — equal under God's rule, in its original context. The idea being we are all created equal, and to believe one of us to be greater than the other is short-sighted. I see a parallel in social accountability...
Building a better newspaper (2/12/19)

Assuming the weather didn't freeze us all where we stood, a number of the faces in your local newsroom will have visited Des Moines to receive their various awards at the Iowa Better Newspaper Association Convention and Trade Show this past weekend. ...
'The many benefits of corn' (2/5/19)

Go ahead, list five benefits of corn. Let's see — nutrition, cleaner burning blended fuel, environmentally-friendly packing peanuts, seasonal home decor … that's more of a use, um … I need a little help. So, I'd like to take the National Corn Growers Association up on the offer they made to educate Bud Light on the benefits of corn. ...
Warm memories cover all (1/29/19)

Not too long ago, I was worried there would be no snow on the lakes for Winter Games. Then we got snow on snow on snow, as the song goes, and not a small amount was in everyone's driveway. I even saw some fill a mailbox that was left open when the plow came by one morning. So I, like many of us, shrugged on my warmest clothing and cleared the way before breakfast — or after dinner depending on which of this season's snowfalls we're discussing...
A plague on both (y)our houses (1/22/19)

Poor Mercutio — a prime example of a man hurt most by the quarrel to which he's not part. Some have said the Shakespeare character's death in Romeo and Juliet is the point at which the classic story ceases to be an Elizabethan-aged story of two hormone-driven teenagers. In other words, it's the point at which things get serious. It's no longer funny. It's no longer adorable. It's serious...
Conflation, confusion and some flip flops (1/15/19)

It's now official. This particular government funding gap has caused the longest continuous shutdown on record. However, this isn't the time to gloat. Not in my opinion anyway. I'm of the opinion this should be getting fixed as soon as possible. In fact, I believe most Americans are with me on that, it's just a question of how...
A journey through tomorrow's mist (1/8/19)

Journey with me, reader. Picture the sentiments of today in the frame of an era not so long ago — an era in which history was being made. A story coming to light in the early 1970s revealed truths which were thought by some to be almost impossible. Yet, within two years, that same truth was undeniable. Journey with me, reader, as John Q. Public pens a letter to his local paper. The date is Thursday, Aug. 1, 1974...
It's cold and shutdown season (1/1/19)

Our government has had budget legislation on the books for quite some time now, but it didn't lead to a government shutdown until Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music" bumped "Shake, Shake, Shake" by KC and the Sunshine Band from the top of the billboard. ...
Peering through the windows of the soul (12/26/18)

Despite it being just a few days until Christmas, I've personally come across a higher-than-average number of comments pointing the finger at the "liberal media" — frankly, at this point, that just comes with the job. The New Year's not too far away, and we're still convinced stories are meant to dupe the masses, rather than display the truth. Emotional appeals, rather than cold hard facts...
An icon of Iowan character (12/18/18)

U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley's remarks after the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill make me fairly proud to be an Iowan. It's not even that I necessarily agree with what he said, though I gotta admit it's hard to argue with him. What really makes me proud is that he pointed out a problem he sees in the system without degrading his colleagues. I'd say he was angry, but he wasn't rude. He was critical, clear and direct, but didn't mince words — somehow seems appropriate for Iowa...
Baby, it's time to move on (12/11/18)

In this ever-changing world in which we're living, song lyrics can come back and bite you. It's nearing Christmas time, and the holiday touchstone "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is being put on the black list for some on the airwaves. Which of course is making folks mad. ...
'All things are connected' (12/4/18)

Well, zis, boom, bah. Two of the uncertainties hanging over the heads of Iowa ag producers are on a bit more solid footing this week. Not only did the United State Mexico Canada Agreement get signed by President Trump as a replacement for the former North American Free Trade Agreement, but the Environmental Protective Agency announced this coming year's renewable fuel volumes obligations. ...
The legacy of Smilin' Stan (11/20/18)

Though I realize it's a bit of old news at this point, I find it impossible to ignore the passing of comic book titan Stan Lee. Moreover, I find it poetic he passed the day after Veterans Day. Many aren't aware, but Stan the Man (birth name Stanley Lieber) served in the Army during World War II — one of only a few men categorized as playwrights (another being Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. ...
My accidental Veterans Day insult (11/13/18)

My fellow Americans, I have a confession to make. Quite by accident, I realized I may have actually offended a large group of people Monday morning … while the national anthem played … at a Veterans Day assembly. It was just one of those situations when we find ourselves making a potentially bigger mess while trying to be considerate — like holding the door open for someone, only to realize you hit someone on the other side squarely on the nose...
Power of the people (11/6/18)

Election Day will not satisfy us. We often think it will, but it won't. Each side hopes their chosen "wave" (both of which sound like Kool-aid flavors to me) will win the day and right everything wrong with society. If only it were that easy. Fact of the matter is, problems will persist no matter which primary color dominates the government - local or national. ...
The tally machine (10/30/18)

It's nearing the time of year again when ladies and gents dawn fancy dress and celebrate All Hallow's Eve. Not to be left out, this column is again in its own fancy dress just to add a bit of seasonal fun. For once, I was fairly prepared. It took some shower singing and some early morning note jotting, but I think this column — at least at first glance — could pass for the later handy work of a founding member of the Quarrymen (you may know the name John Lennon). ...
Memes for the betterment of humanity (10/23/18)

Humor is an ever-changing spectrum, and we may be starting to see some new colors in that spectrum thanks to the digital revolution. The format of the magazine caption contest has mutated and multiplied on the information highway and now calls itself a meme. ...
Aftershocks or eagle's wings (10/9/18)

We individually may tire of discussing the finer points of the Kavanaugh-Ford-investigation-setup-circus, but we collectively have plenty of steam. Fortunately, this steamer may be closing in on the light at the end of the tunnel. Kavanaugh is now the newest Supreme Court Justice. There's not much to be done at this point...
The rock, the hard place and the octopus (10/2/18)

The Brett Kavanaugh confirmation is all anyone seems to be talking about. We're all in a bustle about his potential appointment to the highest court in the land. I mean, hardly anyone was watching the video the seal who threw an octopus at a kayaker last week. All right, one of those happenings might be more important than the other...
Hunger pangs (9/18/18)

The crisp autumn air brings a lot of memories with it, many of them pleasant. The wind carries the scent of homecoming football games, comfortable sweaters and, for some, the seasonal resurrection of pumpkin spice. I share in most of those, but I've been mentally blindsided by a more somber memory the last few years. ...
Delaying justice (9/11/18)

There were shouts, there were pleas and there was Sen. Chuck Grassley reservedly tapping his gavel in an attempt to maintain order. I'm talking, of course, about the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. There's apparently millions of documents to potentially review. ...
Good fellas (9/4/18)

There's a whole list of rules for crafting a good story. They were hand-written by the DCN's Editor Russ Mitchell in black dry erase marker on the whiteboard a long time ago, and they continue to hold true. Of course, there's a litany of writing tips he's shared that didn't make whiteboard status. ...
Evil knows no borders (8/28/18)

The story of who killed Iowa girl Mollie Tibbetts is nearly complete. Cristhian Bahena Rivera has been charged with her murder and is going to trial. Authorities initially said Rivera was an undocumented immigrant, but now even that is being challenged. Nonetheless, the left is telling the right not to politicize this case, just as the right told the left not to politicize school shootings earlier this year. We all hold our preferred causes quite dearly...
Pondering infinite purpose (8/14/18)

The true role a community paper has been on my mind quite a bit over the last several days. It's easy to think the goal of the paper is to sell as many of those clean, crisp, freshly-printed sheets as possible, but I'm beginning to see that is actually not the goal...
Math is fun (8/7/18)

Trade Aid isn't the latest news but, now that there are rumblings of another government shutdown, I'm starting to feel like it was the first light tap in a combo that will bruise if not stagger the economy. The president has said the government might face a shutdown if the $18 billion he was hoping would fund his prized southern border wall aren't secured. ...
What's in a name? (7/17/18)

There's something important about a byline. It's not about credit, and it's not about notoriaty, but it's important. It's about accountability. It's about credibility. I think it was probably put best during a recent newsroom discussion. We don't deal in information. ...
Gerhardt and the wall (6/26/18)

A medieval metaphor for modern times. Alexander paused for a moment on a parapet of the castle in which he was born. He knew the world outside the wall could not be trusted. There were thieves. There were killers. But he assumed there were good people as well. ...
The benefits of a broken downspout (6/19/18)

I've long held that bad things happen to spur us toward good things. It's always counterintuitive, and I never seem to remember it in the moment, but I believe it's true. Case in point, a downspout came apart on the far corner of my house at some point in the past few months. As a result, all of the rain we had in the relatively recent past had been gushing straight down behind a bush where I couldn't see it until there started to be more visible signs inside the house...
My Muslim-made wedding cake (6/5/18)

Though you can buy recreational marijuana in the Denver, Colorado, you might have some trouble buying a wedding cake in Lakewood, Colorado, if you're a same-sex couple. The Supreme Court reversed a Colorado court decision which ruled Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop violated state discrimination laws when he refused to bake a cake for the 2012 wedding reception of David Mullins and Charlie Craig. ...
Melding good from bad (5/22/18)

I was prepared. I was prepared to talk about how school safety had prevailed. I was prepared to talk about how a gun was used to save lives. I was prepared to talk about how a trained officer prevented tragedy without losing a single life — not even the attacker's. I was prepared to say we were getting somewhere...
Prairie gems shine bright (5/15/18)

There was a little regional hubbub the other week when the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture announced 10 of the state's newest urban conservation water quality demonstration projects. That's a heck of a state title. Anyway, the state is giving just over $789,000 in total for the projects and the cities themselves are pitching in more than $3 million altogether. ...
Stuck in the middle (4/25/18)

The nation paused to mourn the death of first lady Barbara Bush. Well, not everybody. A certain English professor at California State University - Fresno (or Fresno State University, depending who you ask) made some remarks about Mrs. Bush which caught fire in the public arena. They have even led some sponsors of the university to consider pulling their funding, according to the Fresno Bee. Of course, not all of them plan to, but enough to spark a discussion...
Stone digits (4/17/18)

We often think of growth as the process of keeping knowledge and experience preserved under glass somewhere inside our being. I think we all do it from time to time because we view knowledge and experience as a finite mound to be finished through consumption, when perhaps it's more like trying to drink a waterfall. It just keeps coming and every drop is different than the last...
Soft targets (4/10/18)

I promise, next week I will find something unrelated to gun violence to write about. But, I would no doubt be remiss if I didn't talk about the latest shooting to plague the American public after I spent last week's column discussing aspects of the Parkland protests. ...
Loathsome honey (4/3/18)

Keep eating the same thing and it will nauseate you. I'm getting sick of it, but Parkland's in the spotlight again after the march. You may ask why I bring it up, if I'm so tired of it — and, admittedly I'm mostly tired of the uninformed attacks against it — but it's because one of our local politicians has connected northwest Iowa to the issue. ...
To fill the breach (3/27/18)

It feels like I should be whittling something out of an old hickory switch and flicking a thinly structured rocking chair back and forth on my heels when I say it but … (throat clearing noises) In my day, Facebook was used for one thing and one thing only — communication. There were no games on Facebook. You could only post text and you got one picture to let people know what you actually looked like...
Solutions are rarely so simple (2/27/18)

Deep breath in … and out. Arming teachers is a bad idea. I won't deny that seems like a solution on the surface, but it's fueled by the idea that the best defense is a good offense. Offensive victory is not something our educational system is prepared for, nor should it be. More over, I've yet to hear a feasible plan for implementing such an idea in our schools...
Our common response (2/20/18)

I, like TV host Jimmy Kimmel, am very tired of our current tragedies. The Columbine shootings took place when I was just beginning middle school and, for some ungodly reason, school shootings have continued into my adulthood with alarming frequency. Again, I'm tired of them. Worse, we've let such shootings become common, and as such, our response to them has become common — "thoughts and prayers."...
'We choose both' (2/6/18)

It's difficult to not to draw comparisons sometimes in life. This week perhaps exemplified some of our worst human tendencies when a train loaded with Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Steve King, Sen. Joni Ernst and southwestern Iowa's Rep. David Young, collided with a garbage truck near Charlottesville, Virginia. I would like to say the masses didn't disappoint with their responses, but they did...
Hope for the patch-work creation (1/23/18)

It's the 200th anniversary of the tale of the patch-work man. You know it better as Frankenstein. Author Mary Shelley sat down in 1818 to create a story about a patch-work man and ultimately penned the story about trying to answer fundamental questions about life itself. ...
Quest for a coin (1/2/18)

The second column of mine that ever saw the light of day in the black and white pages of the Spencer Daily Reporter detailed my quest to find the origins of an antique soda bottle that was evidently filled in Spencer. As it turned out, the bottle's origins could be traced back to the Spencer Community Theatre. At the time, I was taken with the idea of retracing the historical serendipity that fell in my lap...
The bright side (11/14/17)

If “Life of Brian” taught me anything, it's to always look on the bright side of life. The final scene of Montey Python's classic films ends with several men being crucified while singing (and whistling) a tune literally titled "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life." Speaking of sacrilegious moments: Did you hear the one about the Alabama State Auditor who compared an alleged case of sexual abuse involving a Senate candidate to the relationship between the Messiah's parents? I never would have thought someone who started something called the Foundation for Moral Law would need so much defending — inept as it may be.. ...
Be it peace or be it war (10/24/17)

At this time last year, I figuratively dressed my column in a literary costume prior to Halloween's arrival. Some may recall the piece written in the (cheaply imitated) pen of one Theodor Geisel. I rather enjoyed the idea, although it was lost on some readers who found my dime-store version of our beloved Dr. ...
Dear valued customer: (9/26/17)

Imagine, if you will, the following letter were to arrive in your mailbox. It becomes more clear that the situation is not beneficial for the customer or the congressmen, when cast in this new light. Dear valued customer: We at Graham-Cassidy Ford, Lincoln, Mercury aim to provide what we promise. ...
The Spirit of Radio (9/12/17)

While the hurricanes in the Gulf Coast are winding down, my hackles are raising over a few comments made by the boisterous radio personality Rush Limbaugh (don’t take that to be an effort by your local media to boost sales in the dog breeding business). ...
For want of a cracker (8/23/17)

The little box labeled August 21 on the calendar at my desk has had a note on it for months now. That was the date of the total solar eclipse. I’ve been pretty jazzed about the day for awhile. Eclipses are just one of those rare events that holds our attention, inspires a sense of awe and reminds us our lives are as brief as a tick or a tock on the giant clock of creation...
Harvest Time (8/8/17)

The corn is well past knee-high but it isn’t quite time to reap what’s been sown. Fortunately, I’m not talking about the corn. I’m actually talking about my hair. It’s under new ownership. The photo accompanying this column is no longer accurate and I may even be able to blend into a crowd once in awhile...
‘Death doesn’t discriminate’ (8/1/17)

If you’re like me, the President’s announcement regarding a ban on transgender individuals serving in any military capacity — and I’ll stress any capacity — seems a bit out of left field. If you had your ear to the ground, you probably heard the rumblings coming down the track when the Joint Chiefs of Staff requested a plan to allow transgendered servicemen be delayed for further study. ...
Aww, SNAP! (7/19/17)

I would be willing to bet not many of us would think of cutting back on our grocery budget or medical care to pay for a new door lock — or a multi-million dollar fence for that matter. Well, Iowa’s own Rep. Steve King is proposing something along those lines. ...
Seth's soapbox (7/11/17)

Summer is the time for major blockbuster movies, as we all know. Such blockbusters have been super-hero comic book movies since about 2002, when Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man breathed new life into the genre. This weekend, the latest portrayal of the web-slinger debuted in the U.S. ...
A state of being (7/3/17)

The recent passing of a friend and frequent customer has reminded me of how Iowa is often perceived by other parts of the country. Some think Iowans are unqualified to hold the first caucus. Some think our state is covered in hog confinements. Some think we wear overalls and speak with southern accents. Some even think we’re the potato state. We’ve heard them all...
A difficult proposition (6/20/17)

This isn’t going to be easy. It may even tread a few paces into the domain of the pastor’s column. I, like many, was shocked by the news of a lone gunman opening fire on the Republican baseball team this week. Let me be clear. This was a horrible thing for that man to do. You don’t just go around shooting people because you don’t like their political priorities. It was an ill-founded, ill-conceived and ill-fated attempt to resolve misplaced anger. Plain and simple...
Of Paris and the future (6/6/17)

One just can’t keep up these days. This is the third column I’ve drafted in as many days. Each day, another social issue overshadows my previous draft and I can’t help but at least get my thoughts out on paper. First, wind energy got overshadowed by the latest addition to the “Fearless Girl” scenario. Next, the “Fearless Girl” got overshadowed by Kathy Griffin’s stunt. Now, that subject’s been eclipsed by the withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord. We’ll see if this one can make it to print...
Freeze Frame (5/23/17)

It’s graduation season, or rather it was graduation season. Cameras were flashing, or rather phones were flashing. Man, me and my big, old camera lens are starting to stick out more and more when I go out on assignment. At least I’m not using actual film...
I’m not an Iowan (5/9/17)

Actually I am an Iowan — born and raised. Don’t worry. You’ll see where I’m going. This past weekend, my wife and I traveled to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to see a stage show at the Washington Pavillion. Now, I’m not embarrassed to tell you, I don’t like city traffic. I don’t like merging into tight spaces. I don’t like people exceeding the speed limit by 15 miles per hour. I don’t like a lot of things about it. Courtesy seems to go out the window once there are six lanes for some reason...
The one-two punch (5/3/17)

We’ve had a bit of a one-two punch to the country’s collective conscience. It hit us from both sides. I’d say it was more of a right hook followed by a left jab. Just the other day, President Donald Trump said people don’t often ask why the Civil War couldn’t be resolved and said Andrew Jackson could have prevented it. ...
Analyzing the divide (5/2/17)

We’ve progressed beyond the cross roads. I feel as if we’re emulating the future H.G. Wells described in “The Time Machine.” Humanity seems to be dividing itself into two distinct groups, bound for ever-diverging paths. I’m having some trouble fully articulating just what is fueling this divide. We’ve certainly done a great deal of describing what it has resulted in over the last several months. Yet, my instincts tell me there is something seemingly small and simple at the heart of it all...
Stop all the dancing (4/18/17)

Take a deep breath until your stomach puffs out. Now imagine you swallowed a handful of gravel. Now pretend you’re trying to cough that gravel back up. That noise you’re making is how I feel when I think about our country’s posturing. We’ve done it before and I would personally prefer to avoid this old song and dance. We’ve been twirling around in this vicious socio-economic-political ballroom for too long and it’s making me sick. One-two-three-one-two-three-one-two-three...
The give and take of offenses (4/12/17)

I seem to find myself in this position more and more these days. There’s just so many things one could comment on in the public eye. Initially, I wanted to talk about the Pepsi commercial that recently got pulled. But that’s getting to be old news at this point. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the White House Press Secretary supplied the masses with a new fresh-off-the-griddle social faux pas as only Sean Spicer can...
Got me again (4/7/17)

I’m terrible with dates. I once said, with full confidence, that Thanksgiving was always Nov. 25. So, it shouldn’t be too surprising that I forget April Fool’s Day every year. These days, I’m not plagued by whoopee cushions and buckets of water so much as I’m plagued by electronic gags from people more clever than I. We all remember the saying, “If it’s in print it must be true.” Well, it’s the electronic age now and people are more clever and just as funny...
The persistence of memory (3/31/17)

Much to the dismay of some in my family, Dr. Oz was interrupted on Friday for a breaking news story. The bulletin informed the public that the vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act was not going to be voted on yet. That’s right. We are at the point in our society when we feel the need to let everyone know nothing is going to happen...
It’s a sign of the times (3/24/17)

There’s an old sailor’s superstition that you should not whistle while at sea. The thinking was, if sailors whistled, the wind would take it as a challenge and refuse to blow, slacking the sails and stranding the crew. I think of that superstition from time to time concerning the weather we enjoy, or tolerate, in Iowa...