This week marked the beginning of the 89th General Assembly of the Iowa House. With a new GA comes a fresh start; there are new members, new seats and a whole lot of new ideas to be scrutinized through the legislative process. As many workplaces currently do, the Capitol looks a little different this year. For the time being, clerks have been moved off of the House floor in order to social distance. Committee meetings have also been moved to larger meeting spaces and are also being streamed via the legislative website (legis.iowa.gov). more

Starting off 2021 with a bang! more

I am sure all of you are like me and glad to see the New Year is finally here. We all have high hopes that 2021 will be a much better year. It is easy to look back at 2020 and focus on the challenges that we had, but I would like to remind all of us of the successes we had in 2020. more

Knowing Iowa’s 88th general assembly (2019-2020) ended as a mind-boggling head-spinner, hope springs eternal when the 89th general assembly (2021-2022) convenes on Jan. 11. more

A cord of red oak firewood, fresh cut and green, can weigh over 5,000 pounds. That’s estimating moisture content at 40-45 percent. Give it six months to a year to dry under a roof and it will be almost 1,400 pounds lighter. more

I wrote two weeks ago that the COVID-19 vaccination process “is too important for mere lip service in favor of the public’s right to know.” more

Tone-deaf. more

It didn’t get much attention, but one of the tidbits of information released last week about Iowa’s distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine was the inclusion of ethical experts on an advisory panel that will guide the state’s decisions about how, where and to whom the limited supply of vaccines will be provided. more

As we get closer to the winter season, I hope this article is a reminder of how we handle calling off school. more

Wednesday, October 21, 2020 Hold your breath. No, I mean it. Take a breath and hold it. Keep holding it ... Seriously people, keep holding your breath. Do that for a week. Then … more

Coronavirus has complicated Iowa’s mental health needs but also raised the stakes. more

The coronavirus pandemic has laid much of the American economy on its back – but a bright spot made the disaster less crippling than it might have been. That is the Paycheck Protection Program, which funneled money to workers through small businesses. more