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A week in my life representing Iowa in Congress

Local Columns

Instead of my usual thoughts on policy debates or various pieces of legislation that I have either introduced or supported, I decided that I wanted to share a week in my life representing our families, farmers, workers, and businesses on Capitol Hill. The week spanning from Monday, April 7, to Friday, April 11, encapsulates a good snapshot of what a typical week looks like for me representing Iowa in Congress. On Monday, I spent most of the day meeting with my fellow Republican colleagues on the House Ways and Means Committee as we work to extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act beyond its ...

Take a look inside the kaleidoscopes

Editorial

Chances are everyone played with a kaleidoscope as a child, twisting the tube to make the colored pieces inside of it form one unique pattern after another. A series of big kaleidoscopes, each of which is several feet long, have popped up across Pocahontas County. They work very much like those little ones to create colorful visions. They have also helped bring fresh attention to the county. Nobody just decided to put a bunch of kaleidoscopes up in different places. There is a historical link between the toys and the Pocahontas community. Leonard Olson had a business in downtown ...

Setting the record straight on school funding

Local Columns

We had one day of debate this week, which included funding State Supplemental Aid for schools. Now that SSA is passed, work can begin on the budget. I chair the Health and Human Services Budget, which is a $2.4 billion budget. Many safety-net needs and health coverage for Iowans are included. This year, Gov. Reynolds increased her funding for HHS budget by $232.7 million. My job is to work with my Senate counterpart to make sure Iowans' priorities are funded. Education We passed the State Supplemental Aid for schools, providing an additional $114 million in funding for K-12 ...

PICA has major positive impact on Fort Dodge

Editorial

The impact of a group of volunteers known as Pride In Community Appearance can be seen throughout Fort Dodge. Usually called PICA, the group makes the town look beautiful by taking care of flower beds and landscaping on public property. PICA members tend to flower beds in parks and around the welcome signs at the gateways to the community. They give the landscaping at Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports Complex a thorough grooming before the girls state softball tournament every summer. In perhaps the group’s biggest project, its members turned a stub of street off Martin Luther King ...

Questions ambulance billing after referendum passed

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: Webster County recently held an election and authorized taxation to pay for EMT/ambulance services, designating such medical service as “essential.” I am left with a question now that the issue has been resolved with wildly favorable results. We will pay for such service with tax dollars. OK, good plan. My question: Why should we be billed individually for this essential service? If you need police service, you do not get a bill after the fact. If you need help with a fire you won’t receive a bill later. Living in the country, my family has traditionally received ...

Home and Garden Show is this weekend

Editorial

The temperatures are sure to begin rising now and residents of the Fort Dodge area will be a lot more certain that spring has indeed arrived. And with spring, comes the notion of spring cleaning. But how about giving your home, yard or garden a whole new look? Or perhaps you just need some tips and inspiration for tackling the dreaded “honey do” list of household chores. Whatever a person’s needs or interests in home improvement and landscaping may be, they can find valuable information at this weekend’s Home & Garden Show sponsored by The Messenger. The show hours are 8 ...