The holidays are quickly approaching and finding the perfect gift for those on your list can be challenging. With many people downsizing or striving for a minimalistic lifestyle, finding the perfect gift gets even more difficult. Gifting something that is unique, useful and provides multiple functions may be the solution.

Private pesticide applicators in Clay County can expect to get their brochures in the mail around Thanksgiving, but I thought it would be helpful to share the dates now as well.

I represent U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley in 19 counties in northwest Iowa, including Clay. Part of my job is to hold an annual open meeting, a traveling office hour, in each county to take opinions about the issues of the day and to help Iowans who are experiencing problems with a federal agency (IRS, VA, Social Security, immigration, etc.). Grassley’s goal is to make sure government is working the way it is supposed to.

Iowa was involved in several lawsuits against pharmaceutical drug companies, drug distributor firms, and giant pharmacy companies regarding opioids.

Bewildered I stood, looking down the scope of the rifle. Dusty slits of light cut the abandoned straw piles that years of neglect littered. The kids were yelling, “There he goes, shoot him. Shoot him! Dad, he’s getting away. Shoot him!” What seemed only a split second turned out to be a whole lot longer than I would have ever dreamed. The non-shooting of the raccoon in the barn happened years ago, but my grown children still poke fun-in a good way, of course.

After the proposal by Pattison Sand Co (2019) to sell billions of gallons of Iowa water to  water-poor western states, the Iowa DNR rejected the permit application because the company didn't demonstrate "beneficial use" as required by state law.

Q: What do you hear from Iowans about housing?

Iran has a long and repulsive history of funding terrorism, including the recent attacks by Hamas against the innocent people of Israel. In 1984, Iran was rightfully named a state sponsor of terrorism by the United States and, to this day, continues to finance terror, murder, and crime across the Middle East and around the globe. For decades, Iran has funded terrorist plots by Hamas, Hezbollah, and other despicable organizations to destabilize nations, kill innocent people, and sow division.

Iowa State Extension and Outreach not only brings programming to our local communities, but we also bring research and share vital information to your well-being and interest areas. What kind of research/information? The research topics are ever changing, and we encourage you to be part of our networks to receive news as its released. Here are a couple of recent samples of Iowa State Extension and Outreach news releases collected and released this last week:

I have not made a secret of the fact that Ronald Reagan is my hero and one of my favorite presidents in American history. Reagan was a transformative figure in American history. His presidency ushered in a new era of economic prosperity and foreign policy assertiveness, and his legacy continues to inspire Americans today. Even in death, Reagan can still save America in five important ways:

I watched the library's recorded event of Joe Wiegard as Teddy Roosevelt on the Spencer Channel. It was so enjoyable and well done. Wiegard made you feel it was Roosevelt himself talking and had so much information and facts presented in such a fun way. Thanks to Wiegard, the Spencer Public Library and SMU's Spencer Channel for providing an enjoyable hour of entertainment.

The annual meeting of the Clay County Fair on Oct. 24 was verification that the 2023 edition was indeed a success. It was an opportunity to hear from CEO/manager Jerome Hertel in person, and he did not disappoint. A portion of his remarks centered on the words people used to describe this year’s fair. Words such as “terrific, exciting, spectacular, wonderful” were in abundance. Jerome added a new word that he himself offered. The word was “authentic.”

Why can’t Martin Scorsese tell a great story in a reasonable two-hour window. “Killers of the Flower Moon,” is a very good film, depicting the white men’s aggression and ruthlessness in attempting to obtain the oil land where the Osage tribe had settled, establishing its reservation on the liquid goldmine.

Several books have come down the pike recently about the impact of agriculture on the Midwest, and Iowa and particular. However, “Tending Iowa’s Land: Pathways to a Sustainable Future” shows not just challenges but solutions to the impact of agriculture on Iowa’s landscape.

Life is good! Death is bad.

Pure is good! Polluted is bad.

Beauty is good! Hideous is hideous.

These simple statements ring true for many of us. Then Halloween comes along. Decorating and costumes more and more celebrate death, violence and ugliness.