“Christmas is a tonic for our souls. It moves us to think of others rather than of ourselves. It directs our thoughts to giving.” ― B.C. Forbes Santa Claus came to town on Sunday, and instead of a sleigh and eight tiny reindeer, he was riding in big brown UPS trucks and huge Spencer fire trucks...

We’ve almost made it to my favorite part of December — the top fives of the past year. It’s where I get to reflect on my work and the countless issues I’ve taken part in. Compared to other papers which only print once or twice each week, writing stories for four issues each week goes by so quickly I rarely have a second to take apart or enjoy the work I’ve completed. Once it’s accurate and polished, it’s on to the next one...

For the past few Sundays, I've risen early from my bed to take care of necessary health requirements before prepping for church. The reason I had been getting up earlier than normal had to do with my desire to accompany my mother to church at Hope in Spencer...

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. ...

Agriculture input suppliers are worried about the sour mood that many farmers have regarding the outlook. That makes them more reluctant to open their pocket books and spend. Commodity market outlook meetings can be a rather dismal exercise that can cause some long faces. I like to add some humor to it as a saving grace which is why I have a couple good slides in my outlook presentation that give rise to a few chuckles. It may be a slog but we will get through this...

Whether you are a seasoned adventurer or looking to step outside your comfort zone in an exotic destination for the first time, the new year will be full of possibilities and now is the time to start considering what mountain to climb, city to explore or beach to relax on...

The holiday season has arrived. That means you will be on the giving or receiving end of a poinsettia, Christmas cactus, cyclamen, amaryllis or other holiday plant. Extend the beauty and longevity of these holiday beauties with proper care. And that starts the minute you leave the florist or garden center. Always protect your gift plants from the harsh outdoors. Professional florists and garden center staff will provide a care tag and wrap your plants in a plastic or paper sleeve...

There’s a short film made by a 25-year-old Martin Scorsese in 1967 which depicts a young man shaving his face. As the man begins to shave his face in a picture perfect bathroom to upbeat music, he nicks himself, which is where every guy watching will touch his own face and cringe — we’ve all done it before. Despite nicking himself, the man in the film shaves his face until he’s covered with very realistic looking fake blood and the film ends...

What a difference a day (or four) makes. Last Monday, I was pretty blue. Our Holiday Family Adoption program was running behind. With 22 families yet to be selected for adoption, I worried that this might be the first year in my tenure that we didn't get everyone taken care of...

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. ...

How long do you hold a person's ignorant remarks over their head? A day? A week? A month? I guess each person has their own level of both tolerance and forgiveness. And those two areas are probably governed in all of us a little differently based on the personal harm or substantive impact those words have on said person...

What was officially known as the Fourth National Climate Assessment report, which is a multi-federal agency congressionally mandated report, was released last Friday. It elicited a broad varied response, much of which was predictable. It in general supported the premise of there being a human contribution to climate change and offered that an aggressive response is needed in order to mitigate the risks. The president's response to the warning was "I don't see it.”...

When the angel, Gabriel, visited Mary, she knew this would be no ordinary child. Quite the contrary, the child would be fathered by the Spirit of the living God. A virgin girl would birth the Most High, in the line of King David. The arrival of this king was long anticipated with prayerful hope. The oppressed people in darkness needed a deliverer...

Remember skipping a rock across a pond as a child to see how far it would travel? You may have wondered how many times it would bounce off the top the surface before falling into the water. Remember watching the rings emanate from the center where the rock hit each time along its path? Much like the circles rising and falling from each of the rock's point of impact, everyone leaves an untraceable affect on those they meet on a daily basis — every place they live, every destination they visit and every situation they encounter.. ...

The most recent deluge of discussion on American citizens has come from a recently released Grinnell College poll asking folks what makes a “real American.” The results were no surprise, the overwhelming majority of those polled said treating people equally, being responsible, backing the constitution and being accepting of others different from ourselves as the key traits of being a U.S. citizen...

With the exception of the Army-Navy game, we’ve survived another college football regular season. There were disappointments (*coughIowa *cough*), pleasant surprises like most of Iowa State’s season and then laughs. (That’d be you, Huskers.) Both the Hawkeyes and Cyclones seem to have punched a bit above their weight class in their bowls this season which I think can mostly be attributed to how well the fan bases will travel...

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. ...

Waking up Saturday morning to news of the passing of George H.W. Bush sent a pang of sadness through me. While I may not always have agreed with his policies, Bush was a reminder of the "good old days" of politics. He became, particularly after his retirement from politics, a beloved figure in our country...

Clover Corner Biosecurity workshop series planned for Iowa Pork Producers Today I have a guest writer, Colin Johnson, with the Iowa Pork Industry Center talking about, “Biosecurity Workshop Series for Iowa Pork Producers.” --- The recent spread of African swine fever in China has elevated the importance of biosecurity measures in reducing the risk of a domestic or foreign animal disease entering farms. ...

A good many of us will enjoy any number of popular traditions surrounding the celebration of Christmas. We will spend time with family and friends. Some will enjoy work socials. Parents and children will exchange gifts and cards, demonstrating our love for one another. There will be great food, cookies and snacks...

Christmas Sale! Black Friday door busters! Get the latest, greatest, hottest, newest, best gizmo the world has ever seen! To me, one of life’s greatest ironies is that every year we use the occasion of the birth of one of the simplest, humblest, poorest men who ever lived as an excuse for societally approved covetousness...

Rural America is culturally different from metropolitan America in many ways. Rural America is often called the void between the coasts that gets ignored as fly-over country. Trump spoke to rural America and they responded by filling venues for Trump rallies with some of his most avid supporters. ...

Thanksgiving to New Year’s is the most indulgent time of the year — from overeating to overspending to excess alcohol consumption. It is very easy for a person to get caught up in the festivities of the season and overdo. From family gatherings, Christmas parties and New Year’s celebrations there are many opportunities for people to have memorable fun with family and friends but there are also many opportunities to make unhealthy and regrettable choices...

"Please give it back!, Please! It's my heart!, I need it! Please!" "I've tried to make you love me by giving you every bit of love I had, and now ... I don't have any love for me left." "'Cause she didn't like the way you smelled?" "The furthest away you can be from somebody is if you're sitting right next to them."...

Gardeners know the benefits of digging in the soil. It elevates a person’s mood, improves mental and physical well-being and the outcome is always good — added beauty or tasty nutritional food. But many of us are stuck indoors for the winter, have a lack of space to garden outdoors or just can’t get enough of this healthful activity. Adding greenery indoors expands our gardening opportunities and provides the many benefits of living with and tending plants...

DES MOINES — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service. The report is released weekly from April through November. “Iowa farmers have dealt with numerous challenges throughout the growing season, including flooding in northwest Iowa and serious drought in the southeast part of the state. ...

I spent a night at my childhood home for Thanksgiving weekend and I was confronted by my childhood in the process. Sleeping in my old bedroom, it was hard to miss the “stuff” that hadn’t made the trip with me to college and beyond so many years ago. ...

Saturday morning, I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and sunshine to celebrate Small Business Saturday with an excursion to chip away at my Christmas shopping list. What a great day! What a great vibe permeated up and down Grand Avenue as I strolled from shop to shop...

I believe I have written some form of this column every year I have been in this position which is (gulp) going on five years now. (Legitimately hard to believe it has been that long.) Regardless, I’m doing it again because I always feel the same way this time of year, and the NCAA has given us a new tool to have some fun with this season...

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...

Blessings upon all of you as we officially make our transition from what we designate as the season of “thanks-giving” into the season of celebration surrounding the birth of the world's savior Jesus Christ. Like many of you, I had the opportunity to join with my family and enjoy a meal and share some laughs and love with those nearest and dearest to me. ...

It has been more than eight years since my favorite film actor, Jack Nicholson, last graced the silver screen. The icon is known as much for his distinctive character traits and personal flair as he is for the 50-plus years he has entertained us. Whether it is his smooth, slow drawl, the way he conveys and punctuates his expressions with the slight movement of his triangle-shaped eyebrows or his laughter, bordering at times on mania, Nicholson has given audiences some of the grittiest, most enduring and moving performances of any American actor. ...

Have you ever had one of those “unfortunate” blessing? By that, I mean something that starts out as a complete disaster or hardship, something that really puts a person “through the wringer” and yet on the other side of the unfortunate part there is a blessing we would not have had unless we had gone through the fire. That is sort of how my year has gone...

CBS chief White House correspondent, Major Garrett, has covered six presidential candidates and four presidencies. He has worked for both print and TV media spending six years at Fox News before taking his current job. We had the opportunity to share an hour with him of what they called "conversation" at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., where a moderator and audience asked good questions about Garrett's experience as a White House correspondent...

At Thanksgiving we thank our families, friends, neighbors, just about everyone and everything causing good in our lives. While I’m certainly thankful for all of the above, I think I should also share my admiration for something that doesn’t get much love — weird music — also called outsider music. ...

I was watching a news show on Saturday morning, and an etiquette expert weighed in on the appropriateness of decorating our homes for Christmas prior to Thanksgiving. She said it's just not done. Well. I do it. While I used to put up my tree and deck the halls the weekend after Thanksgiving, last year I did it a week before. I had time. I had ambition, and an extra week or two of glittering lights and sparkling ornaments did my cold heart good...

It couldn’t arrive at a better time. Following bitter midterm elections, Thanksgiving couldn’t come at a better time. It’s time to give thanks. Not thank you because I’m not a Republican or a Democrat which might be your first impression if you’re still not over the polling doldrums, but genuine thank yous...

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. ...

As we start a new year in Clay County 4-H, all the staff at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach are excited for the 2018-19 year! In Clay County 4-H we are proud to have 17 clubs. Some of our clubs have been around for many years while others are new clubs...

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. 26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. (Matthew 10:24-26)...

Do you have any idols ... those that you think are cool, have a great job or have done something you admire? I am going share three of mine. I think that Richard Engel has an amazing job. He is a journalist and NBC News chief foreign correspondent. Anytime there is anything major newsworthy around the world, whether that be an earthquake, terrorist attack or good old fashion war he is immediately on a plane traveling to the scene of the history-making event. ...

It is often said that, "those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it." That saying is especially poignant this year as our nation commemorates the 100th anniversary of the armistice of World War I. The destruction and carnage of the First War World reached unprecedented levels as military technology advanced and trench warfare left an indelible print on history brutalizing and killing more than 16 million soldiers and civilians...

DES MOINES — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service. The report is released weekly from April through November. “Farmers have now harvested 83 percent of corn and 94 percent of soybeans, which is three and four days behind average, respectively. ...

In late August I wrote a column entitled “Drafting rhythm” which mostly contained shameless self-promotion and bad puns but also touched on how I did the bulk of my fantasy football draft in the Northwest Iowa Publishing But Also Some Other People Too League while playing drums during band practice...

I’ve been a fan of “Saturday Night Live” since it was my slightly-risque late-night television viewing of choice as a preteen back in 1976 when it debuted. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before. It was bawdy, timely and rip-roaringly funny. It launched stars and introduced comedic geniuses and musicians to the world at large. It also propelled cultural touchstones into the universe...

One of the early monologues of the 1999 film “Fight Club” (I chose to reference the film and not the book due to not being able to remember the wording of the novel verbatim, forgive me) revolves around the narrator’s approach to his constant traveling for work. ...

Recently I received an email invite for a fund raiser for Prevent Child Abuse Iowa. As I was reading the colorful, eye catching advertisement offered along with food, games and silent auction was a cash bar. What a conundrum, I thought, since one of the leading causes of child abuse in the nation is alcohol and drug abuse...

Aaaahhhh. That’s a sigh of relief in case you’re wondering. Relieved that the midterm elections are behind us and we have a couple of weeks off before the conga line of 2020 presidential hopefuls begin parading on the highways and byways of Iowa seeking to gain favor with residents in coffee shops and pizza places across the Hawkeye state...

I am a Ted-head. That is what I learned that the Theodore Roosevelt Association members call themselves. The Ted-heads had their annual meeting recently at the Harvard Club in New York City ... the first such meeting that I have ever attended. It is hosted by Tweed Roosevelt, the former president's great-grandson...

Today you might be experiencing a syndrome many of us had after the 2016 presidential election: Post-Election Stress Disorder. The deadline for this column was the day after the elections. The first thing I did when I got up on Wednesday was to look up the results for Iowa online. ...