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Columnists

Suing for a livable planet

Across the globe, people are turning to the courts to combat the worsening climate emergency. Since 2015, cases around the world have doubled to over 2,000, according to a recent United Nations report. They are also on the rise in the United States. In a landmark trial in Montana, a judge ...

Good versus bad math beliefs: Let’s remove the labels for kids

Take a moment to reflect and answer this question: Do you like math? Overwhelmingly, both students and adults alike typically say that they do not. When asked why, the response is generally, “Because I’m not good at math.” It isn’t likely that we enjoy something that we are not the best ...

The hot spot

Several months ago I wrote about the history of the last two stations that have served the State Center Fire and EMS Department — in City Hall prior to 1978 and our current facility. This month I want to share information about our current situation and limitations on how the department ...

There is more to serving than winning elections

Back where I came from, you do not expect to have a bomb-sniffing dog circle your car when you pull into the parking lot for Sunday church services. But that is what occurred. After the dog’s sensitive nose checked our car, a man on the front step gave us a quick once-over with his ...

Why would anyone vote for this?

Acommon theme in political news coverage over the past few years has been how “fractious” and “divisive” politics has become in our society. Newspapers, magazines and social media have countless articles and accounts of political disagreements that have torn families apart and destroyed ...

Securing permanent tax cuts for Iowa’s small businesses

Over the last three years, I’ve made 226 trips to farms, schools, businesses, police departments, workforce training centers, cooperatives, ethanol plants, and food pantries on my biannual 36 County Tour. At each stop, I have had meaningful conversations with Iowans about their policy ...