Leading up to last year’s election, then candidate Donald Trump campaigned heavily on deporting immigrants on a massive scale. It’s something he’s followed through on, regularly claiming that his Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency would target “the worst of the worst.” It’s a refrain Kristi Noem, Trump’s head of Homeland Security, has echoed recently.

I don’t see how the people of this country could ever get more polarized. It’s distracting us from more important things. The polarization is fed by two things. One is the obvious pleasure derived from anger and hate. The other is the algorithms that direct any content online based on previous interests, and that reinforces those interests rather than allowing our minds to explore different ideas.

September 17 is Constitution Day. The law requires public schools and government offices to provide educational programs every year on that date to promote a better understanding of the Constitution.
Constitution Day commemorates the day in 1787 when our delegates signed that first document in the history of the world to broadly limit the sort of government power England’s businessmen used to rip off their colonists.

Though I’ve traveled no further than Grinnell to Hampton and back this week, there have been a number of occasions that have served to remind me of my time abroad, often in the simplest of ways. Even when life is as routine as it can be, there is still an element of reminiscence upon this point. I suppose these little reminders are the lingering effects of having spent quite a large chunk of my independent life outside of the U.S.

In 1961, the United States Congress passed the first National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Then, and in every conflict since, our brave men and women at home and overseas 
relied on Congress to authorize new programs, procure advanced weapons, and make quality-of-life improvements for servicemembers. 
 
 

I know I’ve mentioned it a month or so ago, but the 2025 City-School Election is 

coming up quickly and there are some important dates you need to be aware of.   

1. Filing Deadline – The deadline for candidates to file the appropriate paperwork is 

next Thursday, September 18th at 5PM.  Candidates must file their paperwork with 

When President Trump returned to the Oval Office early this year, he immediately announced a new and much needed plan for the United States’s national security — “Peace through strength.” 

I remember well the Columbine High School shooting in 1999 that seems to have started the trend.

On Wednesday August 20th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it would begin to formally implement legislation that I introduced to lower the cost of crop  insurance for the next generation of Iowa farmers and producers. My bill – the Crop Insurance  for Future Farmers Act – was included in President Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” that was 

It’s spinach planting time again. Growing spinach in the fall is ideal. Spinach doesn’t like it hot and the trend is cooler. I even just read that spinach germinates faster at lower temps than at higher summer ones. Weeds are less competitive in the fall.

On July 4th, President Trump signed one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in 

American history into law. Among a wide range of benefits, H.R. 1—commonly known as the 

“One, Big, Beautiful Bill”—shielded Americans from the largest tax hike in history, expanded on 

the successful tax cuts of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), funded security at our 

For over a hundred years opiates have been illegal. Lawyers make laws and lawyers make money navigating law so the laws have become more numerous and complex over the years. The year that started the failed War on Drugs was 1914. That’s a long time to run an experiment hoping for better results.

“Your children will become who you are, so be who you want them to be. ” - David Bly

I’ve seen this thing floating around the internet, the idea that you only get 18 summers with your kids. Just 216 summer weekends.

But if you're a parent who shares custody, like my husband and I, that number gets cut in half. About 108 weekends in 18 years.

Farming requires things to be lifted and carried… a lot. To help with that we had a loader on our first tractor, a John Deere 4010 Diesel.
Our old 40’ x 20’ cattle shed had pretty good concrete inside. The luscious black dirt of Iowa makes awfully sticky, deep mud when wet, so concrete is nearly as revered as God.  

I’m sure most people haven’t even thought about this year’s election.  Yes, there is an election on November 4th and our office is busy starting to plan and prep already.  This year is the city-school election in which voters will elect city council members, mayors, and school board members.  This is my plug for you to consider serving your community in one of these capacities.  There is always a need for candidates and until you serve in a ca