Opinion

My Congressional representative Steve King just attacked the foundation of the human family by casting incest in a positive light. The incest taboo is universal — all cultures and people of all faiths observe it. Our very humanity is based in the stability of our family ties. ...

Last week the serial anti-Trump letter writer tried to read President Trump's mind. It isn't necessary to read his mind because he tells you exactly what he is thinking. How refreshing to have a politician that tells you exactly what is on his mind...

Kudos to Steve Weisman and the DCN for outstanding coverage of the Prairie Lakes Conference field day tour of the Wallace & Bowers Nature Area. Owing to the generosity of a couple families, many Lakes area contributors, ownership and management by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Wallace & Bowers provides a textbook example and material contribution to our Lakes area water and soil quality. A perfect balance of sound agriculture and conservation...

The Iowa Great Lakes Rotary Club would like to thank everyone who helped make our third annual Boji Brew Fest event Aug. 3 at Arnolds Park Central Park a great success. A special thank you to the members of PEO, Chapter PA Spirit Lake, and spouses who volunteered along with our club members to make set up, ticket sales and tear down run smoothly...

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...

It is my pleasure to submit this letter in support of Okoboji Community Schools and Spirit Lake Community Schools desire to update the Revenue Purpose Statement (RPS) in an upcoming special election. Our Schools must update their RPS due to a recent change in the law that regulates the SAVE and I urge a YES vote during this special election...

To the residents of the Okoboji and Spirit Lake Community School Districts: I write to urge a "yes" vote in the special election on Sept. 10 to approve a Revenue Purpose Statement for the Spirit Lake and Okoboji Community School Districts. I am honored to serve as the state senator for five counties and more than 40 communities in northwest Iowa. ...

To the residents of the Okoboji Community School District: I write in support of a "yes" vote on Sept. 10 for the Revenue Purpose Statement (RPS) as provided by the Okoboji Community School District. One of the most important bills passed into law this session was the extension of SAVE, the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education fund. This bill took several years and many minds to piece together, but I am proud to say it was a bipartisan effort...

After a summer in this beautiful community, we are gearing up for another school year. We are fortunate to call this community home and we look forward to students returning to our buildings on Monday, Aug. 26. We completed registration last week but our online portal is still open for the registration process or you can stop in the building offices...

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. ...

Seven new trail benches were placed earlier this summer and there are couple more on order to be installed later this year. DCTB also continues to replace old wood benches that are beyond repair due to maintenance and safety concerns. The bench program is a fundraiser for the trails and offers an opportunity for trail users to remember family and friends along with providing the trail with rest areas. ...

Economic activity in the Midwest is picking up, according to a monthly survey by Creighton University. The Mid-America Business Conditions Index rose in June to a rating of 55.4, according to Creighton University professor Ernie Goss. The Business Conditions Index measures economic activity in nine Midwestern states, with a rating of 50.0 or higher indicating a growing economy...

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. ...

On June 27, in a 5-4 decision, the United States Supreme Court ruled that partisan gerrymandering was a political question that was outside of the reach of the Supreme Court. This case involved a map in North Carolina (Republican) and a map in Maryland (Democrat) that favored the political party that drew them...

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. ...

In the days before we had driver’s licenses, my brother, Glen, and I rode our bicycles everywhere. We lived on a farm in northwest Iowa that was accessed only by gravel roads. Our travels took us all over these gravel roads. We sometimes rode in the ditches, across hay fields, pastures and even corn fields...

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...

Over the last two years, the legislature has passed bipartisan mental health reform and created the state's first ever children's mental health system. These bills have been consistently regarded by mental health advocates as the most significant steps forward Iowa has ever taken to increase access to mental health services statewide...

On Tuesday, July 9, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) issued a press release in which the state agency noted that unfavorable planting conditions this spring commonly delayed, and in some cases, prevented crop planting...

Consumers, farmers and businesses should watch out for fraud Whenever the public is confused about the law, the potential for fraud is high. That maxim applies to hemp and cannabidiol (CBD) products. The 2019 Iowa Hemp Act and recent changes in federal law have led to questions about what is legal and safe in Iowa. ...

The Legislative Services Agency issued their monthly revenue memo for June 2019, closing up a strong year for state revenue as collections grew 6.6%.  Through June's report, the state has taken in $7.7312 billion in net receipts in Fiscal Year 2019.  That is a $478.9 million increase over the same figure at the end of June 2018. ...

As the United States celebrated its 243rd birthday, I was reminded of moments in American history that distinguish our nation as the land of the free and home of the brave. These moments have shown how America's quest for independence paved the way for freedom from tyranny at home and abroad...

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...