×

Opinion

Dysart Chamber Community Connections: June 2026

Local Columns

I don't know about you, but summer always feels like the season when Dysart really shines. One of the things I love most about my role with the Chamber is getting a front-row seat to all the great things happening in our community. Sometimes it's a large event that brings hundreds of people to ...

Dengler Domain: Green

Local Columns

Nothing is better than seeing fields of green. While it can be debated on what type of plants should be creating the green, seeing the beauty of growth is amazing. Winter can be dreary with the browns and grays, but nothing puts the soul and mood in a better place than seeing green. As I drove ...

On Nature: Birds Warn of Climate Change

Conservation

In olden days miners took Canaries into the mine to give them an early warning if toxic gases were present. Now birds in the natural world are giving us a warning. Over the past 50 years, more than 60% of the wintering North American bird species have shifted their winter range northward, ...

Q&A: Federal Tax Cuts Help Working Families

Editorials

Q: What does the 2026 federal tax filing data show? A: The U.S. Treasury released data showing American families and workers claimed $82 billion in individual direct relief from the Working Families Tax Cuts Act signed into law one year ago on the Fourth of July. The Republican-led Congress ...

Heather’s Highlights: County Government and You, May 2026

Local Columns

School is out and summer is welcomed in my household! We had our first HomeBase Iowa application and approval by the Board of Supervisors in May. I’m very excited that we got our first approval to help a gentleman that is currently serving in the military and decided to purchase a home in ...

Dengler Domain: Z.C.B.J. Hall

Local Columns

Reading the recent North Tama Telegraph article about the Z.C.B.J. Hall in Clutier needing new siding brought up old memories. When my grandma, Ferne Pohlman, moved to Clutier from the farm after my grandpa, Vernon, had passed, she built the house standing across the street to the east of the ...

Feenstra learns lesson about showing up

Editorials

You might have attracted as many people to a Unitarian Universalist fellowship hour in Sioux Center as to a Randy Feenstra rally in Sioux Rapids. Just about 40 people showed up for his gubernatorial campaign event at the farm of Rep. Megan Jones. He had won the endorsement of President Trump at ...

On the Record with Sheriff Schmidt

Local Columns

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 ...

Q&A: Foster Care Month

Editorials

Senator Grassley leads the annual bipartisan Senate resolution designating May as National Foster Care Month to recognize foster parents, child welfare professionals and volunteers who support kids placed in foster care. Q: What prompted your advocacy for kids in foster care? A: I work to ...