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Opinion

Just Jonathan: Running for my life!

Local Columns

There’s a certain point in every semester when all the neat little boxes on my calendar stop behaving like boxes and start behaving more like small campfires — scattered everywhere, all burning at once, and I’m just standing with a garden hose with little to no water pressure. Welcome ...

You’ll Figure It Out: Traditions, traditions, traditions!

Local Columns

Wow! Here we are beginning the month of December. What a time of excitement as we start our journey towards Christmas. The Christmas lights are starting to appear throughout the town, the volunteers are ringing the bells for Salvation Army, the snow is falling & falling & falling and ...

Heather’s Highlights: County Government and You, November 2025

Local Columns

Happy December! I hope everyone had a great November and Thanksgiving. A Letter of Engagement was signed with Marshalltown Chamber of Commerce for Economic Development purposes. Supervisor Doland and I met with John Hall, President and CEO of Marshalltown Chamber of Commerce multiple times ...

Tama County teamwork

Editorials

With winter approaching, the work on Salt Creek Wind Phase I is winding down. You may have noticed less activity in that area. I was notified that the last turbine in Phase I was raised last week. During our negotiations with NextEra Energy on Phase I, David Turner and I met with Kimberly ...

Pastor’s Corner: My Black Friday steals!

Local Columns

I cannot resist checking out the latest Christmas gift ideas for the totally clueless us! This year’s suggestions top them all! So, here we go! There’s the “yodeling pickle,” the makeup and skin care Advent calendar (no kidding) competing with the whisky Advent Calendar! There’s the ...

Just Jonathan: The weight of reporting

Local Columns

Being one of the trusted few to document our community doesn’t come lightly to me. I never set out on this career path, but I’m honored that I get to serve a place that helped shape the young man I’ve become. After a long night of reporting and writing, that thought sat with me as I drove ...

Magic Mike 6XL: A Head Above The Rest

Local Columns

Have you ever seen the movie ‘Big Fish’? Yes? No? Well, if you haven’t, go watch it now, then come back and read the rest of the article. Don’t worry, I’ll wait. So, now that you’ve seen the movie, you know that there is a scene in there at a funeral. At the funeral, all these ...

BLINKIN’ AND SPEAKIN!

Local Columns

I’ve noticed a trend on the internet. They want to know if I’m human! I tried ordering groceries online, but they had to verify that I was human. Now, ordering groceries ought to have clued them in. I did expect them to verify that I have the moola in my bank account to place the order, ...

Just Jonathan: Mostly legal Northern Lights adventures

Local Columns

Tuesday night was pretty uneventful, at least that’s how it started. I finished some meetings and work, but still had piles of homework and a bit of work for my actual job. I was walking back across campus to my dorm on the far side of everything (I’m convinced I live the farthest from ...