A pillbox is a type of blockhouse, or concrete dug-in guard-post, often camouflaged, normally equipped with loopholes through which defenders can fire weapons, like on the beaches of Normandy.  …

Sometimes people just get put in our paths. Over the last five years through Feb. 20, fate, or God, or whatever force, entity, or being that may be in play, I’ve had people put in my path that …

I’m beginning to think an MRI is in my future. I hate the thought of that because I’m claustrophobic. I had some back issues a few years ago and a specialist said, “Well, we need to …

Like thieves in the night, Groundhogs were our enemy when growing up on the Maple Hill farm west of Monroe.  Those little pigs dug tunnels around the foundations of farm buildings and made quite a …

Fort Madison lost one of its true leaders this week. True in every sense of the word – as a lawmaker, as a spiritual leader, a financial advisor, a veteran, a volunteer, and above all else a …

I was in Eagle Grove last week. Like many travelers in Iowa, I stopped at Casey’s before leaving town. Eagle Grove is a meatpacking community, and many jobs are held by Hispanic men and women. …

I’m sitting here drinking my coffee with Brad Randolph-honey and avocado oil. It's a thing. Frankie and Jonny are out of their cage flying around the house, and I’ll be chasing them with …

Gov. Terry Branstad was frustrated eight years ago with what he believed was the inability of officials to tell the public why a government employee was fired or resigned under pressure When the …

The old priest asked me how I was doing.  I had almost died of alcoholism a few short weeks before.  I fell through the glass top of my coffee table, drunk, cut myself up like a hog ready …

Sitting in my last-minute hotel room on a colder-than-I-like Saturday afternoon, I find myself alone with the Chiefs/Texans game on. I planned on a quiet weekend at home catching up on local sports …

The first full moon in 2025 arrived on Monday, January 13 th at 6:22 p.m., CST.  It is called the Wolf Moon, because wolves were wont to prowl and howl (“ululate,”) on cold January …

Today we’re going to take a look at something near and dear to my heart. Newspapers. What the heck is going on with people’s impressions of newspapers? And, if you were sitting next to me …