By Bev Johnson Master Gardener Everybody loves sugar maples – the beautiful fall color, the light dappled shade, and their spreading shape. Unfortunately, they do best in the cool shaded edge of the woods, not in the middle of the yard, in the full sun where they are usually planted.  Our hotter and often drier summers… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: I have seen numerous times where a bicyclist will not stop at a stop sign, if they are sharing the road with automobiles.  I have seen a couple of close incidents where the bicyclist is almost hit as well.  Are bicyclists under the same rules if they are sharing the… Read More

To the Editor, Addiction is a chronic brain disorder characterized by compulsive drug use despite negative consequences. The emotional impact of addiction often leads to increased stress, depression, guilt, and emotional numbness. Individuals may experience overwhelming feelings of shame and hopelessness as they struggle to control their substance use despite the consequences. Addiction is not a sign… Read More

To the Editor,  Effective advocacy requires understanding the legislative process and employing strategic communication. Constituents can impact legislation by providing their perspective on a bill and explaining the reasoning for their position. As a former Iowa State Senator from Maquoketa, I served in the Iowa Senate from 2011 to 2019 and saw countless examples of advocacy in action…. Read More

To the Editor, Last week, Seventh District Representative Fischbach updated us on her work in Washington.  She highlighted her bill “Defund Planned Parenthood Act.” She wrote this, “in 2020, they performed 383,460 abortions while the amount of prenatal services that they provided dropped from 40,000 to 9,000 in just 10 years.” Here’s what she didn’t show. 2.16… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda The phrase: “Keep an eye out” kind of got my attention, because I wondered where it came from. I am always keeping an eye out for something to write about, and this seemed like something. It seems that “keeping an eye out” originated from the British Navy, back in the early days… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: I have seen numerous times where a bicyclist will not stop at a stop sign, if they are sharing the road with automobiles.  I have seen a couple of close incidents where the bicyclist is almost hit as well.  Are bicyclists under the same rules if they are sharing the… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda I’m always pretty casual with my New Year’s resolutions around this time of year. Maybe too casual. One of my resolutions this year is to learn more about computers and cell phones and stuff. “Learn more” may be overstating the case: “Learn something” comes a bit closer. I remember back a bit… Read More

To the Editor, Rural communities are seeing a boom in renewable energy development. Whether it’s wind energy or solar energy, communities reap the benefits from increased tax revenues, new job creation, and local lease payments. Better yet, communities can unlock additional benefits through Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs). A CBA is a project-specific arrangement between renewable energy developers… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: I’m wondering about a light that seems to only be on at night on the traffic lights. It’s a small purple or blueish light that’s near the traffic lights. I’ve tried to figure out what its use is or if it’s a camera. I’ve asked other people what it means… Read More