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District 53 Newsletter from Rep. Dean Fisher

Columnists

We have entered “debate season” in the House chamber. Each day this week we caucused on a long list of bills, then debated them on the House floor, sending over 80 of them to the Senate. One significant bill that we passed late last week was House File 2565, creating a Human Trafficking Task Force. Iowa is the first state in the nation to create such a task force, signifying Iowa’s commitment to fighting this heinous crime. The bill creates four regional task force centers, with the regions defined by Interstates 80 and 35. This task force will have full investigative and arrest ...

How laughter helps mental health

Columnists

When it comes to relieving stress, more giggles and guffaws are just what the doctor ordered. Whether you’re guffawing at a sitcom on TV or quietly giggling at a newspaper cartoon, laughing does you good. Laughter is a great form of stress relief, and that’s no joke. A good sense of ...

Barker Bulletin

Columnists

Week 8: A stronger and safer Iowa Last weekend, I enjoyed attending the Colo-NESCO Royal Gala with Senator Kara Warme. It was great to see so many folks from NE Story County supporting students at Colo-NESCO. On Monday, the House HHS Appropriations Subcommittee visited Des Moines University to learn more about our healthcare workforce and residency challenges and opportunities in Iowa. This week at the Capitol, I was able to visit with DMACC and Iowa Valley Community Colleges, parents and students from Ames Christian School, Iowa State student government, Grand View University social ...

Lincoln bed sculpture

Columnists

It started by tearing out Buddy’s dog pen, which was right outside our kitchen door. We had to put Buddy to sleep. Walking out the kitchen door and seeing his vacant pen was too much of a reminder of ole Buddy Boy. He was with us 15 years and was a big part of our family. But with my health issues: cancer, colitis, pulmonary embolisms, heart attack, bla bla bla, I wasn’t up to tearing out Buddy’s pen, even though I was the one who erected it years ago. I called our handy dandy lawn mowers from Hinkle Lawn Service. Caden Hinkle said, “Sure,” he’d rip that dog pen out for ...

When a brain injury changes everything, schools don’t face it alone

Columnists

One moment can change a child’s life forever. A car crash. A fall. A sports injury. Suddenly, a student who once kept up in class is struggling to remember directions, control emotions, or keep up with schoolwork. When that student walks back into school, the question becomes: Who knows what to do next? At Central Rivers AEA, the answer is the Brain Injury Support Team, and their work matters more than most people realize. Brain injuries don’t always look dramatic. Many students return to school without visible signs, yet they may be relearning how to focus, organize their ...

Your newspaper has a vital role in the community

Columnists

Your local newspaper, the Times-Republican, has historically been a little bit of everything from a news and information perspective. It has always provided local news that is uniquely sourced, but it also offers ample amounts of state, national, and world news. It publishes television listings, comics, business and stock news. It reports local high school sports, college sports with an emphasis on Iowa universities, and professional sports. As media has fragmented and evolved, national and world news are available in many forums, including broadcast media, national talk radio, and ...