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Local Columns

Pastor’s Column: An Honest Apology

About 2000 years ago, an itinerant rabbi named Yeshua Bin Yusef (Jesus, son of Joseph) founded through his teachings the breakaway Jewish sect we now know as the Christian church. In contrast to the dominant theology of his place and time, Jesus taught a path of love, grace, inclusion and ...

Dengler Domain: Who is serving Iowans?

Who in Iowa leadership roles are looking out for underserved Iowans? After a couple recent newsworthy items coming from the state of Iowa, it appears underserved Iowans are being pushed to the wayside for big donors and out of state interests. Those with money are in the ear of the politicians ...

Dengler Domain: Reindeer

With Christmas around the corner, it is time for joyous cheer and celebrations. One of the best parts of Christmas is nostalgia. Generations upon generations grow up with the traditions their ancestors performed. It is a beautiful way to connect with one’s past. One of these traditions is ...

On Nature: Climate Affects Wildlife

There are many dire predictions of what will happen if the climate continues to change, but the effects are also happening now. Two examples were published recently in “Wildlife Professional,” a journal of The Wildlife Society. Moose in northern New England have suffered population ...

Dengler Domain: Nursing Homes

Everyone wants lower taxes. Having more money in one’s pocket is nice. In a society where not everything is fair and just and never will be, the people rely on the government to provide goods and services. Some of these goods and services help everyone while some do not. The government helps ...

Pastor’s Column: Mental Health in the Bleak Midwinter

Here’s an experiment. An object lesson. Think about the last 20 people you met. Picture their faces in your mind. Think about their lives, their dreams. Think about the people they matter to, and the people who matter to them. If statistics hold, over the next few months one of these ...

Dengler Domain: Calendar Months

As the calendar turns from November to December, it is wild to think how fast 2023 flew by. As a child, the passing of a year felt like a long time. It took so many years to be able to ride in the front seat. Then it was so many years until I could drive the car. I could not wait for the next ...

On Nature: Foreign Carbon Polluters

Many ways of combating climate change have been proposed. One seemingly common-sense method is to put a fee on the carbon dioxide emitted by industry and give this money to each American as a cashback payment that would offset any increased costs of these products. Since all payments would be ...

Iowa Outdoors

The annual August roadside survey of pheasants found Iowa’s statewide pheasant population to be nearly 23 birds per survey route; a 15 percent increase over 2022. The biggest increases were in the southwest, northwest and northeast regions. Our pheasant population is the highest it’s been ...

Dengler Domain: Mascots Part II

In a state full of Hawkeyes, Cyclones, and a few Panthers and Bulldogs, some of the other schools get lost in the fray. These smaller colleges and universities also deserve their time in the limelight. This is not about the academics at the school, it is about the mascots. More importantly, it ...