It's been two weeks since I received a phone call out of nowhere, and ever since, even at my retirement open house, I wrestled with the thought that there was at least one more column to write. more

There’s something to be said for indulging your inner child. more

Mark Ridolfi and Ross Shinberg debate the pros and cons of coffee. more

Jan. 24, 1973: The Eldridge City Council heard a proposal from Gene Schneckloth on the construction of a nine-hole golf course to be developed on a farm owned by the Schneckloth’s in east Eldridge. The proposed plat also included a 31-unit housing development. Schneckloth said he hoped to begin construction by fall.  more

It's an almost foregone conclusion that Gov. Kim Reynolds will succeed in her plan to shovel taxpayer dollars to private schools – $381 million a year when her plan is fully implemented. She came just a few votes short last year, until members of her own majority Republican Party in the Iowa House said it was a bridge too far. Thank you to two from this area who held the line, Reps. Ross Paustian and Gary Mohr! more

Jan. 17, 1973: Sam, a St. Bernard owned by the Ed Borchers family of rural Dixon, was rescued after he wandered into the swollen, ice-jammed Wapsipinicon River. Sam attempted to cross the ice, which broke under his weight. He was saved by Mrs. Leo Borchers, Mrs. Ed Borchers, Ronnie Sprout and Basil Prine.  more

The newspaper business is all that I’ve known, and my late grandmother liked to say I have ink in my veins, as my grandfather was a printer by trade. more

We rush around so much during the holiday season, what with baking, shopping, wrapping, traveling, and so much more, that it’s easy to forget to take time out and just enjoy the spirit of the season. more

In my first years at The NSP in the early 1970s, my No. 1 task was to grow the business with enough new subscriptions and advertising to offset my teachers'-equivalent salary, which was not in the budget for the break-even, three-year-old newspaper. more

Jan. 16, 2008: Wes Stender of Maysville dropped a 20-point buck while hunting with a muzzleloader in Jones County. The deer scored a 210 on the Boone and Crockett scoring system, and came close to the state record of 218 1/8. more

A few times over the last 40 years, I’ve taken over Scott’s column.  I know Scott’s retirement is now old news, but I’d love the opportunity to chat with NSP readers one final time. more

Republicans hold the keys to their Iowa kingdom. They’re ready, willing and able to implement any agenda they agree upon. more