Maybe it was the music and dance overload from the Pitbull concert at the Iowa State Fair, but I also believe the Traer Winding Stairs Festival left me tremendously tired. Coming back to the festival is always fun and seeing all the familiar faces. While in past years I drove the North Tama ...
August is here and we are in the home stretch of summer. July has been very eventful for the Tama County Board of Supervisors. We appointed three new members to the Board of Adjustment and one new member to the Zoning Commission. I welcome the new members who’ve been appointed and am ...
Before farming, I used to work in the audio-visual field. This profession consisted of setting up screens, projectors, speakers, and anything else in that realm with different types of events and different clients. A college job was working at the UNI-Dome and McLeod Center helping set up ...
It’s been a couple months since I’ve written one of these, and I appreciate everyone’s patience. Things have been busy, and while that’s not an excuse, I know how important it is to stay in touch with the people we serve. When I took office, I said I would keep the public in the loop, ...
Last week, the cornhead was moved to its final resting place before it is sold. While traveling the country roads to the destination, it was a trip down memory lane. Whether it was driving by formerly Dengler farmed fields or familiar farmsteads which laid on the path to my Grandma Pohlman’s ...
Since retiring from farming, I have reflected on it more than needed. While there are parts I could have done better, it also showed me how hard it is for a younger generation to gain a foothold in today’s farming world. It is no secret that farmers are an older bunch, and consolidation keeps ...
Well, after the week of July 6-13 with all the turmoil it sounded like Tama County might be going in the right direction to save some money. Supervisors Mark Doland and David Turner were ready to stop litigation. So it was placed on the agenda for the Monday, July 14 meeting. But they decided ...
With the wrapping up of the Urbandale 4th of July celebration and the largest community event in Urbandale, it is a committee I have enjoyed being on. It matters because my participation in this event as the parade director would not have happened if not for Clutier Fun Days (now the Bohemian ...
I write this column having just received the news that the IRS has asked a judge to create an exception to the Johnson Amendment, which currently prevents churches from campaigning for or against political candidates or parties. Opponents of this motion point out that it will lead to a cascade ...
Twice each year, billions of birds migrate between their winter and summer homes, and most fly at night, using the night sky to help them navigate. During the day they rest and feed before taking off again when night falls. Artificial light at night and skyglow around cities can disorient ...