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...

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...

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. ...

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. ...

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. ...

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 over the Fourth of July holiday. 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 the juxtaposition which was waiting for me in the waters of my former hometown...

History seems to be an ever accelerating wheel. There has been a heated debate over the last few years as to whether Confederate monuments should be torn down because of what they represent. More recently, a question is being posed to the public in Littleton, Colorado, as to whether Columbine High School should be torn down because of the tragedy with which it's forever associated. ...

I'm going to go ahead and tell you. "Mental Health in the Heartland" has taken a good chunk of time and energy for everyone of the authors in this series. It's a really complex subject, with a lot of background and a lot of faces in a lot of different fields. Just like everyone's least favorite Facebook relationship status — it's complicated...

A maroon members only jacket hangs in the back of my closet. It is neither warm, nor comfortable nor stylish. It simply exists as continued proof of a plethora of fashion choices society wishes it hadn't made. Of course, May is a month known for decisions being made by the young as they graduate — where they will go, what they will do, who they will become. It's a time when the community watches with great interest as the quasi-adults answer those questions for themselves...

Regardless of whether you take the story of Easter literally, figuratively or don't believe it at all, the holiday is a celebration of what was once thought impossible. More than that, it created a fork in the road. It's a crux at which members of the human race either choose to believe in the biblical account of Christ's resurrection and do their best to live accordingly, or deny it happened and live as they desire. ...

In less than a week's time, the public in northwest Iowa went from being surprised by the sudden closing of addiction treatment center Compass Pointe, to wondering what society will do with the hundreds of clients who were suddenly dumped, to a twinge of relief as Seasons Center for Behavioral Health took steps to pick up the slack. ...

Despite my strong desire to address the ludicrous nature of supposed cancer-causing sound waves emanating from wind turbines, I can't get the situation surrounding former Vice President Joe Biden out of my mind. It's not simply because he's now been labeled "Creepy Uncle Joe," rather it's because I believe our response to the accusations surrounding the last administration's VP will have some widespread implications for political discourse moving forward...

The founding fathers created something both intriguingly beneficial and strangely difficult when they wrote the First Amendment. When they penned both free speech and religion (and let's not forget the press) as freedoms on that parchment, it created a sort of tightrope for the future. No doubt that was something of the intent, but the public universities walking that high wire are getting sort of shaky in their steps these days...

When I was young, Lent was the time of year our family ate fish sandwiches more frequently than usual — we weren't Catholic, they were just on sale. When I grew older, like many still do, I began intentionally giving up things for the six weeks ahead of Easter. I'd deny myself things like TV, soda and even arguing with my wife (best Lenten discipline ever by the way)...

If the lines at the hardware stores were any indication, this most recent batch of rainy weather hit us all pretty equally. Each of us tried our best to keep the rain at bay as it fell on frozen ground before winding its way down the path of least resistance — ending in the basement for many of us. ...

This week, we were presented with another one of those difficult conundrums our system of laws creates from time to time. We almost had a state bill eliminating the mandate for both school nurses and school librarians. Thankfully, the bill was amended to remove the sections about nurses and librarians before being passed by its committee, according to Iowa Public Radio. ...

Genuflectant omnes in plano. All kneel at the same level. It's a phrase meaning we're all the same — equal under God's rule, in it's original context. The idea being we are all created equal, and to believe one of us to be greater than the other is short-sighted. I see a parallel in social accountability...

Assuming the weather didn't freeze us all where we stood, a number of the faces in your local newsroom will have visited Des Moines to receive their various awards at the Iowa Better Newspaper Association Convention and Trade Show this past weekend. ...

Go ahead, list five benefits of corn. Let's see — nutrition, cleaner burning blended fuel, environmentally-friendly packing peanuts, seasonal home decor ... that's more of a use, um ... I need a little help. So, I'd like to take the National Corn Growers Association up on the offer they made to educate Bud Light on the benefits of corn. ...

Not too long ago, I was worried there would be no snow on the lakes for Winter Games. Then we got snow on snow on snow, as the song goes, and not a small amount was in everyone's driveway. I even saw some fill a mailbox that was left open when the plow came by one morning. So I, like many of us, shrugged on my warmest clothing earlier in the morning than I might have liked and cleared the way before breakfast — or after dinner depending on which of this season's snowfalls we're discussing...

Poor Mercutio. A prime example of a man hurt most by the quarrel to which he's not part. Some have said the Shakespeare character's death in Romeo and Juliet is the point at which the classic story ceases to be an Elizabethan-aged story of two hormone-driven teenagers. In other words, it's the point at which things get serious. It's no longer funny. It's no longer adorable. It's serious...

It's now official. This particular government funding gap has caused the longest continuous shutdown on record. However, this isn't the time to gloat. Not in my opinion anyway. I'm of the opinion this should be getting fixed as soon as possible. In fact, I believe most Americans are with me on that, it's just a question of how...

Our government has had budget legislation on the books for quite some time now, but it didn't lead to a government shutdown until the Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music" bumped "Shake, Shake, Shake" by KC and the Sunshine Band from the top of the billboard. ...

Despite it being just a few days until Christmas, I've personally come across a higher-than-average number of comments pointing the finger at the "liberal media" — frankly, at this point, that just comes with the job. The New Year's not too far away, and we're still convinced stories are meant to dupe the masses, rather than display the truth. Emotional appeals, rather than cold hard facts...

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley's remarks after the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill make me fairly proud to be an Iowan. It's not even that I necessarily agree with what he said, though I gotta admit it's hard to argue with him. What really makes me proud is that he pointed out a problem he sees in the system without degrading his colleagues. I'd say he was angry, but he wasn't rude. He was critical, clear and direct, but didn't mince words — somehow seems appropriate for Iowa...

Once upon a time, there was something called computer class. My fellow grade schoolers and I would sit at one of probably 20 computers in the school library and learn how to use the internet. It was a painfully slow process, since I'm pretty sure we were all dialing in Yahoo.com on the same dial-up modem. ...

In this ever-changing world in which we're living, song lyrics can come back and bite you. It's nearing Christmas time, and the holiday touchstone "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is being put on the black list for some on the airwaves. Which of course is making folks mad. ...

Well, zis, boom, bah. Two of the uncertainties hanging over the heads of Iowa ag producers are on a bit more solid footing this week. Not only did the United State Mexico Canada Agreement get signed by President Donald Trump as a replacement for the former North American Free Trade Agreement, but the Environmental Protective Agency announced this coming year’s renewable fuel volumes obligations. ...

Yes, resistance to the president's agenda continues to abound. You may have heard, but a California District Court Judge Jon Tigar dropped a restraining order on a presidential order which would have denied asylum for members of the so-called caravan of migrants on the U.S. southern border. It's not the first time this sort of thing has happened...

Though I realize it's a bit of old news at this point, I find it impossible to ignore the passing of comic book titan Stan Lee. Moreover, I find it poetic he passed the day after Veterans Day. Many aren't aware, but Stan the Man (birth name Stanley Lieber) served in the Army during World War II — one of only a few men categorized as playwrights (another being Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. ...

It's nearing the time of year again when ladies and gents dawn fancy dress and celebrate All Hallow's Eve. Not to be left out, this column is again in its own fancy dress just to add a bit of seasonal fun. For once, I was fairly prepared. It took some shower singing and some early morning note jotting, but I think this column — at least at first glance — could pass for the later handy work of a founding member of the Quarrymen (you may know the name John Lennon). ...

Notice: This column may seem entirely non sequitur to some. That's only because it is in fact packed full of references to the subject matter in an effort to unify the topic and the presentation. What if I told you researchers think memes are linked to obesity?...

It's never too early. There's an annual gap which seems to continually shrink. That's, of course, the window between Halloween and Christmas. It seems to get shorter and shorter the older one gets. It's never soon enough for children, and it feels like the same week for the adults...

We individually may tire of discussing the finer points of the Kavanaugh-Ford-investigation-setup-circus, but we collectively have plenty of steam. Fortunately, this steamer may be closing in on the light at the end of the tunnel. Kavanaugh is now the newest Supreme Court justice. There’s not much to be done at this point...

The Brett Kavanaugh confirmation is all anyone seems to be talking about. We're all in a bustle about his potential appointment to the highest court in the land. I mean, hardly anyone was watching the video of the seal who threw an octopus at a kayaker this week. Alright, so one of those happenings might be more important than the other...

I was seriously all for getting the hearings for Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh over with as soon as possible. My last column literally stated my opinion on the subject, noting judges can't simply issue verdicts based on party lines. But that's not the issue anymore...

The crisp autumn air brings a lot of memories with it, many of them pleasant. The wind carries the scent of homecoming football games, comfortable sweaters and, for some, the seasonal resurrection of pumpkin spice. I share in most of those, but I've been mentally blindsided by a more somber memory the last few years. ...

There were shouts, there were pleas and there was Sen. Chuck Grassley reservedly tapping his gavel in an attempt to maintain order. I'm talking, of course, about the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. There's apparently millions of documents to potentially review. ...

The story of who killed Iowa girl Mollie Tibbetts is nearly complete. Cristhian Bahena Rivera has been charged with her murder and is going to trial. Authorities initially said Rivera was an undocumented immigrant, but now even that is being challenged. Nonetheless, the left is telling the right not to politicize this case, just as the right told the left not to politicize school shootings earlier this year. We all hold our preferred causes quite dearly...

I wasn't going to say anything, but the day has passed, the papers were printed and the fallout has fallen. Obviously, a few people in Washington weren't fans of the editorial coordination led by the Boston Globe last week. I'm not going to respond to the criticism because, as others in our editorial family have said (see elsewhere on this page), It will do little if anything to help the situation...

The true role of a community paper has been on my mind quite a bit over the last several days. It's easy to think the goal of the paper is to sell as many of those clean, crisp, freshly-printed sheets as possible, but I'm beginning to see that is actually not the goal...

Trade Aid isn't the latest news but, now that there are rumblings of another government shutdown, I'm starting to feel like it was the first light tap in a combo that will bruise if not stagger the economy. The president has said the government might face a shutdown if the $18 billion he was hoping would fund his prized southern border wall aren't secured. ...

Despite all the traffic jams this weekend, I was really looking forward to covering the University of Okoboji Homecoming events. Fact of the matter is, it's just really fun. There's something refreshing about the state pier in the morning when it serves as the starting point for several of the high-profile athletic competitions. The early morning doesn't have the midday's scorching sun or even the same sounds. But it's full of excitement nonetheless...

Let me take you back to a point in my life I've dwelt on more and more lately. In the latter years of my high school career — four years that are rapidly shrinking in my rearview mirror — I attended many a football game, despite a lack of interest in sports that has stuck with me to this day. ...

There's something important about a byline. It's not about credit, and it's not about notoriety, but it's important. It's about accountability. It's about credibility. I think it was probably put best during a recent newsroom discussion. We don't deal in information. ...

I've officially had to leave the blue and white behind in favor of the green, blue and white. Nothing political, the state just said it was finally time for my car to get a new license plate. Personally, I liked the blue and white landscape better, but that design was a big improvement over the two-tone standard plates that came before it, so it's hard not to like it...

A medieval metaphor for modern times Alexander paused for a moment on a parapet of the castle in which he was born. He knew the world outside the wall could not be trusted. There were thieves. There were killers. But he assumed there were good people as well. ...

I’ve long held that bad things happen to spur us toward good things. It’s always counterintuitive, and I never seem to remember it in the moment, but I believe it’s true. Case in point, a downspout came apart on the far corner of my house at some point in the past few months. As a result, all of the rain we had in the relatively recent past had been gushing straight down behind a bush where I couldn’t see it until there started to be more visible signs inside the house...

Though you can buy recreational marijuana in Denver, Colorado, you might have some trouble buying a wedding cake in Lakewood, Colorado, if you're a same-sex couple. The Supreme Court reversed a Colorado court decision which ruled Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop violated state discrimination laws when he refused to bake a cake for the 2012 wedding reception of David Mullins and Charlie Craig. ...

The '90s were a different time. It was the decade of “Seinfeld” addressing homosexuality by tacking "not that there's anything wrong with that" on at the end of their thoughts. It was the decade of over-the-top-slow-motion running in each episode of “Baywatch.” Heck, right at the beginning of the '90s, there was literally an episode of “The Cosby Show” in which Cosby's character tells his wife there's something in his homemade barbecue sauce that makes people ... ...

As opposed to say Christmas decorations, Memorial Day decorations have a much smaller window in which to pop up around us. The flags outside the courthouse seem to have sprung out of the ground like slender red, white and blue flowers. I say seemed but we all know volunteers put them there. In fact, this was the first year I was actually there — documenting it in my official capacity of course...

I was prepared. I was prepared to talk about how school safety had prevailed. I was prepared to talk about how a gun was used to save lives. I was prepared to talk about how a trained officer prevented tragedy without losing a single life — not even the attacker's. I was prepared to say we were getting somewhere...

Prom's over. So, now I'm sure every student is looking ahead to the coveted final day of class. For some, as it is each year, it will be their last day of class in the high school. It's always a day of smiles and a day of tears because, again, the focus is on the future. At some point in our lives, we all leave certain people and certain places behind. Sometimes we return. Sometimes we don't. Sometimes there's nothing or no one to return to...

There was a little regional hubbub this week when the Iowa secretary of agriculture announced 10 of the state's newest urban conservation water quality demonstration projects. That's a heck of a state title. Anyway, the state is giving just over $789,000 in total for the projects and the cities themselves are pitching in more than $3 million altogether. ...

inter snows may have melted away and given way to spring but, as many a street gutter and sump pump will attest, it's still with us. My own was nearly overwhelmed by the melt three times in less than a week. The liquid remnants of the chillingly long season have just gone under ground, but they return to the surface when our wells can simply hold no more...

The nation paused to mourn the death of former First Lady Barbara Bush. Well, not everybody. A certain English professor at California State University — Fresno (or Fresno State University, depending who you ask) made some remarks about Mrs. Bush which caught fire in the public arena. They have even led some sponsors of the university to consider pulling their funding, according to the Fresno Bee. Of course not all of them are, but enough to spark a discussion...

We often think of growth as the process of keeping knowledge and experience preserved under glass somewhere inside our being. I think we all do it from time to time because we view knowledge and experience as a finite mound to be finished through consumption, when perhaps it's more like trying to drink a waterfall. It just keeps coming and every drop is different than the last...

I promise, next week I will find something unrelated to gun violence to write about. But, I would no doubt be remiss if I didn't talk about the latest shooting to plague the American public after I spent last week's column discussing aspects of the Parkland protests. ...

Keep eating the same thing and it will nauseate you. I'm getting sick of it, but Parkland's in the spotlight again after the march. You may ask why I bring it up, if I'm so tired of it — and, admittedly I'm mostly tired of the uninformed attacks against it — but it's because one of our local politicians has connected northwest Iowa to the issue. ...

It feels like I should be whittling something out of an old hickory switch and flicking a thinly structured rocking chair back and forth on my heels when I say it but. ... (throat clearing noises) In my day, Facebook was used for one thing and one thing only — communication. There were no games on Facebook. You could only post text and you got one picture to let people know what you actually looked like...

We all become our fathers — to a certain degree anyway. I recently realized just how quickly I'm approaching that line myself when I got into my car only to realize my wallet and keys were still in the pair of slacks I'd left hanging on my closet door knob the night before. I suddenly recalled several dozen times in my young life, when my dad did the same thing...

I’ve been told the most prominent topic of conversation throughout the generations has been and continues to be the weather. It’s hard not to talk about the weather, particularly when we’re in the mid-tones of the seasons ― fading from sub-zero temperatures and ice into cool breezes and mud...

Deep breath in ... and out. Arming teachers is a bad idea. Yet, it's the idea some in our world are putting forth in hopes of preventing another school shooting. That includes our president. I won't deny it seems like a solution on the surface, but it's fueled by the idea that the best defense is a good offense. ...

I, like TV host Jimmy Kimmel am very tired of our current tragedies. The Columbine shootings took place when I was just beginning middle school and, for some ungodly reason, school shootings have continued into my adulthood with alarming frequency. Again, I'm tired of them. Worse, we've let such shootings become common, and as such, our response to them has become common — "thoughts and prayers."...

The sound of horns rang through the air over Pyeongchang, South Korea, calling us all back to our television screens. Admittedly, the last winter games in Sochi and the summer games in Rio de Janeiro had their oddball moments — the packs of wild dogs, the oiled-up Tongan flag bearer (who returned this year by the by), Russian doping accusations, the backflipping weightlifters, the South Korean speed skater turned Russian citizen Victor Ahn, the needless killing of a jaguar mascot, even a Kenyan track coach taking a drug test in hopes he wouldn't be caught using his athlete's ID card in the Olympic Village to get a free meal. ...

It's difficult to not draw comparisons sometimes in life. This week perhaps exemplified some of our worst human tendencies when a train loaded with Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Steve King, Sen. Joni Ernst and southwestern Iowa's Rep. David Young, collided with a garbage truck near Charlottesville, Virginia. I would like to say the masses didn't disappoint with their responses, but they did...

The second column of mine that ever saw the light of day in the black and white pages of the Spencer Daily Reporter detailed my quest to find the origins of an antique soda bottle that was evidently filled in Spencer. As it turned out, the bottle's origins could be traced back to the Spencer Community Theatre. At the time, I was taken with the idea of retracing the historical serendipity that fell in my lap...

Just when you thought it was safe to go back online, Seth’s going to talk about fake news again. But only because Facebook is talking about it again. More or less, since the phrase fake news came into its own last year (and let’s not forget it’s adorably obnoxious sister-phrase; alternative facts), online sources have been met with skepticism. We found out there were actually people out there typing up falsehoods intentionally and getting the public to spread the lies throughout the web...

It trolls for net neutrality. The masses have been trolling the head of the Federal Communications Commission Ajit Pai lately (my personal favorite being the meme inspired by The Elder Scrolls franchise saying "Ajit has internets if you have coin"). You may ask why so many seemingly-teenage minds have chosen to express their disdain for a man heading an organization that protects the very internet they use to mock him. The answer is because the FCC has repealed net neutrality...

In less than a week's time, the latest chapter of the “Star Wars” saga will hit theaters in the U.S. — to the delight of many a fan. The previews have been circulating and conjecture is rising, just like it did two years ago when the public tried to guess what the cryptic bits of image and sound were trying to convey about the previous installment...

There seems to be a never ending parade of film stars, politicians, media personalities and other notable names being corralled into the pen with the other alleged sexual miscreants of the age. Some of the men many of us assumed were "nice guys" have now had their names tarnished by new accusations. ...

The annual American turkey-centric celebration has been reduced to leftovers once again and, if you weren't trampled by any crowds on Black Friday, you're likely looking ahead to repeating much of the same revelry come Christmas time. My stomach was a little worse for the wear this year — meaning I probably reveled a bit too much when a slice of each of the four pies in my kitchen became one dessert in my mind...

If “Life of Brian” taught me anything, it's to always look on the bright side of life. The final scene of Montey Python's classic films ends with several men being crucified while singing (and whistling) a tune literally titled "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life." Speaking of sacrilegious moments: Did you hear the one about the Alabama State Auditor who compared an alleged case of sexual abuse involving a Senate candidate to the relationship between the Messiah's parents? I never would have thought someone who started something called the Foundation for Moral Law would need so much defending — inept as it may be.. ...

I hope everyone made it out to vote the other day. It may not have been such a high-drama Tuesday as it was last year but it has passed us by none the less. For me, the tail end of last year's election day just slid past again this week. Like many, I wasn't thrilled with the country's decision to let a man of questionable character and infantile experience take the till of the ship and steer, but I wanted to see how we would change as a people after the results were tallied...

At this time last year, I figuratively dressed my column in a literary costume prior to Halloween's arrival. Some may recall the piece written in the (cheaply imitated) pen of one Theodor Geisel. I rather enjoyed the idea, although it was lost on some readers who found my dime-store version of our beloved Dr. ...

The world has been treated to quite a few astronomical phenomenon recently, from the super moon to the cross-country eclipse, it's been a good year. And this weekend, the skies will provide us with another wonder — per mother nature's usual schedule, it will be in the wee hours of the morning...

In life, there are times and experiences we all feel hopeless. The specifics vary for each of us, but the end result is the same. Be it a death of a parent, a bit of news from the doctor we weren’t prepared to hear or an unexpected bill we aren’t sure we can pay, we all arrive at the same place...

The cool, crisp air in recent days has forced me to trade in my striped button-up for a basket-weave sweater. I say forced, but I love the fall. It's not cold enough to be a nuisance like winter, and it's still relatively easy to get warm with a blanket. But there's something I love more than the colors or the wardrobe change-ups...

We at Graham-Cassidy Ford, Lincoln, Mercury aim to provide what we promise. Our records show we were hired to deliver you a stable, reliable vehicle and we've yet to fulfill our promise. We apologize for the delay. However, we do intend to deliver a car to you. After all, that is what we promised. Many unfulfilled orders, including yours, will hopefully be filled by the end of the year, as the dealership has just secured a stockpile of candyapple red 1972 Ford Pintos...

An anniversary will slip by today that is relevant only to a certain group of people. Thursday marks the day, I joined a prayer fast, along with many other members of First Mennonite Church in Iowa City. You see, just about a year ago, the pastor of the Spanish-speaking church that shared space with First Mennonite ran out of legal options to stay in the country. ...

A draft of a bilingual column is sitting in my folder of rough drafts. A Spanish-speaking Jesus was going to speak to the reader about DACA through a translator as planes carrying deported people flew overhead. It was going to be very distinct — italics and everything. The problem is, I don’t think anyone would have read passed the first few lines...

The little box labeled Aug. 21 on the calendar at my desk has had a note on it for months now. That was the date of the total solar eclipse. I’ve been pretty jazzed about the day for awhile. Eclipses are just one of those rare events that holds our attention, inspires a sense of awe and reminds us our lives are as brief as a tick or a tock on the giant clock of creation...

Here’s something unexpected. We in the newsroom witnessed a remarkably civil discourse online the other day. With all the hubbub about the removal of Confederate statues and monuments as of late, it was easy for some to get their feathers in a bunch over the issue. ...

The corn is well past knee-high but it isn’t quite time to reap what’s been sown. Fortunately, I’m not talking about the corn. I’m actually talking about my hair. It’s under new ownership. The photo accompanying this column is no longer accurate and I may even be able to blend into a crowd once in awhile...

Last year, we had Batman versus Superman. This year, we’re anticipating McGregor versus Mayweather. But to keep our appetite strong, we have been offered McCartney versus Westboro. Indeed, Sir Paul McCartney has incurred the collective wrath of the Westboro Baptist Church — the church famed for angry protest signs ... ...

I would be willing to bet not many of us would think of cutting back on our grocery budget or medical care to pay for a new door lock — or a multi-million dollar fence for that matter. Well, Iowa’s own Rep. Steve King is proposing something along those lines. ...

Summer is the time for major blockbuster movies, as we all know. Such blockbusters have been super-hero comic book movies since about 2002, when Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” breathed new life into the genre. This weekend, the latest portrayal of the web-slinger debuted in the U.S. ...

The recent passing of a friend and frequent customer has reminded me of how Iowa is often perceived by other parts of the country. Some think Iowans are unqualified to hold the first caucus. Some think our state is covered in hog confinements. Some think we wear overalls and speak with southern accents. Some even think we’re the potato state...

You can’t always trust moldy food. That’s because, even when you’ve removed all the mold you can see, it still goes deeper. The tendrils of the mold spores can reach quite a bit farther than we can see with our eyes. It’s not the only thing in life that goes beyond the scope of human sight...

This isn’t going to be easy. It may even tread a few paces into the domain of the pastor’s column. I, like many, was shocked by the news of a lone gunman opening fire on the Republican baseball team this week. Let me be clear. This was a horrible thing for that man to do. You don’t just go around shooting people because you don’t like their political priorities. It was an ill-founded, ill-conceived and ill-fated attempt to resolve misplaced anger. Plain and simple...

One just can’t keep up these days. This is the third column I’ve drafted in as many days. Each day, another social issue overshadows my previous draft and I can’t help but at least get my thoughts out on paper. First, wind energy got overshadowed by the latest addition to the “Fearless Girl” scenario. Next, the “Fearless Girl” got overshadowed by Kathy Griffin’s stunt. Now, that subject’s been eclipsed by the withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord. We’ll see if this one can make it to print...

The first day of summer isn’t for almost another month, but school’s just about out and that makes it summer. Those are the rules. At least it feels that way. A lot of other rules are coming to the forefront as summer officially approaches. Rules regarding the right of way at a four-way stop come to mind. I know I’ve been avoiding the intersection of highways 9 and 71 like the plague as often as I can since we moved here two years ago. It’s pretty much always for the same reason...

Actually I am an Iowan — born and raised. Don’t worry. You’ll see where I’m going. This past weekend, my wife and I traveled to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to see a stage show at the Washington Pavillion. Now, I’m not embarrassed to tell you, I don’t like city traffic. I don’t like merging into tight spaces. I don’t like people exceeding the speed limit by 15 mph. I don’t like a lot of things about it. Courtesy seems to go out the window once there are six lanes for some reason...

We’ve had a bit of a one-two punch to the country’s collective conscience. It hit us from both sides. I’d say it was more of a right hook followed by a left jab. Just the other day, President Donald Trump said people don’t often ask why the Civil War couldn’t be resolved and said Andrew Jackson could have prevented it. ...

We’ve progressed beyond the crossroads. I feel as if we’re emulating the future H.G. Wells described in “The Time Machine.” Humanity seems to be dividing itself into two distinct groups, bound for ever-diverging paths. I’m having some trouble fully articulating just what is fueling this divide. We’ve certainly done a great deal of describing what it has resulted in over the last several months. Yet, my instincts tell me there is something seemingly small and simple at the heart of it all...

Take a deep breath until your stomach puffs out. Now imagine you swallowed a handful of gravel. Now pretend you’re trying to cough that gravel back up. That noise you’re making is how I feel when I think about our country’s posturing. We’ve done it before and I would personally prefer to avoid this old song and dance. We’ve been twirling around in this vicious socio-economic political ballroom for too long and it’s making me sick. One-two-three-one-two-three-one-two-three...

I seem to find myself in this position more and more these days. There’s just so many things one could comment on in the public eye. Initially, I wanted to talk about the Pepsi commercial that recently got pulled. But that’s getting to be old news at this point. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the White House Press Secretary supplied the masses with a new fresh-off-the-griddle social faux pas as only Sean Spicer can...

I’m terrible with dates. I once said, with full confidence, that Thanksgiving was always Nov. 25. So, it shouldn’t be too surprising that I forget April Fool’s Day every year. These days, I’m not plagued by whoopee cushions and buckets of water so much as I’m plagued by electronic gags from people more clever than I. We all remember the saying, “If it’s in print it must be true.” Well, it’s the electronic age now and people are more clever and just as funny...

Much to the dismay of some in my family, Dr. Oz was interrupted on Friday for a breaking news story. The bulletin informed the public that the vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act was not going to be voted on yet. That’s right. We are at the point in our society when we feel the need to let everyone know nothing is going to happen...

There’s an old sailor’s superstition that you should not whistle while at sea. The thinking was, if sailors whistled, the wind would take it as a challenge and refuse to blow, slacking the sails and stranding the crew. I think of that superstition from time to time concerning the weather we enjoy, or tolerate, in Iowa...

I said my goodbyes last week. This puts me in a bit of a pickle. Metaphorically, this column is that point in a conversation where there's basically nothing left to say, someone scruntches up their chin and says, 'Well ...' before getting in their car and driving off...

Word has been getting around. A few people have stopped and asked me about it while I've been out on assignment. It is true. I will be leaving the Spencer Daily Reporter next week. The good news is I won't be going far. I'm just transferring to the Dickinson County News, which will essentially give me back five hours of commuting time each week and about $100 in gas each month...

There are a great many divisions in our society that have come to light over the course of our latest election. Some of them, I will admit, are more worthwhile than others. However, you can rest assured that most, if not all, of the issues making headlines in the U.S. are of greater importance than the wedge that has been driven between the people of Iceland last week...

Though my time at the Daily Reporter has been brief, I've had a few of those moments that we journalists hope for in a story. That is to say, there have been a handful of moments when my cheek is pressed against the back of my single lens reflex camera, my left eye is squinted shut and I can see in my mind's eye that the exact composition I want is about to form right in front of me. ...

It may be sacrilegious to use a Chicago Cubs phrase as the title for a column based on my Super Bowl viewing experience but I'm not a big sports guy, so I'm going to roll with it. I don't think I need to tell anyone that Super Bowl LXI was one that stood out from those before it. We all saw something that we had never seen before. The general public expected one result and we got another...

In the current climate of viral videos that we now live in, it's rare to see familiar people or places plastered on your computer screen. For me, Friday was the exception. That was when I first saw the video that has now turned one seemingly ordinary FedEx delivery driver into a viral video personality. ...

It has certainly been an interesting week. Just prior to the inauguration, the president's pick for secretary of education indicated that perhaps guns should be allowed in schools to prevent grizzly bear attacks. I hadn't heard a comment like that since the hay-day of the “Colbert Report,” when the farcical host would continually warn us all that the single greatest threat to our country is bears. ...

In my opinion, social media posts are often akin to the image of the Peanut's character Linus standing in a pumpkin patch, shouting toward the sky and assuming that The Great Pumpkin is listening. I only say this because one particular post made its way to my ears, and I find its message troubling. In kind, I'm sure this column will also be posted to the online social media realm...

With the highly publicized passing of several celebrities this past year, I’m somewhat glad that the first celebrity, and I use that term loosely, to fall this year was not human. We have lost the second of the epic and often photographed tunnel trees that inhabited our national parks. The most famous, a tree in Yosemite National Park called Wawona, fell in 1969. This month, a similar tree nicknamed The Pioneer Cabin fell in Calavares Big Tree State Park in Arnold, California...

Allow me to introduce you to Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., Sixth District. To start off with, I have never heard his name spoken out loud, so I truly hope that it's pronounced exactly like an Italian espresso-based drink that is not bad. In fact, I briefly considered writing a pilot episode based off of Fox's animated sitcom Bob's Burgers on that very assumption...

There is a philosophical device known as the "Trolley Problem." You've probably heard it before. In the "Trolley Problem" scenario, you are the conductor of a train full of passengers and you see that the bridge ahead is out. You don't have time to stop, but you are able to pull a switch that will cause the train to switch track. However, someone has been tied to the rails along the other track...

I know we've already published the kids' letters on Tuesday, but I really need a favor, big guy. I'm getting a little worried about the weather out there. It's amazing just how different the forecast can be when you shift over a few counties. Well, look who I'm talking to. You probably hit Hawaii after finishing up in Alaska. So, you probably get it...

It seems that car trouble has plagued our office again. This week, I got in my car like any other morning. I backed out of the driveway like any other morning and I thumbed the button on my garage door opener like any other morning. Generally, the next step in my routine is to glance over at the car's clock to see what time I'm leaving home, as opposed to when I intended to leave home. As far as I knew, it was approximately 9:30 a.m. but the clock insisted that it was 11:45 a.m...

This week, I watched as the first candle on an Advent wreath was lit. I'll admit that Advent tends to sneak up on me every year. It sounds a bit strange but I always feel like I should have been anticipating the anticipation that comes with Advent. After all, like they say at almost every Advent service, "Advent means coming."...

Like a lot of homes out there, the inside of my house is now decked out with rolls of red ribbon and gobs of green garland. Stockings, both functional and decorative, are hung on shelves, sills and such. Aside from getting the timers on the lights just right, I think we're pretty much set...

In the aftermath of Black Friday, the chill winds of fall have swept coupons and flyers across asphalt parking lots, like modern day tumbleweeds. It's the quiet before the storm. In a few weeks, Christmas will be here and we will all be right back at it. We will be trying to maintain that delicate balance between meeting our individual needs, maintaining our sanity and making the effort to show our loved ones how much we care. Translation; we'll all be rapidly flying about in every direction...

I've told a few people during my few short months here at the Reporter that I prefer to take the fly on the wall approach when covering events. I prefer not to interfere and just let the events unfold as they may. Besides, I've had my fair share of people hide when they see a camera around my neck, so it's best to keep a low profile sometimes. I may ask questions later to clarify things but, for the most part, I try to observe more than be observed...

It is finished. We've had a full day to mourn or praise the outcome of the polls. Personally, I'm glad that this particular election cycle is over. Like many of us, the campaigns have caused me a good deal of stress. In fact, one poll last month showed that a quarter of millennials would prefer that a meteor striking the Earth to electing either candidate as president. ...

Oh, it's that time again. It's that time of year when my wife and I start reciting an English folk verse from the late 1800s because we're just so excited about what happens in early November. I'm not talking about Election Day, though that will come. ...

Since it's almost Halloween, I thought my column should don a literary costume this week. So, allow me a moment to apply a prop mustache, put some grey dye in my hair and swap my glasses out for a pair with much larger lenses. I suppose that I should get myself a tweed jacket just to be thorough, but I'm short on time. Ladies and gentlemen, today my column will be written in the guise of Theodore Geisel...

It is my understanding that, on Friday, the United Nations will officially name Wonder Woman as the honorary ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls. Yes, you read that correctly. The UN is recognizing a fictional character as an honorary ambassador. Just to be fair, I'm told that Winnie the Pooh and the Angry Birds have also been UN ambassadors in the past. So this isn't unheard of...

So, I think I've had a break through. I think I understand the fundamental problem we have in this election. Like all good epiphanies, this one came to me while mowing my lawn, so take it with a grain of salt. But I'm going to admit, I think I'm on to something here...

Hello, everyone. My name is Seth and I'm a politic-aholic. Hi, Seth. I've been clean for about nine columns now and it feels great. I had some close calls. I mentioned religion, refugees and immigration but I've held tough and haven't mentioned any actual candidates. It's really tough to do because the election seems to be the thing on everyone's mind. You can't go a day without seeing a headline about it...

Earlier this week, I took part in a prayer fast. If you read my column last week, you already know that those of us fighting to keep Max Villatoro in the country have run out of legal options. So, being as it is the only option left to us, we are taking part in a prayer fast. It's been an interesting experience...

It's easy to say you would be a better parent when you don't have any children. It's easy to say that you oppose the military when you don't know anyone in it. It's easy to say that immigrants here illegally should be deported when you don't have a face to associate with the issue...

I heard the phrase several times over the last week or so. Boards, councils and committees all scheduled their time accordingly because, "Nothing happens during the fair." Yet, it isn't true. I have found myself to be the busiest I have been in my short career at the Daily Reporter. I'm writing about twice as many articles as I usually do. I'm confusing my dates like never before...

When I was starting high school, Pearl Harbor was the most infamous attack on the United States. I remember when national shock and fear on that level was an experience exclusive to the seniors in my community. Then, perhaps as unexpectedly as tragedy came upon the greatest generation, it came upon mine...

It makes me laugh a little inside. There was an article that ran in the Iowa City Press Citizen last week that has now made it's way into the national headlines and, consequently, my morning newsfeed. It regards an email that was sent to the University of Iowa athletic department by Resmiye Oral, a clinical professor of pediatrics. ...

The schools are filling up once again. It's August. When I was in grade school, I always remembered looking at the old Scholastic brand calendars that literally every teacher had. There was a thematic picture to go with each month. August was just a group of children going to school. ...

The Olympic games will draw to a close this Sunday and the East German judge is still struggling to decide whether Sochi or Rio has earned the gold for the most outrageous Olympic games. There are plenty of factors to consider. There were wild dogs in the streets of Sochi. ...

The news cycle is a funny thing. This is especially true with opinion columns. You see something Tuesday. You write about it on Wednesday. People read about it on Thursday. You might almost wish for something amazing to happen right in front of you at noon on Wednesday so your column would be fresh and relevant. Better yet, if you knew what was going to happen on Wednesday, you could write it in advance. That's pretty rare. I just happened to catch a break...

There's something different in the air these days. It's like a refreshing breeze or a cool drink of water. It's the peaceful void that's left when there are no political conventions to whip the masses into a frenzy. It could almost be considered a holiday. Perhaps it could be a day to recognize the good in the world...

So the Democratic National Convention is in full swing now. As with last week, there's one thing that stood out to me so far this week. As someone who grew up in the '90s, I specifically recall hearing about the Monica Lewinsky scandal. As history would have it, that scandal would pretty much become the hallmark feature of Bill Clinton's presidency. ...

As Michael Corleone said, "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in." I'm speaking, of course about politics. But if there's one thing I talk about less than politics, it's sports. After watching the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, my pulse raced and my jaw clenched and so here we are. ...

Don't worry, Paris Green is not people. As I'm sure all you history buffs already know, it was a specific pigment popular in France during the early 1800s. People all agreed that it was the best color. They dyed their clothing Paris Green. They hung Paris Green wallpaper. Some of the most famous impressionists integrated it into their visual repertoire. Basically, everyone loved this color to death, and everyone agreed it was the best...

By now we've all likely eaten our parade candy, cleaned off the barbecue and sighed as our last sparkler fizzled out. So, of course, it's the perfect time to talk about the Fourth of July. Heck, let's have some fun and throw church into the mix while we're at it...

There's a particular idiom I've become fond of lately. I've been thinking a lot about the phrase, "scratching one's head," in regards to pondering an idea. Personally, each time I literally scratch my head, I'm reminded of one particular instance in my life...

These last few weeks, we've had some storms. We've had some heavy rains and we've had some high winds. For some of us, we've had to deal with trees that just couldn't take it anymore. Indeed, I was one such person. My wife actually noticed the broken limbs first. ...

Oh, it pains me even to write that title. I feel like a crotchety old man when I say stuff like this, but fewer and fewer people -- not less and less mind you -- are up to snuff on their grammar. I remember lectures in grade school about what spell-check was going to do to the future of literature and society. ...

Oh my stars and garters. I said I don't like to talk politics and yet, I'm doing it again. I've tried writing three different columns already and I'm just not inspired to talk about Paris Green, the Olympic refugee team, or the overuse of questions in written media. You can probably look for those in the coming weeks, though. Apparently, when it comes to politics, I just can't help myself. So here we go...

I skim the headlines from time to time. I even look them over on the weekend just to keep up with things. It's sort of part of the job now. This weekend, however, I saw a headline I didn't expect. I read the words: "Finding Dori" trailer hints at Disney-Pixar's first lesbian couple. ...

Most of us are aware that President Obama will be visiting Hiroshima, Japan, tomorrow. I think it's kind of a big deal. He's the first U.S. president to visit the city while still in office. Last April, John Kerry also visited the city, making him the first U.S. secretary of state to do so...

It's seems to be happening more and more. People are getting into hot water for public statements that offend large entities and, thank our lucky stars, we finally have an instance of our own right here in Iowa. As you might've expected, it's about farming. A cartoonist named Rick Friday was fired from Farm News magazine for what he said in his one-panel, three-sentence cartoon titled, "Profit."...

A fantastic annual event happened this last weekend that you may not have been aware of. Last Saturday was Free Comic Book Day. This is a real thing. Look it up. It happens every year on the first Saturday in May and it's a joyous occasion for every comic book enthusiast...

My kitchen cupboards are topped with dozens of glass bottles. Most of my collection falls into one of two categories. They are either sentimental or simply old. In both cases, it's the history that makes them interesting to me. In some cases it's a history that I will never know. However, I have recently become obsessed over a bottle of Nehi. For those who are wondering, Nehi, in addition to being the preferred drink of Radar O' Reilly, was a soda popular in the mid-20th century...

I tell you, I think the hardest part of starting an opinion column is creating a name. It should be catchy. It should mean something. It can't be too specific. There's a lot of pressure involved. You may ask why, and I would say for the same reason you ask new parents, "Is it a boy or a girl?" It's the first thing you know about a new person. It helps add depth to identity...