I had every intention this week of telling you a silly story about my friend Mike and me encountering small rodents and being absolutely petrified. I promise, it’s a good one. However, the state of the world felt like a more important thing to address right now than my admittedly pathetic ...

My parents have been married for over forty years, which has spawned many stories. I would be neglectful in my narration if I didn’t mention the story of the cupcake and the bush. My father, the old one, is not a romantic type. Aniversaries, Valentines, and other days of note usually come ...

I don’t like mice. Never have, never will. While my experiences go way back to when I was a wee boy, not much has changed. I couldn’t have been more than ten years old when, after many years of hard work and service, we decided to replace our cherished four-slice toaster. It was on the ...

I didn’t like rollercoasters when I was little. That feels like a strange thing to admit now, especially considering how much I enjoy them today, but for a long time I was perfectly content staying on the ground. I remember trips to Adventureland where my dad and sister would disappear into ...

It is good at the start of a new year to look back for positive environmental stories. Especially noteworthy this year are two locally-led, cost-sharing projects that demonstrate the compatibility between cattle and conservation. They are Iowa’s Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Project, ...

I’ve shared many times that my sister and I have grown fairly close since I left high school a few years ago. I’ve had my own personal ups and downs, and she’s always been there for me. It’s been a rewarding experience as we both navigate new chapters of our lives, enjoying each ...

It could be two in the afternoon or two in the morning, eight am, noon, six, ten, or 4:47 Christmas morning. The time doesn’t matter. Whatever time it is, someone will be in the bathroom. For almost thirty long years now, I have lived in the same house with the same three other people with ...

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year’s! At least we got a break from all the snow we were getting in early December. I’m excited to have celebrated my 1-year anniversary since I took the oath of office as a County Supervisor. Thank you for the opportunity to ...

This past year as Sheriff has been challenging, eye opening, and rewarding. Overall, I truly love being Sheriff. A portion of the year was spent preparing for and handling a full murder trial, while also preparing for a second. What many people do not see is how much work happens long before ...

Let’s get one thing straight: words and phrases don’t always make sense. Some of them are outdated, some of them feel completely made up, and some of them exist solely to make you feel like you missed a day of school that everyone else attended. Am I sometimes willfully ignorant of the ...