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Des Moines hides details of costly settlement with police chief candidate

City leaders in Des Moines are making it difficult to understand why they selected the new police chief, considering how they have imposed a code of silence about their recent $975,000 payout to one of the candidates who did not get the job. The payout and, even worse, the sealed lips are just another example of how common sense and good government suffer whenever public officials refuse to detail how and why they spend taxpayer money. This textbook example of misplaced priorities began in 2024 when Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert announced his retirement after nearly a decade ...

Haymow hoop dreams

March Madness has begun and I can truly say this is my favorite time of the entire year. I grew up with a love of basketball that began in the early 1970’s on our small hobby farm located 30 minutes south of the state capital in Madison. Our large gambrel style barn was a working barn that housed sheep, black angus cattle, chickens, a couple of mutts, several cats, and dozens of bats that would emerge from the rafters at dusk. It also had mice, one of which ran up my pants leg when I was throwing bales of hay down the chute. The barn was large and had a cavernous haymow. The haymow ...

Rural America needs to band together against corporate greed

Last year, John Deere announced plans to go 100 percent robotic by 2030. That’s right: in just four more years, the world’s largest tractor manufacturer plans to replace every corn and soybean farmer with robots. Farmers won’t own the machines, of course. Right now they can’t even repair a machine because the software is only licensed to them. (And with consolidation, they don’t own their choice of seed, fertilizer, pesticide, or herbicide. And they don’t have much choice where to sell what they grow, either.) More time off from driving the tractor sounds pretty good ...

Healthcare careers in months, not years

Looking to start a rewarding career in healthcare or build on your current experience? Iowa Valley’s short-term health training programs make it possible to gain hands-on skills and job-ready experience in just weeks or months — not years. With a high demand for healthcare workers, increased wages, and sign-on bonuses offered across Iowa, there’s never been a better time to start a healthcare career. Hospitals, long-term care facilities, and emergency services are all seeking skilled professionals — from CNAs and Medication Aides to EMTs, Phlebotomists, and Pharmacy ...

Ambassador Terry Branstad: I’m endorsing Randy Feenstra for Governor

I still remember the town hall meeting. During one of my annual 99-county tours, in which I was mostly asked questions, I decided to close the meeting by asking the Iowans in the room what their hopes were for Iowa. Several people spoke up, offering sound policy ideas. But a man who remained quiet most of the morning, steadily sipping his coffee and holding it in his hands, perhaps to fend off the chill in the air that winter morning, finally spoke up. His answer was simple, yet profound: “I want to leave my farm better than I found it.” This simple, noble goal perfectly ...

Des Moines’ costly badge of secrecy

City leaders in Des Moines are making it difficult to understand why they selected the new police chief, considering how they have imposed a code of silence about their recent $975,000 payout to one of the candidates who did not get the job. The payout and, even worse, the sealed lips are just another example of how common sense and good government suffer whenever public officials refuse to detail how and why they spend taxpayer money. This textbook example of misplaced priorities began in 2024 when Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert announced his retirement after nearly a decade ...