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Equal, fair and farce

When NBC affiliates in Tennessee showed the movie “Necessary Roughness” in 1994, those affiliates were required to give a Democrat Senate candidate 4 minutes and 13 seconds of free airtime. The Democrat was running against Fred Thompson, the actor turned Republican Senate candidate. When Thompson ran for President in 2008, NBC stopped aired re-runs of “Law & Order” that featured Thompson, who had been the District Attorney on the show. The Equal Time Doctrine is not new. But the national press corps, always ready to pounce on President Donald Trump and Republicans, has suddenly ...

The Warme Wire: Week Six

The sixth week of the legislative session brought us right up to the first major deadline of the year, often called the “funnel.” This is the point in session when ideas need to move forward through committee in order to stay alive for further consideration. As you might imagine, that ...

Supporting Iowa’s troops and veterans

Last week, 250 Iowa National Guardsmen returned home. These brave men and women exemplify the very best of our state, and we remain eternally grateful for their service. Their homecoming is a powerful reminder of the duty and sacrifice our servicemembers and their families make for our nation. ...

ICE means American safety

Anecdotes favorable to American law enforcement abound. They tell of neighborhood residents protected from criminality, businesses safeguarded, and of society’s lowest being grabbed up and accorded the harsh justice their crimes merit. (I love it when American justice lands hard on ...

Thankful for our city staff

As I write this, another snowstorm is bearing down on our fair city. As usual, our dedicated city departments will be hard at it, clearing the snow on our 166 miles of roads so you can go about your day with the least amount of disruption. Yes, I said that right, 166 MILES of roads in Marshalltown. 16 hour days and nights are not uncommon. It takes teamwork between departments plus dedication per snowfall to make it all work. I contacted Heather Thomas, our City Engineer, for some details. This is from Heather. Public Works has a variety of larger equipment that we use to plow snow ...

A 10-year overnight success

When a new community space opens, a ribbon is cut, or a long-envisioned project becomes a reality, it can often feel like an “overnight success.” I keep a sticky note taped to my computer screen that reads: “10-year overnight success.” It’s a daily reminder that meaningful and impactful community change doesn’t happen instantly — it happens steadily. What we celebrate in a single afternoon is often the result of years of conversations, planning sessions, fundraising, setbacks, persistence, and belief. It reflects ideas and dreams formed long before the public ever sees ...