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Washington going bankrupt while wasting billions of taxpayer dollars on unused and unneeded properties

Local Columns

Despite being the nation’s largest landlord, Uncle Sam will never win a round of Monopoly, the classic boardgame where players try to make money—and avoid going bankrupt—by buying, renting, and selling property. That’s because Uncle Sam, who is already $36 trillion in debt, refuses to sell off unused and unneeded properties that are nothing but money pits. Washington is paying out over $81 million maintaining underutilized offices every year. This includes nearly 7,700 vacant buildings and another 2,265 that are largely empty. Many of Uncle Sam’s properties are also fixer ...

Be sure to check out the Webster County Fair

Editorial

The Webster County Fair begins Wednesday and continues through Sunday on the fairgrounds at 22770 Old Highway 169. It will feature all of the traditional 4-H and FFA livestock exhibits, plus other projects completed by the youth of those organizations. The fair royalty will be crowned early in the event so that the king and queen can be on hand for all the festivities that will follow. In addition to the farm-related activities, there will also be a full slate of entertainment. There will be Mini Madness, plus the ATV and Tough Truck races. A truck and tractor pull will be ...

Working with President Trump's administration to protect our farmland

Local Columns

On Tuesday, July 8, the Trump administration announced the rollout of the National Farm Security Action Plan. This is a comprehensive, seven-point initiative to defend American farmland from foreign adversaries, secure our agricultural supply chains, and ensure the long-term success of family farms and agriculture in Iowa and nationwide. At a time when countries like China are deploying shady tactics to undermine our agricultural dominance, this proposal puts farmers and rural communities first — a promise that President Trump and his administration have upheld over and over ...

Q&A: Wins for rural America signed into law

Local Columns

Q: How did you leverage your leadership for alternative energy? A: More than three decades ago, I helped launch Iowa’s rise to dominance in alternative energy with the first-ever federal wind energy tax credit. Wind energy supports more than 9,000 jobs in Iowa and generates more than 60 percent of our state’s electricity, making it the largest source of electricity in Iowa. During negotiations on the One Big Beautiful Bill, I fought tooth and nail to secure a 12-month runway that allows planned wind and solar projects to begin construction after the law’s enactment. This victory ...

Urges pipeline foes to stand strong

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: Since 2022, landowners impacted by hazardous carbon pipeline proposals have urged legislative action, namely in the form of banning eminent domain for carbon pipelines. Back then, only two legislators were willing to stand up to corporate land grabs by introducing legislation – Sen. Jeff Taylor, R-Sioux County, and Rep. Thomas Jeneary, R-Plymouth County. In the years since, we've seen support grow, most recently with 94 percent of Democratic senators, 93 percent of Democratic representatives, 87 percent of Republican representatives and 38 percent of Republican senators ...

New assisted living units help senior citizens live comfortably, safely

Editorial

Staying in their own home for as long as possible is always the best option for people as they age. But for many, doing that eventually becomes impossible. Fort Dodge is blessed to have many options for those people. And that array of options just got better thanks to the Marian Home and Village. This week, the Marian Home and Village debuted its new assisted living apartments at 925 Martin Luther King Drive. Lots of people may recall that structure as the former Villa Cottages. After the Villa Care Center closed, the Marian Home bought all of its property. The main Villa Care Center ...