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Building on Iowa’s success

Columnists

AAs the Iowa Legislature moves through this session, the decisions being made at the Capitol will have long-lasting implications for our communities, our workforce, and Iowa’s economic future. In the Dec. 10, 2025 article, the Times-Republican highlighted concerns raised by employers and community college leaders regarding recommendations tied to job training programs, including those connected to Iowa’s long-standing 260 initiatives. For context, 260E is tailored to new and expanding businesses looking to create jobs, and 260F is focused on upskilling current employees. These ...

Fear of failure

Columnists

Fear of failure (atychiphobia) is an intense anxiety about messing up, stemming from fear of shame, judgment, or self-devaluation, and it significantly impacts mental health by causing procrastination, perfectionism, social anxiety, and even panic attacks, often linked to low self-esteem and perfectionistic beliefs. It manifests as worrying, physical symptoms (sweating, rapid heart rate), and avoidance behaviors, but can be managed with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), breaking down goals, practicing self-compassion, and reframing failure as learning. Fear of failure can lead to a ...

The Blom Bulletin

Columnists

A Workforce Focused Week The House passed bills this week to increase economic growth in Iowa and increase profitability for Iowa farmers. HSB 674: Iowa Skilled Workforce Act Introduced to the House today, the Iowa Skilled Workforce act bridges gaps between available skilled job positions and the Iowans who have the credentials to fill them. This bill intends to create a partnership between the state, Iowa schools and relevant and important trades that Iowa and the future workforce needs. This legislation intends to do so by focusing on two main areas: Investing in the ...

He’s not heavy, he’s my brother

Columnists

We stopped at the Three Crosses on Hwy. 218 to pray as we headed for Ashland, WI to take care of my brother, Mike’s, or Michael’s (as he preferred to be called), affairs. He died Sunday morning, January 25, at the age of 84. Mike was six years older than me, so we weren’t that close. But I have some vivid memories of him. One time I stepped on a nail in the chicken house, and couldn’t walk. Mike carried me to the car so I could be taken me to the doctor. Mike’s appendix ruptured when he was a teenager. He was hauled to the hospital in Des Moines in the funeral home’s ...

Barker Bulletin

Columnists

Resiliency and Workforce Americans are the best in the world at responding to and rebuilding from natural disaster, but we all know that we can do more to proactively plan for and prevent disasters before they start. That is why I filed HF 2158 which creates a statewide resilience plan for natural disaster. This will leverage Iowa’s strengths such as the Iowa Flood Center to help our state leaders better protect Iowans from natural hazards such as flooding. The bill has passed subcommittee in both the House and the Senate and is on track for the first funnel deadline. As many of you ...

53rd District run

Your View

On Feb. 23, the Secretary of State’s office is open for it’s elections department to accept petitions to run for office. After never getting out of the primary, I’m still incouraged at the 60 votes I got last time. I’ve been trying to think of subjects that resonate with the voters of the 53rd District and since I’ve been spending some time with my dad in the nursing home, I recently remarked to Shawn, a doctor friend of mine, that practically everybody there is in a wheelchair. He said they do that to reduce liability. I remarked if the doctors were in charge instead of the ...