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.
In the next week or so you will be getting an envelope from your local assessor, be it from Dubuque, Jones or Delaware County. In all three cases, along with that of the other 106 assessor’s offices throughout Iowa, the message enclosed is going to be very similar — assessed values are going…
The New Year is a time of resolutions. It's a time when people commit to making a change in their lives. Losing weight, changing jobs, saving money, making money, a new relationship, getting in shape, going back to school or giving up smoking, are just some of the goals people set for themse…
Something came out of Colorado last week besides images of the destruction from a rapidly developing wildfire that roared through the area between Denver and Boulder.
The coming year will be over almost quicker than you can say Happy New Year. Just look how fast 2021 sped by us all. Time rarely feels as if it's standing still unless we are waiting for something to happen. Time only drags when we need something to happen like a cure for a disease, a job to…
As we warm up on our way to summer, I think about Pluto and NASA’s New Horizons mission, which got us there in 2015 after a nine-year flight, and how exciting it was to see first pictures from the craft, with many more to come.
I have had the opportunity to be involved in Business Horizons, a week-long program organized by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry Foundation. Business Horizons will be held July 17-21 at Central College. The annual event brings over 100 Iowa high school students together to enga…
March 5-12, the nation is celebrating AmeriCorps Week. It is a time to acknowledge and commemorate the commitment of AmeriCorps members, to thank community partners and to recognize the value of the life-changing impact this powerful service offers.
Baseball fans, including those who love the Field of Dreams, always like to look back on their baseball lives. That can run from Little League, pickup games, vacant lots, and trips to the ballpark, also collecting baseball cards and maybe a ball from a player that they caught in the stands. …
If you’ve ever shared a book with a child, you know the joy and excitement this small but meaningful act can bring. However, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, since 1993 only 53 to 58 percent of children ages 3 to 5 receive this joy on a daily basis.
Black History Month is a time to celebrate the many achievements of African-Americans throughout history. For me it is much more personal. It is an opportunity to reflect on the woman who inspired my lifelong advocacy of small business — Madam C.J. Walker, the iconic woman of color business…
Preparing your kids for college isn’t just about the money you’ve put aside for tuition, room and board. It’s about making deadlines, making the right choices and making sure your teen has the proper life and money skills to make college a success.
Phased retirement — a catchall term that describes a variety of part-time and reduced-hour work arrangements before leaving an employer for good — is gaining steam. But before you sign on, it’s important to understand how “phasing out” may affect your long-term finances.
Almost time for Alaska’s Iditarod
On behalf of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School and Beckman Catholic High School Boards of Education, administrations, faculty and staff, I want to thank each of you in the area parishes and communities for your generous support of Catholic education.
With the 2016 tax-filing season fast approaching, many Americans are now scrambling to find a trustworthy tax preparer. They want the biggest possible refund without trouble from the Internal Revenue Service.
All families want what is best for their children, but they don’t always realize how absences can add up to academic problems. Sometimes they allow children to miss school when it’s not absolutely necessary. This often happens before and after the winter holidays, as families try to squeeze …
Is your dream to author a thriller, romance novel, memoir or self-help book? If so, now could be both the easiest and hardest time to self-publish an eBook you could hawk off your website or through Amazon.com.
She’s an architect in her early 50s who never dreamed she’d become a full-time caregiver for her husband of the same age. Before his diagnosis of leukemia, he was a vigorous, energetic person who ran marathons. Still, he needs extensive help to navigate his treatments — which have already in…
Just over a year ago, Eastern Iowans sent me to Washington to represent them in Congress. I’m humbled by the trust placed in me by the voters, and I see it as my responsibility to report back on my efforts to serve the First District.
In response to a recent request to speak on Catholic social teaching, I spoke on our right to vote.
The 400-mile Haul Road was built in the 1970s to support construction of the large Trans-Alaska pipeline from Prudhoe Bay to Fairbanks and then south. Once it was completed in the 1970s, there was discussion of whether it should be restricted to industrial use or used by the public in general.
In the season of giving thanks, the St. Francis Xavier School Board would like to offer up our sincere gratitude to families, parishioners, alumni, community members and all supporters of our strong belief in Catholic education. In a world that seems to be less focused on morals and values, …
A California woman in her mid-40s—a nurse by profession—took seven years to overcome the heartache of a marital breakup and then to move on to dating other men. Her justifications? First she had to care for a sick parent, then to finish graduate school.
Word from the Social Security Administration that there’ll be no inflation adjustment in 2016 is causing shock and disbelief among the nearly 60 million Americans who now collect benefits. After all, many retirees — along with the disabled and other beneficiaries — are struggling to make ends meet.
This is supposed to be a paper-free era. Nearly all documents can be digitized through the use of computer filing, smart phone apps and other techno wonders. Yet an estimated 115 billion pieces of paper are still used each year for print-outs.
More than 29 million Americans have diabetes — yet an estimated eight million don’t know they have it. And the undiagnosed include a surprising number of children.
Many people are concerned about housing affordability, especially following the Great Recession of 2009. The total number of Iowa single-family properties in foreclosure status has fallen from a high of almost 5,000 during the fourth quarter 2012 to just over 3,000 in the fourth quarter 201…
Elise Cecil, of Leonardtown, Md., an 11-year-old student at Father Andrew White Catholic School, recently was one of six students from her school that was chosen to travel to see the Pope in Washington, D.C.
As police departments across the nation and in Iowa begin equipping their officers with body cameras, a central question has emerged: Who gets to see the footage?
As the economy heals and gas prices moderate, more Americans are enduring “killer commutes” and the trend is expected to worsen in the future, according to new research from transportation experts.
Grass runways are heaven to pilots. There are many benefits, not the least of which are that grass is easier on equipment and can make almost any landing look perfect.
No—Walt Disney won’t physically be present at the Iowa State Fair, but he will be present in “spirit.” The “spirit” is in the form of keeping the State Fair clean and attractive. Anyone that has visited a Disney property knows the “rest of the story” and that they are extremely clean and we…
Over the past few years, we have seen tremendous growth in the efficiency, effectiveness and use of wind power. In our report Zoned Out, we analyzed different approaches to zoning commercial wind energy systems. The report (http://www.cfra.org/zoned-out-wind-energy-analysis) also broke down …
No matter where I have lived, in states on the east coast to states in the west, it seems that every small community has a tradition in common, and that is to have a daddy-daughter date each year. But that is about where the similarity ends. When I was in a bigger city in New York, the daddy…
Biodiesel is an Iowa success story. We are the leading biodiesel state. Now there’s more good news for biodiesel workers and consumers who want a clean, domestic fuel for their tractors, trucks and cars with diesel engines.
Once again, the Dyersville Commercial Club will host a Fourth of July celebration. An afternoon and evening of food and games at the Commercial Club Park will precede the spectacular fireworks display. The event draws a huge number of people to Dyersville to celebrate our nation’s freedom.
Monday morning a terrific storm passed through the southern portions of our community. From commercial buildings to individual residences, the damage could be seen everywhere. Last night when I returned from being out of town, I walked throughout the area that was damaged and had the opportu…
The Dyersville Area Historical Society was organized in 1961 for the purpose of preserving Dyersville history. Photos, memorabilia and historical items were collected and displayed in a cabinet in the library. In 1982, the society was reorganized and now, after 30 years, can boast about some…
Summer Learning Day, on Friday, June 19, is an annual national advocacy day led by the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) to elevate the importance of keeping kids learning, safe and healthy every summer.
I must admit –there were times when I thought I’d never be around when NASA finally got its New Horizons spacecraft to Pluto. Or that the Chicago Cubs would win a World Series, the first since 1908.
It all started when we decided to have our kitchen remodeled. “Let’s take a road trip while the work is being done,” I said. And Chris agreed, but then after some discussion, we decided to travel north for two weeks, rather than south.
For most people, gambling is something done for fun and recreation. One might buy a Powerball ticket, play some Bingo, bet on a sporting event, or play video lottery. The facts are that the majority of Iowans gamble with little or no adverse consequences. They are commonly considered “social…
This is Sunshine Week, a week when many news organizations and First Amendment advocates will talk and write about open government.
In rural communities, hard work is a way of life. You put in long hours, day in and day out, and, with the help of innovative technology, good weather and a little luck, you reap what you sow. Your hard work contributes to a rural economy that is one of the strongest in the world.
Over the past two decades, Iowa has installed over 5,000 megawatts of wind capacity and gained 4,000 related jobs. Iowa landowners receive $16 million each year in the form of land lease payments. Wind projects contribute tax revenue to local counties and municipalities, providing funds for …
Over the past two decades, Iowa has installed over 5,000 megawatts of wind capacity and gained 4,000 related jobs. Iowa landowners receive $16 million each year in the form of land lease payments. Wind projects contribute tax revenue to local counties and municipalities, providing funds for …
There are two closely held, widely believed narratives about rural America. The national media narrative, with roots in the 1980s farm crisis, is fatalistic. Rural places are dying. It lives on at the Brookings Institute and the New York Times, fueled by demographics that show decades of pop…
It may come as a surprise to many people, but physical therapy has been growing as a profession for nearly a century. As a student in this field, I have been asked on countless occasions what a physical therapist does or how it differs from other forms of therapy.
It was a chilly day Jan. 23 when I heard of the death of Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, at the age of 83. What a gifted player, with lots of power and great fielding.
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