Jonathan Meyer.

I like my job, dare I say it. In working for the newspaper since 2023 I don’t really feel like I’ve been working all that much. Before I started with the paper I had a great interest in what was happening around us, and that hasn’t ever changed.

This week’s collection of stories and happenings felt a little bit more rewarding than usual. For starters, I love talking about the Iowa State Fair. I’ve always believed that the Fair is the perfect cross section of Iowan culture. It’s something that blends our rural roots, to current events, politics, food, and most importantly the people that populate this great state.

Beyond just the fair itself, I had the opportunity to interview the Iowa State Fair Queen, who I already knew!? What a unique honor that I had never really thought about before.

This week’s school board meeting I was unable to make it in person, but thanks to the power of the internet I was able to listen to it as I sat on a lawn mower with the immense capability of bluetooth headphones. That might be a peek a little far behind the curtains (or under the grass you might say) but sometimes its interesting knowing how the sausage gets made.

My process there is tagging interesting or important sections in my transcript of the meeting and revisiting them when I’m about to write the story. I like to sit with that information before listening again so I can try to understand the topic or issue to the best of my ability (you can be the judge of how well that works).

I talked to one of my former teachers about running for congress. All politics aside, I think it’s cool that on a local level folks step up when they feel a need to push for what they believe in. That goes for both sides, I could say the same thing about Kathy at the convention a few weeks ago. It all comes down to certain faces you see in certain places! It takes a lot of people to keep the town(s) running and buzzing like they do.

As my summer is winding down and I get ready to move back into college, I am grateful for the stories I’m able to listen to and push to a bigger audience. The trust I feel, and the people I try my best to serve, makes the drives during the school year or carefully scheduled phone calls feel all the more worth it.

I know I have always enjoyed a bit of a glimpse behind the scenes and knowing what the writer was thinking, I hope someone out there is having that same fun while reading this.

Until my next peek behind the curtains, I’m Just Jonathan.