Breaking News

Local Columns

Just be in the room

For the past year, I have been sitting in many, many meetings, sometimes the only one present outside of staff or other media. This sounds tedious. But one thing I’ve learned. It’s important to be there. Most of these meetings include elected officials, voted on by me, my neighbors and the community. And I appreciate the time it takes to work in these positions. These are not easy jobs if they are reading the materials and studying the issues. So I respect those who have taken up the challenge, campaigned for the positions, and then find themselves placed in a totally new ...

Saying goodbye to old technology

We had to say goodbye to an old family friend last week. Our VHS recorder/player died. I’ve owned a VHS unit for more than 40 years. The dearly departed VHS machine was number three. The first VHS player came at great expense. I purchased it from an advertising client who operated a large appliance and electronics store. I never asked for a discount but Bill always gave me one. The technology was relatively new at the time, early 1980s, and a major purchase for our young family. With the discount, it cost approximately $400. This was a good VHS player but not top of the line. I ...

Finding gratitude in every season

Living in rural Iowa teaches us a lot about seasons. We watch the fields turn from brown to green, then green to gold. We celebrate the rain when it’s needed and pray for it when it doesn’t come. We know what it’s like to endure long winters, muddy springs, hot summers, and busy harvests. Life has a way of reminding us that every season eventually changes. The same is true in our personal lives. Some seasons are filled with joy—weddings, new babies, family gatherings, good health, and answered prayers. Other seasons feel much harder. We may be carrying the weight of a ...

The first freshman class 60 years later

Members of my Northeast Hamilton Community High School Class of 1966 are making plans for a 60th class reunion. Sixty years — can you believe it? We have enjoyed class reunions every five years since 1971 when we all thought we were getting old. We stand corrected. The distinction that sets apart the Class of ’66 is the fact we were the first freshman class of a newly reorganized school district. Beginning in the 1950s the state put pressure on Iowa’s smaller school districts to buddy up with neighboring districts. Located in north central Iowa, the Blairsburg, Kamrar ...

Work the weedline

For many of us, the 2026 open water fishing season is in full swing. As in previous open water seasons, some anglers are promising themselves that they’re going to add a technique to their fishing in an effort to catch more fish. Versatility is a quality the most successful anglers ...

Just do something

I’ve been catching some interesting videos online lately, and for me that is something. I don’t even like to sit for a movie, but these little videos are short. They are the ones where people are mowing and cleaning up lawns for abandoned properties and people who are not able to take care of property themselves. And they are doing it without being paid It brightens my day. Those simple little videos of lawn mowers and weed eaters speeding through a yard, picking up limbs, trimming bushes, and trimming the curbs reminds me that there are some people who are trying to make a ...