Opinion
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Ernst: Biden's WOTUS Whiplash
Expanding government is the name of the game for the Biden administration. The latest ruling on the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) drags us back to an Obama-era rule with accompanying restrictions on what Americans can and can’t do on their...
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Iowans won't know what they don't know
What separates average-to-good Iowa towns from thriving ones, former Governor Terry Branstad often said, is the presence of locally owned banks and a dedicated community newspaper. Community newspaper...
Jones: Governor's government re-organization plan was overdue
Last week the Iowa House of Representatives passed a piece of legislation that streamlines and realigns the state government of Iowa. It has been nearly 40 years since the organization of the state government has been evaluated and restructured in...
Guest Editorial
Some members of the Iowa Senate do not think that public notices published in newspapers remain relevant and necessary. A bill filed in the newly-formed Technology Committee this month moved through...
Letters: UI should fire Ferentzes, AD
To the editor: It is amazing that Brian Ferentz’s contract was renewed with Iowa football. Brian Ferentz is a proven loser and he only kept his job because his dad is the coach. It was a no-brainer firing mishandled by Gary Barta, the athletic...
Letters: No eminent domain for private gain
To the editor: It looks like some members of the Iowa House and Senate are finally listening to rural Iowans and our concerns about proposed CO2 pipelines. Because so many concerned citizens have turned out at meeting after meeting and hearing after...
From Our Files
• March 11, 1948 Approximately $68,000 worth of farm machinery and livestock was sold at an auction at the Arnold W. Metz farm south of Hartley. An estimated 2,000 to 2,500 persons from as far away as 100 miles gave the Metz farm the appearance of...
LETTERS: My experience at the Iowa Capital
To the editor: Feb. 21, 2023 marked my first-ever trip to Des Moines to attend a rally at the capital. I’m not proud that this was my first rally since I am at retirement age. This is a process I could have and should have been involved in much...
LETTERS: Don't drink ethanol's doomsday Kool-Aid
To the editor: Things are not going as planned for three deep pocketed investment companies seeking permits from the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB). They expected to move into this state, throw billions of dollars around, scoop up the land they needed...
S-N Editorial
"Reform" is a loaded word when it comes to politics. It can be tacked onto most nouns, from health care to taxes to anything in between. We here in the Hawkeye State have been beaten over the head...
Feenstra: Iowa farmers are the best stewards of their farmland
Late last year, the Biden Administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) quietly finalized and expanded the definition of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. As a result, the move ce...
The Writer's Pen
A friend recently posted on Facebook that he had beef for sale – halves or quarters. He would transport the animal to the locker for processing. That post brought back memories of growing up with a ready supply of meat in the freezer. We had a big...
Letters: It's now or never to stop for-profit eminent domain in Iowa
To the editor: Eminent domain is a hot-button issue. Three investment companies – Summit Carbon Solutions, Navigator Heartland Greenway, and Wolf Carbon Solutions/ADM – are seeking permits for hazardous CO2 pipelines that will cross thousands of...
Letters: Let's go swimming this summer
To the editor: I wish George Washington were here. If he was here, our kids could go swimming this summer. If we lived in a free country, we could say the heck with the government and fill the pool with water and let the kids swim. By the way, have...
The Writer's Pen
Recently my wife, Rita, and I decided to start looking for a new car. It isn’t that anything is wrong with our old car, but we think we want an SUV instead of the sedan we are driving. Our Toyota...
Evans: Iowa GOP 'trifecta' drops the ball with vets
In politics, having a “trifecta” in government is a good thing for a political party – until the trifecta’s inaction on some popular issue starts to haunt the party. Iowa Republicans served...
Rural America deserves real solutions to opioid epidemic
Between July of 2021 and June of 2022, more than 107,000 Americans tragically died from a drug overdose, cementing opioids as the leading cause of death among people ages 18 to 45 in the United...
Evans: SCOTUS could fall on slippery slope of discrimination
Few people like being told what they must do. Lorie Smith is one of them. The suburban Denver, Colo., business owner, a devout Christian, builds websites for customers. She wants to expand her...
S-N Editorial
Big winter storms are always a spectacle here in Iowa. The wind chill numbers never cease to amaze, and the size of drifts always drop our jaws. Numbers and pictures aside, these storms can be dangero...
Pedley's Ponderings
Here we are in 2023. While I used to be an optimist with each New Year, the sands of time have somewhat smudged my perspective. Nowadays, I just assume everything will be more of the same regardless of the calendar’s numbers. Nonetheless, I do...
Iowa REC gives updated revenue estimate
The Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) met last month to give a better outlook of the state’s budget. For Fiscal Year 2023, the REC panel increased expected revenue for the current fiscal year...
Q&A with Sen. Chuck Grassley
Q: Why are you calling on the Biden administration to make border security its New Year’s resolution? A: President Biden is putting the sovereignty of the United States of America in peril by...
Letters: Valero manager urges support for Navigator CO2 pipeline
To the editor: Iowans know that ethanol plants and our farmer partners are stewards of the land who are committed to our local communities and consistently striving for growth. Valero is committed to advancing the future of energy through...
Taylor: 'Celebrate what God did on that holy night in Bethlehem'
"The time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." – Luke...
Dau: How we see it?
Let's be honest – we don't see ourselves as a spiritual being. However, we are a spiritual being having a very real human experience. We see ourselves as human first and spiritual secondary. This Ch...
