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An 8-year-old boy still lives

Country Roads Column for week of July 27, 2026 Seventy years ago many Iowa elementary classrooms displayed bright yellow cards appropriately called “dental cards.” The cards bore the signatures of dentists confirming that the student named thereon had visited said dentist and the condition of his or her teeth was duly approved. Most years the Huisman kids did not have a dental card pinned to the wall. Our parents took their six children to the dentist when the need arose but preventative dental care was not in the family budget. The first dentist visit I can remember occurred ...

‘Getting Old’ is getting old

It came to me about a year ago. My brother and I were talking on the phone and I mentioned the phrase, which we both immediately agreed would make a good bumper sticker or something. That Christmas, a daughter-in-law of mine surprised me with two T-shirts that had the expression printed on them; one for me and the second for my brother. Not that everything is more difficult as we age. As one who travels quite a bit, I was actually disappointed when the airport TSA agent told me I wouldn’t have to remove my shoes as I was “obviously old enough”… and I even wear Sketchers simply ...

An inside look at the Hamilton County Jail

When people think about the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, they usually picture deputies making traffic stops, responding to emergencies, investigating crimes, or attending community events. Those are certainly some of the most visible parts of our job, but there is another division that is essential to public safety and the daily operation of our office that often goes unnoticed. That division is the Hamilton County Jail. The jail is much more than a place where individuals are housed after an arrest. It is one of the most important pieces of the criminal justice system in ...

The loving hand of discipline

Many years ago, long before Facebook memes were a thing, I saw a plaque with an inscription which read, “Discipline your children now so correction officers don’t have to do it later.” I was raised by parents who probably never saw that inscription but certainly believed in its message. They took to heart the Biblical admonition of Proverbs 13:24 ̶ “Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.” You don’t have to look far these days to see the disturbing results of parents who are unwilling to discipline ...

Be sure to attend your county fair

Times change. Even so, there are a few constants in life. One is the pleasure provided by the county fairs that continue to be a highlight of summer in Iowa. For as far back as anyone who now lives in this part of Iowa can remember, these summer festivals have been much-anticipated and much-enjoyed features of summertime. The fairs, of course, have changed over the decades. One central theme, however, remains much the same — a celebration of farm life and the assorted positive educational and personal-growth pursuits that are treasured features of life in rural and small-town ...

Listen, but also be heard

This week and last week there have been a number of meetings with the Webster City school officials. Some have been with architects, meetings they call SPARK meetings where they are beginning to develop a plan for upgrading, redesigning or rebuilding the Webster City High School. There was a school board meeting this week too. And there are more community meetings to talk about changes for the high school starting with tonight. We all need to be paying attention. The taxpayers of the community are paying the bill for this work, paying through property taxes if owned, through rent ...