“Rod Stewart Hair”
“I like your hair!” a woman at the party said.
Opinions
Iowa is home to 42 ethanol plants and 11 biodiesel facilities, which annually produce roughly 4.5 billion gallons of ethanol and 410 million gallons of biodiesel respectively. In 2022, homegrown Iowa ethanol and biodiesel contributed $7.2 billion to Iowa’s economy and fueled $3.5 billion in income...
Q: What is National Adoption Month?
A: During this season of thanksgiving, families will gather together around the table and celebrate the Thanksgiving feast. From one year to the next, Americans carry on family traditions, recipes and stories that have been passed down from generation to...
On Tuesday, Iowans went to the polls to vote in their local school board elections. There was high turnout in many areas and the message voters delivered was clear: Iowans trust teachers and they value strong public schools.
The local elections this year were a bit different than in previous years...
“Dietary Choices”
I just spent a wonderful long weekend with my sister and her son, Beau, “up north” at my parents’ cabin.
Stubby the red squirrel is doing well. Since the tragic loss of the end of his tail (and his subsequent unofficial adoption by my mother), he has flourished. The end of his...
Q: What is the historical significance of Nov. 11?
A: On the “11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month,” fighting ceased between the Allied nations and Germany during World War I. Back then, Nov. 11, 1918 (Armistice Day) was regarded as the end of the war “to end all wars.” In the years to...
Here we are—one year before the Nov. 5, 2024 election—and a recent Pew Research Center poll reveals 65 percent of Americans say they always or often feel exhausted when thinking about politics. Fifty-five percent feel angry, let alone disgusted.
Furthermore, 63 percent of Americans say they are...
Dear Editor,
Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 was “a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day” in Maine. The 39th such day in the U.S. since Jan. 1, 2023 according to the Gun Violence Archive. Steven King, Maine’s popular author of fiction and op-ed writer for New York Times wrote his opinion in the 10/...
“Fancy New Gloves”
My Auntie Jo gave me a beautiful pair of gloves yesterday. They are elegant, with embroidery on the top, and I immediately did what I usually do—I put them away for safekeeping.
“I’ll wear these to something special!” I told myself.
I have a date to go with my niece to see “...
Q: What do you hear from Iowans about housing?
A: In August I wrapped up my 43rd year in a row holding at least one meeting in every county across the state. From urban areas to county seats and smaller rural communities, I regularly hear from employers, civic leaders and chambers of commerce...
In this environment of existential fear over climate change and a growing list of societal challenges, a quiet revolution is taking place across the United States and the world. Ecovillages and intentional communities are sprouting up, offering a unique vision for the future. These non-religious,...
