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Lawn & Garden: Caring for plants overwintering indoors

Gardeners are notorious for pushing the limits of their growing zones. Tropical plants, succulents and other plants that are not hardy to the winter climate often end up indoors for the winter. It usually starts with one or two plants that you just can’t part with or are concerned you won’t be able to purchase next year. Since you are taking a couple of plants in for the winter, why not add a few more?

Extension Outreach: Tis the season to not get scammed

Merry Christmas! As we celebrate the "most wonderful time of the year," I'm excited to share valuable insights from Carol Ehlers, a human sciences specialist, focusing on family wellbeing and finance. The festive season, while filled with joy, also attracts scammers eager to exploit the holiday spirit and compromise your financial well-being.

Ready Seth Go: I hope you cry this Christmas

I'm going to confess that I'm a big softy in some ways … maybe a lot of ways.

And I thought, at this point in the year, I might use that confession to let some other folks out there know they aren't alone in their feelings ahead of the holidays. So forgive me if this gets a bit personal.

Guest Commentary: What the heck is a caucus and why go to it?

Every two years, Iowa has caucuses, but every four years, during the presidential election, the Hawkeye State becomes a battleground of ideas, a testing ground for presidential hopefuls, as it hosts the first-in-the-nation caucuses. But what exactly are these caucuses, and why do they hold such significance?

Guest Commentary: Holiday shopping tips

Q: What can consumers do to protect themselves from counterfeit purchases?

On Religion: Norma Lear — An unorthodox seeker

Early in the premiere episode of Norman Lear’s sitcom “Sunday Dinner,” the beautiful environmentalist T.T. Fagori raised her eyes to heaven and, with a sigh, entered a spiritual minefield.

“Chief?” she asked God. “You got a minute?”

Pastor's Column: Have you made a Christmas list?

HIS NAME AT THE TOP

I had the nicest Christmas list, the longest one in town,

Til Daddy looked at it and said, “You’ll have to cut it down,”

I knew that what he said was true, Beyond the faintest doubt,

But was amazed to hear him say, “You’ve left your best Friend out.”

And so, I scanned my list again, And said, “Oh, that’s not true!”

But Daddy said, “His name’s not there, That Friend who died for you.”

The CommStock Report: Hog industry integration fails to prevent a repeat 1998

When I started farming in the early 1970s, we owned our hogs and our hog operation paid the bills and sourced our equity. I bought and paid for a model 1066 IHC tractor with the profit from just 400 head of fat hogs. I wondered then why we were not raising thousands of them. This was the time when the industry was moving indoors with farrowing stalls and slatted finishing barns. We farrowed sows either in A-frames or bedded pens like the foodie producers do today.

One Man’s Perspective: Changing from ‘Iowa Nice’ to ‘Iowa … Sorry?’

I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but I’m afraid we’re going to need to change our unofficial motto from the popular — and super appropriate — “Iowa Nice” to “Iowa Sorry.”

Not Iowa Sorry as in we’re a sorry state, but sorry as in we, as Iowans, apparently apologize a lot. And I mean a lot.

Guest Commentary: Overturning Biden’s costly mandates on Iowa families, businesses and rural communities

For the last three years, the Biden administration has been defined by reckless government spending, rising prices and crushing red tape and regulations. These misguided policies have fueled inflation and harmed our economy — making life unaffordable for our families, increasing operating costs for our main street businesses, and stifling investment in American jobs and manufacturing.

Extension Outreach: End of year record keeping

As we move into December, we are wrapping up 2023 and looking forward to 2024. For many local farmers and businesses, the end of a calendar year is a time to catch up on book work and do some tax planning before Dec. 31. While the 4-H year doesn’t quite align with the calendar year, 4-H record books are due Dec. 31.

Ready Seth Go: Sometimes its the minutia that reminds us it's all real

It often seems impossible to truly appreciate what went into being a newspaper reporter 80 years ago.

We here in the newsroom sometimes laugh at how the editor's of papers big and small back then seemed almost expected to battle it out on their pages with an editor at a competing publication or a lawmaker from a rival community.

Wild times.

But wordsmiths of that day also steered their mastheads through serious times when readers needed it most.

Guest Commentary: Completing my third biannual 36 County Tour

When I was elected to serve Iowa’s 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, I promised that I would be a strong voice for our families, farmers and rural main streets and equally transparent with and accessible to the people I represent. By officially completing my third annual 36 County Tour, I have upheld that pledge, had many invaluable discussions with Iowans and transformed our priorities and values into sound policy and legislative victories.

Performance Review: Jazzed into Christmas spirit

Most of the sold-out crowd at the Roof Garden Saturday night was already in the Christmas mood. I, unfortunately, hadn’t gotten that far yet. However, the Jazzed up Big Band got me there in outstanding fashion.

Jazzed Up plays every Tuesday night during the summer at the Roof Garden, so I was looking forward to their fifth annual Christmas show. These are outstanding musicians individually, so when you put them all together on one stage, you will hear some fantastic music.

Pastor's Column: Does it feel like you’re being piled on?

Psalm 91:15: “You will call upon Me, and I will answer you; I will be with you in trouble; I will deliver you and honor you.”

Sometimes right before your greatest breakthrough, there will be an assault on you like none other! When I'm dealing with a week or two of a real pile on, I have to press through because I cannot afford to stay under that pile.

Here are four things that often help me get on the other side of it:

The CommStock Report:​​​​​​​ NIMBY opposition counters private property rights

Private property rights are under attack in Dickinson County where I reside. It is not the first time. Years ago, area residents successfully put out enough intimidation so that the commercial hog industry avoided the county. The county is home to the Iowa Great Lakes which is the state's premier tourist attraction resulting in a huge seasonal influx of folks each summer. It is understandable that the tourist asset needs to be protected.

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