Columns

--- The well-worn saying among Iowans is: "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes because it's sure to change." So it's no surprise strong winds, high waters and even an ice storm secure a high place as we look back at the last decade. Mother Nature didn't waste any time...

Looking back, I can see how unsure I was when first arrived as Managing Editor of the Dickinson County News. This DCN issue happens to mark the 10th anniversary of my arrival. A decade ago, I compared the experience to a bull ride. (I came from Spencer and my last story there was a bull riding event preview for the Spencer Daily Reporter.)...

From my family to yours I wish you a safe and prosperous New Year and new decade. May 2020 bring you blessings and Gods face to shine upon you. As I prepare to head to Des Moines for our 2020 session, I want you to know how thankful I have been to represent you these last five years. I look forward to doing great things in Des Moines this upcoming year and keeping Iowa on the right track...

At the start of 2019, I became only the second U.S. senator from Iowa to be sworn in as Senate president pro tempore, one of only two constitutional officers in Congress. As the most senior lawmaker in the Senate Majority, it's an honor to serve in this leadership position on behalf of Iowans...

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...

  As this year nears its end, the Grassley family is grateful for another fall harvest. Like other family farms across Iowa, our three-generation farming operation experiences many of the uncertainties blanketing our profession. For starters, our livelihoods are at the mercy of Mother Nature...

  As we wrap-up 2019, I wanted to take a moment to look back on some of the highlights of the past year. First and foremost, I completed my fifth 99-county tour, my annual tradition where I visit every single one of Iowa’s 99 counties within a calendar year, and hold public town hall meetings to hear directly from constituents. ...

On Dec. 11, the interim Public Retirement Systems Committee met to receive an update from IPERS, 411 system for police and firefighters, Judicial Branch, Department of Administrative Services-Retirement Investors Club, and Peace Officers' Retirement System. The state of these pension systems continues to be strong...

It was 1897 when little Virginia O’Hanlon wrote her famous query to The New York Sun, “Is there a Santa Claus?” The editor turned the letter over to Francis Pharcellus Church to answer. The result is a timeless piece of wisdom that applies as beautifully this holiday season as it did long ago...

Every American has the right to due process under the United States Constitution and more specifically the Bill of Rights within the Constitution. The right to due process, in fact, is in the Constitution twice. Due process is in the Fifth Amendment of the Bill of Rights and it is in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution...

On Dec. 12, the Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) held its December meeting. The three-member panel gathered to review Iowa's economy, revise budget projections for FY 2020 and set the official estimate for FY 2021. For the current fiscal year (FY2020), the REC raised the general fund forecast to $8.0146 billion. ...

Over the last several weeks farmers, homes and businesses who use propane for heat or to dry their corn have been experiencing a shortage due to significant transportation issues. This shortage is the product of a "perfect storm," of a late planting season this spring, early winter weather conditions and high demand for petroleum products throughout the Midwest...

During this season of Thanksgiving, Americans gather with friends and family to count our blessings. Blessed to live in the land of the free and home of the brave, we give thanks to the courageous sons and daughters who put their lives on the line to secure freedom and liberty from one generation to the next...

At the end of each year, the Dickinson County Trails Board goes through strategic planning that involves consideration of trail development and maintenance priorities. The process also includes going through what grants the board will apply to which projects. DCTB will be taking on several projects next year that comprise a substantial extension of the rail trail Tatonka Ska Trace and filling in a number of gaps throughout the Iowa Great Lakes Trails system...

First and foremost, I hope you and your families a very happy Thanksgiving. We have been entrusted with so much in this great country and state. I am thankful for my wife and family and the greatest nation on Earth. I recently traveled to China to discuss trade and other important issues that will affect Iowa. ...

Giveaways could be tricky attempts to get your money or your information Social media giveaways attract lots of “likes” and “shares”— and why not? Everyone loves a free shot at winning a valuable prize. Cars, tiny houses, vacations and other prizes are popular giveaways on social media. But before you click on that giveaway, check it out. It could be a scam, or at least, an attempt to collect your personal information. Instead of winning a prize, you could lose money and security...

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. ...

Chief Justice Mark Cady passed away Nov. 15, 2019, from a heart attack. He was 66.  Chief Justice Cady of Fort Dodge, was appointed to the Iowa Supreme Court in 1998. The members of the court selected him as chief justice in 2011. Chief Justice Cady was a real judge. And I do not mean that he sat in a stuffy robe, on a high pedestal, with a wig, banging a gavel around. He was a real Iowan. A worker-bee, approachable and one of the people. Just as a judge ought to be...

Serving and honoring those who have selflessly served us and this nation through military service is important. The sacrifices our service members and their families make on our behalf is great and their efforts deserve our continuing respect and admiration...

In 2017, the Iowa Legislature passed HF 566 which merged municipal, school districts, community college districts (merged) and area education agency boards into one date. According to a fiscal note published by the Legislative Service Agency over the prior four municipal elections the voter turnout was 21.3%. During that same time, the voter turnout for the school board elections was averaged out to 6.5%...

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...

Every year Bob and Delna Mulhair spend their time here at the Great Lakes walking two miles a day as they journey every trail in the area throughout the season. This includes road shoulder trails around Big Spirit Lake along with non-trail areas like Francis Sites and sidewalks along Hill Avenue. ...

On Oct. 9, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) issued a press release announcing that this state agency is proposing administrative rule changes that would elevate the standard of care for companion animals in all licensed commercial facilities in Iowa.   ...

When Iowa attorney Stephanie Kozlowski began representing juvenile delinquents in court, she had no idea it would lead her to become a foster parent. She saw kids were entering the criminal justice system in many cases because of the challenges they faced at home. She also saw a significant need for foster parents and adoptive families in her community, caused largely by the opioid and meth crises. Stephanie knew she needed to get involved...

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...

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...

Last week was the October Administrative Rules Review Committee. I have the honor of chairing the committee that meets once a month to review rules put forth by the Executive Branch. This committee sees a wide variety boards, commissions, departments and agencies — and subsequently sees a wide variety of issues. This month, rules relating to the disinterment of human cremains were of particular interest...

On Monday Oct. 14, the three-member Revenue Estimating Conference held its fall meeting to revise state revenue projections for the current fiscal year (FY 2020) and the next budget year (FY 2021). Unlike most previous meetings, the REC had to find common ground between significantly different projections coming from the Legislative Services Agency and the Department of Management...

On Sept. 30, Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives Linda Upmeyer announced she was not going to seek re-election in 2020 and was stepping down as Speaker. This move effectively allows the incoming Speaker an opportunity to take the reins early, while still having the former Speaker in the Chamber to assist with the transition. Former Speaker Kraig Paulsen afforded the same opportunity to Speaker Upmeyer...

Students and families seeking to avoid student loan debt might be tempted by creative alternatives. One idea growing in popularity at schools in other states is income-sharing agreements (ISAs). The hook: Give up a certain percentage of your future earnings to cover the cost of your education. The amount repaid is linked to the amount you earn after graduation. If your degree fails to pay off, you may end up repaying less. ...

Farming is about community. It always has been. From the earliest known farming communities in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia to the modern farms punctuating the landscape of rural America, people have worked together for centuries to cultivate the crops that feed the world...

The Legislative Fiscal Committee met for the first time during the 2019 interim on in September. One of the major presentations was by Northeast Iowa Community College and the Greater Dubuque Development Corporation, discussing their initiative to connect childcare with education and training programs for in-demand jobs. ...

A recent survey of lenders offering private student loans to Iowa students and families highlights a clear lesson: Shop around and do your homework, or risk paying more for your education.   Federal student loans are always the best option for student borrowers. However, many Iowa students will find that scholarships, grants, and federal student loans fail to cover all their costs. Private student loans can close gaps in financial aid packages. ...

Universities have long been centers of political correctness. But campus administrations increasingly seem to be indulging students who, when faced with uncomfortable ideas, complain of feeling "harmed" or "unsafe." This is reaching its breaking point and making it hard for professors to teach...

Recently there has been a lot of talk about ending the electoral college and instead move to a popular vote. These talks have been brought on lately due to several of the more recent presidential races ending with an electoral victory and the popular vote going to the different candidates. Most recently President Trump won an electoral election and lost the popular vote...

The Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency (AEA) hosted a professional development course Aug. 5-6 called "School on Fire: Institute for Creativity & Innovation in Education." While it is routine for the AEAs to host professional development courses, this one was a little different. ...

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Melissa Loehr. I am the Court Appointed Special Advocate and Foster Care Review Board Coordinator. My job is to recruit and train volunteers to become advocates for children who have been abused and neglected and are involved with juvenile court. ...

Avast ye mateys! Thursday was "Talk Like a Pirate Day," so pull up a stool, ye landlubbers as I tell ye o' the great go-kart plunder of 2011. I can remember it like the smell o' a shipmate after three weeks at sea. A chill was in the salty October air when a Scandinavian pirate whose name has been lost t' time eyed some bounty near the Port o' West Okoboji. The ornery cuss were bein' near some pubs 'n thrill attractions...

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. ...

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst issued a statement Tuesday encouraging Iowans to "forget Area 51 — waste at the Pentagon is out of this world." The combat veteran's point was to let Iowans know about the need to consolidate unneeded and underused warehouses in the Department of Defense...

The United States Department of Transportation recently announced that Iowa was awarded a $33.4 million federal Competitive Highway Bridge Program (CHBP) grant. State Departments of Transportation in 25 eligible states were invited to apply under the program — by law eligible states were limited to states with population densities of less than 100 people per square-mile based on Census data...

With the first-in-the nation caucuses this winter, prominent national Democrats like Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren have continued to endorse extreme ideas and socialism. Not to be outdone by presidential candidates' far-left health care proposals, Iowa House Democrats introduced legislation last session that would force Iowans into a socialist-style, government-run health care system that would eliminate private health insurance (House File 96). ...

Maintenance projects will be getting started after Labor Day at various trail locations. The work will include an asphalt overlay of the Nature Center-Kenue Park Trail starting at 175th Street in Okoboji and going west to the Nature Center. The Spine Trail along Kiwanis Park and 20th Street in Spirit Lake will be getting an overlay and curb ramp improvements as well. ...

Our world is more connected than ever. In a lot of ways, this is a good thing. In an instant, I can send a tweet from my office in Washington, D.C., or post a photo to Instagram from my farm in New Hartford. These are just a couple ways I keep my constituents informed about how I'm working for them. ...

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...

An issue that surfaced late during the 2019 legislative session related to "blackout" license plates.  There was a desire to create a new license plate that was entirely black. Dordt University offered a black license plate, but featured additional white lettering. There was so much interest in an entirely black plate, people purchased the Dordt plates and used specially designed blackout brackets to cover the Dordt-specific lettering thus making a pieced-together black plate...

I started thinking about Midwest values. First, I must define Midwest values because we always talk about them. What exactly are they? Midwest values include: an honest day's work for an honest day's pay, hard work, honesty, modesty, lack of pretension, your word is your bond, always lend a helping hand, never stand by and tolerate injustice or suffering, your name/reputation/character is your most prized possession, aversion to shiny objects and flashy ways (consumerism, political spin, fast talkers, etc.). ...

Iowa is in need physicians, especially in rural areas. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, Iowa ranked 46th in 2016 for the total number of physicians active in patient care per 100,000 people. The legislature made an attempt to begin addressing this issue by bolstering two scholarship funds in the education budget this year. ...

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...

The numbers are shocking:  In 2017 (the most recent year data is available), one person died every 48 minutes in a drunk-driving crash in the United States. These deaths account for approximately one-third of all traffic deaths each year, or 10,874 in 2017. Despite laws in every state, the numbers remain similar year after year. Ultimately, drinking and driving is a choice and it is a choice that puts all road users at risk...