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Completing my third biannual 36 County Tour

When I was elected to serve Iowa’s Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, I promised that I would be a strong voice for our families, farmers, and rural main streets and equally transparent with and accessible to the people I represent. By officially completing my third annual 36 County Tour, I have upheld that pledge, had many invaluable discussions with Iowans, and transformed our priorities and values into sound policy and legislative victories. Since I kicked off the first iteration of my 36 County Tour in 2021, I have made more than 230 stops at ...

Your son a slacker? He begs to differ

EDITOR’S NOTE: 10 years have passed since the originator of this Messenger Spotlight column, Editor Walter B. Stevens, passed away. His Spotlight legacy has been continued by his son, who salutes the legacy of his dad.) When I told my Dad that I was taking a buyout from The ...

Choose local to build a community’s future

It’s customary this time of year for newspapers everywhere to write glowing editorials about the virtue of shopping local. After all, throughout the year, local businesses support the ability of local journalists to deliver local news, and we hope you will support them. Local news is important. We are not perfect, but we live and work in our communities. We care about the future because it’s our shared future. We grow as the community grows, and we need each other. I happen to be a natural born shopper. I grew up shopping extensively in my hometown of Webster City, and in mom’s ...

United Way donations touch young lives

I have the privilege of serving as the honorary chairperson for this year’s United Way campaign. First State Bank has been a long-time supporter of United Way and the important work it is doing to help so many underprivileged youth and families in our community. I also appreciate the fact that the annual United Way campaign is truly a community process. It is all about hundreds of people coming together to support a community-wide effort to make a difference in the lives of the youth and families in our community. The 2023 United Way campaign has kicked off and we are very ...

Know the signs and symptoms of diabetes

Diabetes impacts more than 35 million Americans, which is why it is important for our team at UnityPoint Health – Trinity Regional Medical Center to recognize National Diabetes Month each November. Diabetes ­— a chronic long-lasting health condition affecting how the body turns food into energy – impacts nearly 10 percent of Iowans and can lead to medical expenses more than two times higher than those who don’t have diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 37 million Americans have diabetes, including 8.5 million who show high glucose levels, but ...

Troopers seek safe roads this holiday season

It’s that time of year again, the holiday season is upon us. This week, most celebrations will involve many traditions including family and friends sitting down having Thanksgiving dinner together, watching football on TV, and getting up at O-dark-thirty to do some “Black Friday” Christmas shopping. It’s a time to reflect and give thanks for the many blessings we have in life. Unfortunately, this is also a time of year that many families will have an empty seat at the table because a loved one was killed in a car accident. Because Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel ...