Opinion

We may be seeing our republic disintegrating before our eyes. Is this really what more than 72 million Trump voters envisioned or wanted? Clearly, Trump lost the election by over 5 million votes but insists on shattering every norm practiced by 44 previous presidents — peaceful transfer of power...

It's always good to focus on positive things, especially when we seem almost overwhelmed by negatives. In light of that I mention two very positive things. First, the Spirit of Harmony Chorus, a women's acapella chorus based in Spirit Lake. This chorus just celebrated their 40th anniversary of singing together and entertaining the community as well as successfully competing in their regional competitions. ...

Currently, in the United States, there are 21 states led by Republican Governors and Congresses and 15 states led by Democratic Governors and Congresses. An interesting study by Lloyd Chambliss of the University of North Carolina revealed a startling statistical contrast between Republican led states and Democratic led states...

Spirit Lake, you really blew it out of the water this blood drive! We had a goal of 46 and a total unit count of 56! What a fun and profitable day on the 19th of October. We had 56 sign up, only four no shows, seven deferrals, one walk in, and six power reds for 12 units. This is outstanding and I commend all of you...

The COVID-19 pandemic has touched every person in one way or another this year. We've worn masks and social distanced, but we are tired and want to reconnect with family and friends, especially during the holidays. COVID is something to take seriously, as 3.3 percent of Americans have tested positive for coronavirus, and in Dickinson County, 6.5 percent have tested positive, with 35 percent of those positives in the last month alone. ...

Ten new trail benches were placed around the trails system this fall. Four benches were set in September and another six were installed in early November. Every bench has a special story so DCTB is featuring them through Trails Talk to celebrate and share the stories of families and friends that are being honored through a bench donation...

A: Yes. The nation's top infectious disease doctor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, recently said it has been "beyond historic." As the novel coronavirus continues to wrap around the world, the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed has produced promising developments to combat COVID-19, the highly infectious disease that created a public health emergency and economic fall-out throughout 2020. ...

Last year, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, I joined a congressional delegation trip to visit U.S. troops, including Iowans, deployed in the Middle East. As a former company commander in Kuwait and Iraq, I understand the significance of our elected leaders being on-the-ground in war zones and personally assessing our continued combat operations. It's an important part of my job as a U.S. Senator and as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee...

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. ...

With the presidential election remaining in the news for last several days, now is a good time to review the important election reforms recently implemented in Iowa. These reforms ensure all legal votes are counted and only legal votes are counted. Over the last four years, Senate Republicans led on policies to provide security and protection for elections and voters in our state...

Service is more than just a word to me. It's a part of who I am. At 19 years old, at Iowa State University, I joined the Army ROTC program. I went on to spend more than 20 years serving in our military — retiring as a lieutenant colonel. I was blessed with the opportunity to lead some of the best and brightest Iowans in our Army National Guard...


Conserving America's natural resources is a nonpartisan issue. Both Republicans and Democrats alike should strive to protect our environment so future generations can enjoy the natural beauty with which we have been blessed. That's why, as a state representative, I have focused much of my energy on improving the quality of water in Iowa's lakes, rivers, and streams...

    A: The U.S. Secretary of Interior announced at the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum in Johnston that starting on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2020, all U.S. veterans and Gold Star families will be given free entry into national parts, federal lands and wildlife refuges managed by the U.S. ...

The election is now behind us — no more ads, no more phone calls, or yard signs. Voters were asked an important question on Election Day: Should Iowa have a constitutional convention? It was a small question with a potentially big impact. According to the Iowa Constitution, Iowans must be asked every 10 years if they support a constitutional convention to make changes to the Iowa Constitution. ...

On New Year's Day 1960, 2-year-old Tina Marie Brandon was killed in an accident in Dallas. Thirty years later, she came back to life — or at least it appeared she had. In 1990, Deborah Lester was able to falsify a birth certificate for Tina and get a Social Security number, according to Colorado Springs police. Lester held Tina's identity for 28 years, opening multiple business, bank accounts and credit cards and applying for government benefits, police allege...

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. ...

It's a commonly-known statistic – one in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. However, there's a lot more to know about breast cancer, and some of it might surprise you. 1. It doesn't just affect older women who have had a history of breast cancer in their family...

So many life events and celebrations, from graduations to birthdays and weddings have been impacted by the pandemic. Earlier this year, when schools shut down and entire sectors of the economy closed to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus, it also put the brakes on routine screenings and life-saving check-ups with our health care providers...

If you attended high school in Spencer between the years of 1969 and 1992, you probably didn't get through your freshman year without a little time with Nellie "Nell" Alderman. The fiery pastor's daughter from North Dakota taught civics, and her classroom lessons took students to the 13 Colonies and back...

The ability to vote and make one's voice heard is one of our most sacred rights. We continue to support common sense measures, which strengthen the security of our election system. Absentee voting is not being restricted. Iowa continues to be one of the most accessible states when it comes to voting. Here is some information about voting in Iowa. ...

When President Trump appointed Sonny Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture, he told him to "take care of the farmers." For the past three and a half years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has met that mandate, even during these challenging and unprecedented times...

I've been with the Dickinson County News since the start of 2010. There's never been a week when we've left out the opinion page. Sometimes, when we get a bumper crop of commentary, we'll even add a second page.
That's not a wrinkle I brought to the table, by the way. ...

  Iowans have options about how we choose to vote. We can cast an absentee ballot from the comfort of our home, in-person at the county auditor's office, or vote at the polls on Election Day. All three methods are safe and secure. Whichever method you choose, it's important to have a voting plan...

  A: As the world's largest economy and beacon of democracy, it's not a secret that our elections are targeted by foreign adversaries seeking to sow discord and division in the United States of America. For the last four years, Congress and the Trump administration have stepped up oversight, enforcement and funding to protect election security for the 2020 elections. ...