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Morel Madness

Aimee Gauley was a Creative Writing student of mine. From Ft. Madison, she is a realtor, beautician, author, mother, wife and mushroom hunter! It doesn’t take much scrolling online to see that mushroom season is upon us! The elusive morel is a delicacy and the only thing better than eating them is finding them! There are many online pages and groups devoted to “shrooms.” The members share tips and tricks for hunting and cooking. Once spring hits we all wait with bated breath for the first confirmed finds of the year. We plan. We monitor the weather and ground temperatures, ...

The retention lab: Why great educators stay in Marshalltown

Following my inaugural year as Director of Human Resources for the Marshalltown Community School District (MCSD), I deepened my commitment to the field by joining the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). This began an intensive period of professional development that culminated in earning my SHRM-CP (Certified Professional) credential at the start of my second year. Beyond the certification, this journey sparked a specific interest in proactive retention strategies—leading me to pioneer “Stay Interviews” as a tool for fostering employee longevity and engagement. We are ...

Lawmakers wag their fingers with new Ian Roberts Resume Fraud law

Come July, Iowa employers may want to add an ominous warning on their job application forms: tell a lie and you could go to jail. That’s right — no more puffing the resume with false degrees from the University of Okoboji or Faber College. And do not claim to have chauffeur’s license when you lack the permit needed to drive a truck. That’s because Gov. Kim Reynolds signed House File 2337 into law last week, making it a crime to knowingly provide false academic degrees or credentials for the purpose of obtaining employment or other personal gain. The legislation does not ...

The strategic mistake: Ignoring Iran’s indispensable global leverage

Al Ries and Jack Trout are considered America’s foremost marketing strategists, where their seven solo- and co-authored books are bestsellers. Three of their books became standard readings for my senior-level Marketing Strategy students when I taught at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). All seven of their books were thoroughly discussed when teaching Marketing Management for UNI’s MBA program in Hong Kong. If President Trump, Pete Hegseth and their military advisors had consulted even one of Ries and Trout’s bestselling books, the Iranian war might have been avoided. Let me ...

The Media exploit the Pope as Trump’s public enemy No. 1

When “60 Minutes” lined up three American Catholic Cardinals who had been dropping angry “open letters” on President Donald Trump, CBS reporter Norah O’Donnell mustered the audacity to claim, “their candor surprised us.” No, they knew precisely what they were orchestrating — ...

District 53 Newsletter from Rep. Dean Fisher

Week 14 of the session is complete and we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. This past week we were busy dealing with many bills on the House Floor each day, including bills that are back from the Senate with amendments. Last week the House passed House File 2753, a bill to create a fund for new prison infrastructure. By the end of Fiscal Year 2027 the state will pay off the 2009 bonds that paid for construction of the new prison in Fort Madison. Two thirds of the funds used to pay off those bonds will roll into this new fund, with the other third being used for ...