So often in our lives, we settle for surface-level interactions. We nod, we smile, we move on. We keep things pleasant. We keep things easy. We keep things safe. But lately, I’ve been thinking about what happens when we don’t. In my life as of late, various situations (some I’ll ...

Well, I suppose it had to happen some day. I wasn't looking for it but now it's been thrust upon me and there's not much I can do about it. It's a heavy burden, I know, but I have broad shoulders, (plus about everything else being broad also), and it will be dealt with in a mature, sensible ...

January 2026 has come and gone and cold temperatures are here, per normal Iowa weather. The Supervisors had our organizational meeting to start off the year, and I will continue to serve as Vice-Chair. The Boards I will represent for Tama County are the following: Tama County Economic ...

December 18, 2025, is a day that will live in infamy in the history of the Tama-Toledo News Chronicle. What began as a chilly winter morning quickly unraveled into a series of events that shaped a beautiful, timeless tale we now call Of Mice and Reporters. That morning, I realized I ...

So, Jonny, AKA the kid, was back over Christmas. A delightful time where we both made ample use of our shared office. Then it happened on Dec. 18. Strangely, I woke up before noon on this Thursday. When I did, I texted the kid regarding the rent being due. I had my half and was willing to ...

Folks, I know it's just the beginning of February but once we make it through the next 28 days, we'll be "springing" into March and will finally be able to say we survived the winter of 25/26. Or at least we can at least see the end of winter, can't we? All we have to do is get through ...

I had every intention this week of telling you a silly story about my friend Mike and me encountering small rodents and being absolutely petrified. I promise, it’s a good one. However, the state of the world felt like a more important thing to address right now than my admittedly pathetic ...

My parents have been married for over forty years, which has spawned many stories. I would be neglectful in my narration if I didn’t mention the story of the cupcake and the bush. My father, the old one, is not a romantic type. Aniversaries, Valentines, and other days of note usually come ...

I don’t like mice. Never have, never will. While my experiences go way back to when I was a wee boy, not much has changed. I couldn’t have been more than ten years old when, after many years of hard work and service, we decided to replace our cherished four-slice toaster. It was on the ...

I didn’t like rollercoasters when I was little. That feels like a strange thing to admit now, especially considering how much I enjoy them today, but for a long time I was perfectly content staying on the ground. I remember trips to Adventureland where my dad and sister would disappear into ...