One of the best parts of my job is that it constantly reminds me how much I don't know. Not in a discouraging way, but in an exciting one. On Monday, I found myself in downtown Tama waiting for the train to arrive. I thought I was being smart by getting there early. In fact, I was more than ...
June 2, 2026, was a Tuesday. A hair before five AM on June second, my dog, Dixie, dragged me out of the house to use the bathroom. The sun wasn’t up, but it was on its way as the sky was a deep navy blue. As Dixie wandered, attempting to find the perfect spot, I looked upward. It was there I ...
It’s been a busy last couple of months at the Tama County Sheriff’s Office, and it is about time for an update from me! First off, I want to recognize our staff, especially the deputies. Right now we are short a deputy, and with Deputy Trevor Killian retiring, we’ll be down two. Like a ...
There’s something refreshing about coming home for the summer. On Saturday, I moved out of college after having the opportunity to stand on stage during Wartburg College’s commencement ceremony. It was a neat honor and one that I know I’ll remember for years to come. Standing there, ...
This is my advice from a fellow STC classmate, (class of '69). Here's What I've Learned! **** HERE IS JOHN'S ADVICE **** 1....First & foremost, BE KIND; Be friendly; say things like; please, thank you, I'm sorry, you look so nice today, you did a great job; I'm so proud of you; ...
There are weekends that leave you exhausted, and then there are weekends that remind you exactly why you do what you do. This past weekend was both. I spent hundreds of miles behind the wheel driving back and forth between college and Tama-Toledo. By the time it was all said and done, I was ...
Well, that was a weekend. Dog hair, sweat, and a parade, nothing but the best. The kid, Johnny, and I have wanted to promote the paper in a local event for over a year, but have been unsuccessful. First, the Stoplight Festival got rained out, then we never got around to getting anything ...
As it always is, the newspaper side of my life was very interesting this week. I learned that I’m not able to differentiate fruits and a few unexpected people read my work in this very column! Last week I published a short preview of what’s to come at the Lincoln Highway Bridge Festival ...
Road construction along with dust, gravel, mud, and dust control were the main topics for discussion in April when Highway 63 from the 96/63 junction to Toledo closed on April 20. The Iowa DOT closed the highway to remove the pavement and replace it with asphalt, while making it a “Super 2 ...
The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has analyzed a broad range of data on greenhouse gas emissions and the effects on U.S. climate that had been gathered by the scientific community. In their report on this analysis, the Academies stated that the evidence for ...