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Pastor's Column: Broken homes

Christmas can be a bittersweet time of year for many families. I am someone who can understand. My wife and I come from broken homes. We both have estranged relatives that live far away. The relatives that aren’t estranged live even further away. The season of giving often stirs nostalgia of our bittersweet childhood pasts. We try to filter out the bad and cherish the good. We focus on raising our three children in a healthy, Christ-centered and stable Iowa home.

The CommStock Report: My last mentor passed away

I have been fortunate to have had several people who I considered to be mentors in my life that I was grateful to have had them share their wisdom. As they were pretty much all from the generation that preceded mine, they are all gone now. While I never met Charlie Munger face to face up close, I saw him live at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting two years ago.

On the Side: You just never know...

Dear Readers: The following is column written by a fellow named Bob Thompson, who was a teacher and coach in my hometown. It is reprinted with permission.

 

Here's the story about a young man who was engaged to be married. He was in love and his life was infected with that special pride and that vibrant joy that is peculiar to lovers.

Letters to the Editor: Mental health professionals ready and willing to help

Some naysayers complain we have never in our history been more divided as a country. Why, a large percentage of the population prefers red licorice over black. An equally large group disdains licorice. Then there’s the Grinch who appears every year at this time. Did he/will he steal Christmas? Some agree, while many don’t. Count me among the latter.

Guest Commentary: Delivering a historic pay raise for our troops

When I was elected to serve the people of Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, I swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. That oath includes my unwavering commitment to our men and women in uniform who are willing to sacrifice their lives to protect our families and defend our freedoms. On this promise, I will never falter.

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.

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