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He could have, or should have, been governor of Iowa

Twice in the 1980s while traveling Iowa, I met 30-something-year-old mayors who so impressed me that I began telling people they “could or should be governor.” One was Tom Vilsack, who became mayor of Mount Pleasant in southeast Iowa when he was 36 years old in late 1986. You all know he became a two-term governor, then U.S. Secretary of Agriculture under Presidents Obama and Biden. We’ve been friends ever since, and it’s great having Tom and his wife Christie Vilsack living back in Iowa now. The other young mayor with such promise was Mike McCarville, who at 32 years old in ...

Delivering death tax relief for Iowa farmers and small businesses

Family farms, small businesses, and local manufacturers are the backbone of Iowa’s economy. Agriculture, business, and manufacturing create good jobs in our communities, keep our main streets strong, and help young families plant their roots in Iowa. To ensure that we have a strong Iowa, we need to support these vital sectors that make invaluable contributions to our economy and our communities. One of the greatest threats to the long-term success and vitality of family farms and small businesses is the death tax. This unfair double tax forces family-owned-and-operated enterprises to ...

Spotlight on soaring farm input costs

Q: Why did you hold a Judiciary Committee hearing to examine consolidation in the farm sector? A: As the only grain farmer in the United States Senate, I’m honored to advocate on behalf of family farmers who are wrapping up the harvest season and looking ahead to next year’s crop. Today U.S. farmers are feeling crushed with uncertainty as they make plans to purchase inputs and take out lines of credit to pay the bills and stay afloat. At my annual county meetings, local co-ops and in communications with my office, Iowa farmers tell me they’re feeling pinched by matters out of ...

For 124 years, this book club has connected Fort Dodge women

For well over a century, the Ingleside Study Club has connected women of Fort Dodge through their love of one of the world’s oldest forms of communication — reading a book. The book club — the name Ingleside means fireside, around which books were often read — was formed in ...

Now more than ever is the time help others

When you work in local government, you learn pretty quickly that helping people isn’t just part of the job. It is the job. Every day, someone calls, emails, or stops by with a question, a concern, or a problem they hope you can help solve. Sometimes it’s something small, like putting someone in touch with the right person. Other times, it’s something big, like wondering what happens now that the federal government is shut down. How is that going to affect us here in our hometowns? Right now, that shutdown is front and center for a lot of folks. While most of what happens in ...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Throughout the month of October, in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we proudly honor the incredible strength of breast cancer survivors and those who continue to fight this disease today. You are true warriors, and we are deeply honored to call you our friends and members of this community. We know your journey has not been easy, and we want you to know you are not alone. We stand with you and will continue to walk beside you — offering hope, support, and care every step of the way. In your honor, we extended our clinic hours for mammogram screenings and shared ...