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Strengthening Iowa Agriculture in Global Markets Through a Strong Farm Bill

Over the last several years, farmers across Iowa have endured challenging market conditions as they dealt with weather, rising input costs, and other countries targeting American agriculture to gain unfair advantages. These conditions affect their families, operations, and our rural economy, which is built on our strong agricultural sector. Growth in our agricultural industry starts with strong markets.

What’s the Auditor Been Up to?!

It’s the middle of April and things have been so busy!  People ask me what I do in this job and it’s so hard to put into words what my days look like, what tasks fill my days, etc, but….a lot of times, I get to the end of a day and my husband will ask me what I did all day and I often reply “I’m not sure, but I was busy and it went fast”.  This is my reality.  No two days are alike, some days the hours change my day on a dime.  So, I thought I

President Trump’s Great American Agriculture Celebration Signals a New Era for Farmers

Last week, during the Great American Agriculture Celebration, we saw the largest gathering of farmers ever hosted at the White House, and I was honored to join President Donald Trump in 

highlighting historic wins for farmers. 

Back home in Iowa, a common sentiment I hear from farmers is that they have felt left behind by Washington. Thanks to President Trump, that course is finally being reversed, and farmers are 

Charge Them and Try Them

What is meant by national security? Treason keeps popping up as I consider what our government is up to and who pays the costs.

Iowa House Approves Speed Limit Increase and More

The Iowa House of Representatives voted to move the speed limit to 60 on two-lane state highways. Also during Week 12 of the 2026 legislative session, the House advanced various bills impacting agriculture, healthcare, economic development, and the judicial system. This week’s activity reflects ongoing efforts to modernize and streamline state systems, as well as align Iowa with regional and national standards.

A Note from the Publisher

When something local changes, people notice.
They should.
A newspaper or a radio station isn’t just another business—it’s part of the identity of a community. These are the institutions that tell the stories of a place over time, day by day, week by week, name by name.

The beautiful traditions that bind us

I came home this weekend, making the two-hour jaunt northwest from Grinnell on Friday evening.

Primary Election Prep

 We are working full steam ahead on Primary Election prep in our office.  Friday (March 20th) is the deadline to file partisan nomination papers for anyone wanting to run for county office this year.  This 

means people wanting to run as a Democrat or Republican candidate.  If someone wants to run as “no party”, the deadline to file nomination paperwork is Tuesday June 2nd at 5PM.   

The End of Israel?

Renaming the Department of Defense the Department of War has made Trump an honest man.
We haven’t fought a war of defense since 1945 and our interests at that time can be questioned as well. Yet over 100,000 U.S. servicemen have been sacrificed to this “defense” cult over the last 80 years.

House Advances 81 Bills during Week 6

This week in the Iowa House, lawmakers debated 81 bills. Representatives advanced legislation focused on strengthening agriculture, improving public health, supporting Iowa families, and enhancing public safety.
Agriculture

Proposed Property Tax Mailers, An Explanation…. Hopefully

This week, the proposed property tax mailers that were part of HF718 back in 2023 are being mailed out.

Foreign Policy? Consider This!

I had never heard of Charlie Kirk before he was killed in Utah. It turned out that he was very influential. In this vacuum of respectable leadership, he may have even been a future candidate for president. His skepticism of woke ideologies drew loathing from the so-called left, but agreement from “conservatives”.
 

Funnel Survivors Are Focus of House Debate

Two headline-making bills that were passed by the Iowa House of Representatives in week seven of the 2026 legislative session include improving election laws and requiring commercial drivers to demonstrate English proficiency.

A Funnel Report Card

February 20 saw the passage of the first legislative funnel. This is a deadline lawmakers set to winnow down bills eligible for consideration for the remainder of the session. It doesn’t apply to spending bills, but does a good job of narrowing what lawmakers will focus on around the midpoint of their time spent under the Golden Dome in Des Moines.
 

We Soldier On

Ghostie’s success has had glitches. I often evangelize about the benefits of electric fence.
 

“Iowa School Finance: How student enrollment in each district determines district revenues"

Every year, public schools in Iowa spend billions of dollars to educate children, sparking taxpayers to ask school board members, administrators, and lawmakers: "Where does that money go?" The Hampton-Dumont Community School District is writing this article to help taxpayers understand how districts spend money and to dispel the mysteries surrounding school funding.
 

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