This week was full of floor action as the House works to pass important policy bills before the end of session, including bills protecting school choice and your 2nd amendment rights. Both Chambers are working diligently on the budget and property tax reform in order to prepare for ...
Sam Krieger, of rural Rome, Iowa, scoffs at being called a war hero. “My Uncle Hes,” he says. “Now, he was a war hero.” At the age of 77, and breathing hard with COPD, Sam digs around in his artifacts and paraphernalia. He finds a framed newspaper article, “Black Devils of World War II Honored in DC, Earn Congressional Medal of Honor.” “That’s Francis Heston,” says Sam. “My Uncle Hes. He was in the brig because he was late in returning from leave. He was given the choice of joining the Black Devils or finishing his sentence. He joined the Devils. He didn’t know ...
As National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week comes to a close, I find myself thinking less about the spotlight and more about the people behind it. This week each year gives us the opportunity to pause and recognize a profession that is absolutely essential to public safety, yet so often works quietly in the background. It gives us a chance to celebrate the men and women who answer the phone in moments of fear, confusion, pain, and uncertainty. It gives us a chance to remind our communities that before help arrives on scene, before a siren is heard, before lights come into view, ...
As the Iowa Legislature continues to debate property tax reform, Iowans are right to expect transparency, fairness, and responsible stewardship of public resources. Those are values we share at Iowa Valley Community College District. We understand the motivation behind these proposals and recognize that the broader effort is intended to provide relief and predictability for taxpayers. However, the portions of these bills that affect community colleges tell a different story. While they play only a very small role in overall taxpayer relief, they carry outsized and damaging consequences ...
Appropriations Above is the proposed budget from the House for fiscal year 2027. This budget is an increase of 1.6 percent in General Fund spending from the prior fiscal year. The bills which set out all the line items for this proposed budget are as follows: Administration and Regulation ...
A local pastor recently wrote that we are blessed with an “eternal soul” that immediately goes to be in the presence of the Lord when a believer dies. How do we know if this is truth or tradition? This idea of an eternal, indestructible soul can be found in the dialogue “Phaedo,” written by Plato around 360 BC. He lays out the classic Greek argument for the immortal soul. Also, around 387 AD, Augustine of Hippo wrote “The Immortality of the Soul” reflecting his engagement with Platonic and Neoplatonic philosophy. Augustine has influenced modern Christian thought ...
