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Opinion

A little bit about me

Editorials

As a candidate for Sheriff in beautiful Tama County, I know how important it is to be connected with the ones you serve. Although I did not grow up in Tama County, I have strong connections here. My great-grandmother Blanche (Sevcik) Rebik was born in Carroll Township, near Vining, with her ...

Dengler Domain: ‘20 Days in Mariupol’

Local Columns

“20 Days in Mariupol” is a documentary worth watching. This film is about a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggling to continue their work documenting the war’s atrocities as the Russian invasion begins. It is a harrowing piece of work by the ...

Q&A: Sunshine Week

Editorials

Sunshine Week is March 10-16, 2024. Q: What is the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)? A: Under this nearly six decades-old federal law, the public has the right to request access to records from any federal agency. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) helps keep check on government ...

From the Desk of Senator Giddens: What’s going on with AEAs?

Editorials

Greetings friends and neighbors! On Tuesday last week, we had an extremely special day at the Capitol – University of Northern Iowa Day! UNI Day is always one of my favorite days of the session. I got to spend time visiting with students, faculty, staff, and administrators who do incredible ...

Letter to the Editor: John Clayton

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Iowa House Representative Dean Fisher was a vocal supporter of private school vouchers. However, he will use the taxpayer voucher money to establish and run his private school after passing the law. In other words, I believe he utilized his elected position to enrich himself. ...

On Nature: Nature and Climate

Local Columns

It is generally understood that carbon pollution is changing our climate and negatively impacting some native species. One example is the decrease in Monarch butterflies caused, in part, by continuing drought that limits food during migration. However, the opposite is also happening. Nature can ...

Dengler Domain: People Leaving

Local Columns

A recent Iowa Starting Line article noted University of Northern Iowa students do not plan to stick around after graduation. For a state with a workforce problem, this is not good. Whether it is on the microlevel, people leaving rural Iowa for a larger Iowa city or on the macrolevel, people ...

From the Desk of Senator Giddens: Visit YOUR State Capitol!

Editorials

Greetings friends and neighbors! Our work in the Iowa Senate last week was focused on consideration of bills in the full chamber that have passed out of their respective committees. In between our debates and other meetings, though, I made time to meet with various groups visiting from our ...

District 53 Newsletter: Feb. 29, 2024 Edition

Editorials

Week 8 was marked by more intense floor debate as we work through some of the more impactful bills, particularly within the education arena. There are far too many to adequately discuss in this newsletter, but I’ll mention a few. House Republicans have been meeting with school ...

Pastor’s Column: Pray for Israel, Pray for Palestine

Local Columns

Sometimes I bury the lede. I’m famous for a slow-burning, long setup that tries to make everything come together in a grand revelation at the end, or that leaves a question hanging for the reader to gnaw on. But this is a time for clarity, so let me say it clearly. Terrorism is not the ...