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Pete Hegseth’s vaccine policy backfired

An influenza outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas has sickened almost 160 people in the past few weeks and might have even killed one person going through basic training. If it wasn’t already clear why Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to eliminate the military’s universal flu vaccine mandate was an exceptionally bad idea, it should be now. Hegseth announced the policy change in April, and since then, fewer than half of Air Force trainees have opted to get the shot. The vaccine does not provide perfect protection, but it reduces infections, lessens the severity for ...

Some thoughts on the data center moratorium proposal

I spent years as the Director of Marshall County Development. Part of that work involved sitting across the table from industrial site selectors — companies actively looking for places to put significant capital investment. Some of those conversations were about data centers. Marshalltown kept coming up as a candidate. And it kept getting passed over. Not because of our land. Not because of our location. Because data centers run on electricity — massive amounts of it — and Alliant Energy, our local utility, did not offer a rate that made Marshalltown cost-competitive for that ...

Becoming resilient

One of the things I have been focusing on early in my term as Mayor, is making Marshalltown more resilient. What exactly does that mean? Being a “resilient community” means that we are ready for what Mother Nature throws our way. We can argue about why disasters are happening more ...

Standing up for Iowa family farmers

As a fifth-generation Iowa farmer, I understand the importance of making decisions that sustain a farm for future generations. My family has been farming and raising pigs in central Iowa for more than 155 years. Today, my wife and I, and our son and daughter-in-law raise pigs, corn and beans ...

Marshalltown Ride Right Committee helps keep RAGBRAI safe and enjoyable for all

As the city of Marshalltown prepares for thousands of RAGBRAI cyclists coming to town on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, riders and citizens safety is the number one goal for our Marshalltown Ride Right Committee. Ride Right is the official bicycle safety program developed by RAGBRAI. The name carries a dual meaning: riders are encouraged to ride on the right side of the road and to ride correctly according to Iowa traffic laws and safe cycling practices. This group has been working behind the scenes to help ensure riders safety by riding the route, working with local officials for possible ...

Bible truth or tradition: The purpose of the Word of God (The Bible)

The US Open Golf Championship is being contested this weekend. Participants are competing according to the United States Golf Association official rule book. Believe me, no one wants to be disqualified for not playing according to the rules. So who makes the rules for life? Society? The government? Philosophy? Religion? I would venture to say that with few exceptions, each one of us decides for ourselves what we believe to be the rules for living our lives and it will be a combination of all of the above and based on our personal experience. My personal experience has led me ...