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Opinion

Public notices must remain in newspapers

Editorials

There are some in the Iowa Legislature who periodically toy with the possibility of eliminating the requirement that local governments print public notices in newspapers. This is the wrong move today, tomorrow and for the future. Government transparency is more important than ever. In truth it ...

Just Jonathan: Oh the People We Meet

Local Columns

So much of my life has come down to pure chance—and I’m sure you can relate. Opportunities appear out of nowhere, often because of a connection or relationship formed years earlier. If life really is that random, then I’d argue the people we meet and the way we interact with them matter ...

On the Record with Sheriff Casey Schmidt

Local Columns

I want to shout out to the Board of Supervisors as they work through this year’s and last year’s budget. It is not an easy job. There are a lot of moving parts and no perfect answers. From our side, we understand the reality. Budgets are tight everywhere, and we are not any different. At ...

District 53 Newsletter: March 19, 2026

Editorials

This week, Iowa House Republicans in the Ways and Means Committee passed House Study Bill 596, our property tax bill. The committee amended the bill to reflect the feedback we’ve gotten from Iowans and it includes pieces from the Senate Republicans’ and the Governor’s property tax ...

Just Jonathan: A transformative time

Local Columns

It goes without saying that our lives change. I recall the way my life changed six years ago when a little virus upended our sense of normalcy. I recall the change in my life as I graduated high school and went to work for the first time. Or when I decided to go to college. Regardless of ...

District 53 Newsletter: March 12, 2026

Editorials

We continued with a heavy debate schedule this week as we approach the second funnel date where our House bills must be passed to the Senate. On Wednesday of this week, the Environmental Protection Committee that I chair and the Health and Human Services committee held a joint meeting so that ...

Celebrating National Ag Day

Editorials

Please join our Mid-Iowa Youth Beef Team to observe National Ag Day on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, with the theme of “Together We Grow” as we celebrate 250 years of agriculture progress. Agriculture producers have made great progress in their production since the 1960s. Today, cattlemen ...

Celebrating Ag Week: Agriculture has always been rooted in community

Editorials

As we celebrate Ag Week in Iowa, March 23-30, 2026, and look ahead to America’s 250th anniversary, we are reminded strong communities don’t come from any one person or one farm — they grow when people show up for each other. As a farmer, we see every day how closely agriculture and our ...

Q&A: Farm Policy and National Agriculture Week

Editorials

Q: How are you working to address uncertainty in the farm economy? A: With planting season around the corner, I’m hearing a message loud and clear from Iowa farmers. High input costs are hammering their bottom lines. Rising diesel prices add fuel to a fire already burning brightly in the ...

Meskwaki Nation Does Not Pay Property Tax, and That Isn’t Fair!

Editorials

‘Meskwaki Nation Does Not Pay Property Tax, and That Isn’t Fair!’ Does this sound familiar? It may not sound familiar if you don’t live near Indian Country. I live in Tama County, Iowa. Tama County is home to the only federally recognized tribe in Iowa. I have heard this statement or ...