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Local Columns

Fall Is Here, But We’re Not Slowing Down

Fall is here, and I have to admit, this is one of my favorite times of year in Dysart. Harvest is underway, the leaves are starting to change, football season is in full swing, and there’s just something about fall in a small town that’s hard to beat! It’s also hard to believe we’re ...

Dengler Domain: Rain Before Harvest

Rain, rain, go away, come again another day. Some may say farmers are like Goldilocks with the weather where it is too wet or too dry, farmers must deal with the consequences. Coming off several dry years, this year has felt like living in the Amazon rainforest. Before this deluge of rain in ...

Dengler Domain: Taking Advantage

With harvest around the corner, fertilizer decisions are possibly being made by farmers. With fertilizer in front of corn, nitrogen is being applied. Without access to ample supply of manure, synthetic nitrogen is needed. Who is the go to? CF Industries. According to Farm Action, CF Industries ...

Dining with Donaldson: Red sauce with ‘secret weapon’ spaghetti seasoning

Welcome to Dining with Donaldson, the place where I try recipes so you don’t have to! To continue with our freezer meals, I figured I would officially bring you my red sauce recipe. I know you have all been waiting for it! I usually make this in a double or triple batch so I can use some of ...

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

August is now behind us, school is back in session, and I’ve completed my first month as Chair of the Tama County Board of Supervisors. In August the Board approved an updated Employee Handbook. Department heads were invited to meet with our HR department over the last few months for ...

On Nature: New Climate Technologies

Our climate keeps heating up with dire effects, but our governmental leaders seem incapable of finding solutions to get us out of this mess that we have caused. One possible way out is to find new technologies that reduce the emission of carbon dioxide that is driving climate change. Almost ...

Dining with Donaldson: Freezer meal burritos with rice

Welcome to Dining with Donaldson, the place where I try recipes so you don’t have to! To continue with our freezer meals, I wanted to give you all a simple lunch: burritos. When I make these, I like to make anywhere from 15–20 burritos. I know what you’re thinking, that is too many! ...

Dengler Domain: Heart of Agriculture

At the heart of agriculture is culture. What makes a culture? Community. At the heart of agribusiness is business. What makes a business? Money. These almost diametrically opposed ideas are at the struggle of farming. A community thrives with more people, and a business thrives when they are ...

Dengler Domain: Being Replaced

As I visited Clear Lake this weekend, I took a stroll through Ventura to my favorite ice cream shop. While seeing the sign for Ventura’s greatest basketball player, Lynne Lorenzen, who resided in Tama County for part of her youth before moving up to the Clear Lake area, the school district ...

Dining with Donaldson: Time to fill the freezer!

Welcome to Dining with Donaldson, the place where I try recipes so you don’t have to! Believe it or not, the school year is just around the corner! Last week, I shared some of my favorite tips and tricks for successful freezer meal prep. Now it’s time to put those tips to work and start ...