The Iowa House is considering a bill designed to combat “organized retail theft” of property from stores. Lawmakers supporting the measure said they wanted to deter looting, which has happened in some U.S. cities. Law enforcement has not always intervened.

Iowans may naively think such lawlessness cannot happen here. But it can — and it is.

It’s never too early to prepare for the garden season ahead. Having the right tool for the job saves time, reduces the frustration of trying to make the wrong tool work, and allows you to garden longer with less muscle fatigue.

Take an inventory of all your tools. Be sure to check the shed, garage or tool caddy. Make a list of those that need to be replaced or need an update. This is also a good time to clean and sharpen those tools you plan to use in the coming growing season.

Ran into Herb Collins the other day down by the school. He volunteers there, from time to time, helping kids with their math homework, and trying to recruit future members of The Great World of Business.

He loved business, back in the days when he lived in the city and ran the pawn shop. For years now, ever since he hung up his jeweler’s loupe, he’s told us that there was an excitement to making the right deal.

This week I am featuring the latest article from Carol Ehlers, human science specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, “Winter Energy Costs and Utility Bill Reminders.”

Faced with inflation and rising energy costs, many households may struggle to pay their utility bills. Whether you are a homeowner or renter, it is important to get a good handle on how much to budget each month to cover your various utility bills.

Tuesday, I wrote about the “Queen of the Court.”

Today, I share my thoughts about the Queen of Dolton who I’m sure you will find far less humble and far more vindictive.

It seems that each day there is a new kerfuffle going on in either the Iowa Legislature or the Congress of the United States. A recent example is the debate now going on in Des Moines, in which one side is advocating keeping in place the provision that state committees and/or commissions must have an equal number of appointed males and females.

What is the taxpayer relief fund?

The enemy of spiritual growth is self reliance. This is a major theme found in Christ’s teachings.

It has been a theme of recent CommStock reports to inform subscribers that the agriculture economy is heading toward another crisis brought on by our enormous productivity that can be avoided if opportunities are taken to grow demand. We are heading toward 3 billion-bushel corn carryovers, $3 corn and subsisting on taxpayer subsidies again if immediate decisions are not made to grow demand to consume our surplus stocks.

Keep your green thumb in shape this winter while getting a jump on the growing season by starting your favorite or hard-to-find plants indoors. It’s fun, simpler than you think, and can help stretch your plant budget.

Last week, Caitlin Clark did it.

In spite of the haters, naysayers and people who find it necessary to try and tear any good thing down — Clark broke the women’s all-time college basketball scoring record Thursday — at least the recorded record — surpassing Kelsey Plum’s 3,527 mark with the first eight points for the No. 4 Hawkeyes against Michigan in less than three minutes.

Are greenhouses gasses bad? Is oxygen a pollutant? We know that oxygen is essential for life. So, if the answer to: "Is oxygen a pollutant?" is no, then carbon dioxide is not and cannot be a pollutant as well. Oxygen is produced by plants. To thrive plants need water, soil nutrients, sunlight and carbon dioxide. Some would suggest we need to reduce the carbon dioxide (plant food) in the air. Some say greenhouse gasses are bad.

Contributions from Daniel P. Finney (Why requiring the national anthem in Iowa schools isn't enough), although delivered in a tone of irony that many of your readers might not grasp, certainly enhances the quality of your editorial page.

In 2023, the passing of HF 718 dealt a heavy blow to local communities by eliminating local levies and stripping away the right for communities to resource their values. While HF2442 appears to be a step in the right direction, it fails to address crucial issues and falls short of providing a comprehensive solution for the 97 library levies lost as well as the many other levy supported services across the state of Iowa.

We will be kicking off our office’s third VITA tax prep season on Feb. 27. Our schedule is steadily filling up, so if you or someone you know is eligible for the VITA program, please encourage them to call our office at 712-262-2264. The VITA program provides free tax preparation as well as electronic filing and is available to low-to-moderate income Iowans.