The 88th Session of the Iowa Legislature is in full swing. I am giving my attention to cleaning up a few bills that I tabled at the end of last year rather than just pushing them through prematurely.
One bill relates to the identification and management of infectious diseases in wildlife populations.
Read the whole column in the Jan. 31 Kossuth County Advance.

These are exciting times at Kossuth Regional Health Center(KRHC). Our "us" just got a whole lot bigger. KRHC has been a part of the Mercy Health Network since 1986. Now we are celebrating and strengthening that relationship with the transition to the new Mercy Health Network brand of MercyOne.
Find out what it all means in the Jan. 31 Kossuth County Advance.

The first day of the Iowa House session was Jan. 14. I was excited to be back and working with the 88th General Assembly, where I will be working with the education, economic growth, environmental protection, local government and education committees and the budget subcommittee. It has been my honor to represent the people of District 7, and I look forward to continuing to serve for the next two years.
Read the complete Capitol Highlights in the Jan. 24 Advance.

One of the hazards of ordering a gift online, I have discovered, is if there is a glitch in the order, the resulting correspondence about said glitch can be daunting.
Not to say, insane.
Read Molly's full column in the Jan. 24 Advance.

The state has released new information on school performance, as required by a new federal law called the Every Student Succeeds Act or ESSA, for short.
The online Iowa school performance profile reflects how public schools performed on a set of core accountability measures based off the statewide assessment.
Read the full column in the Jan. 24 Advance.

Gov. Kim Reynolds indicated her willingness to change Iowa law and allow people convicted of a felony to vote. In a current political and social landscape in which people are becoming quick to dispatch old ways of thinking and decisions previously determined to be common sense, she is probably in the majority.
Read the full column in the Jan. 24 Advance.

Remember that wonderful, old song by Tony Bennett, "I Left my Heart in San Francisco?" Well, I didn't leave my heart there, or anywhere else over Christmas. But, I left my wallet in Los Angeles. Not fun. Not fun at all. Also, it would make a song title with too many syllables.
Enjoy Molly's Ink Spots in the Jan. 10 Kossuth County Advance.

We made our way back to the Mini and, having received recommendations to tour Ile d' Orleans (Orleans Island), a 30-by-8 kilometer-wide, at the widest point, island in the St. Lawrence River just outside of Quebec City to the northeast, we headed in that direction.
Read Jim's full column in the Jan. 10 Kossuth County Advance.

There once was a toymaker.
But he was more than a toymaker. Call him an engineer, an architect, a designer, if you will. He created many fantastic things. He settled down to making toys, not because he couldn't make other things, but because toys delighted him so.
There were two special toys ....
Read the full column in the Dec. 20 Kossuth County Advance.

There are no umpires when it comes to elections and counting votes. Tout election integrity all you want, but most elections are overseen by people who are elected to political office. The people who oversee the appeals are either elected or politically appointed.
Read "On the Side" in the Dec. 13 Kossuth County Advance."

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around Kossuth County. The holidays are a great time to decorate, celebrate and appreciate one another. At Kossuth Regional Health Center, we recognize that our greatest gift of all is our team of employees and medical staff.
Read Scott's column in the Dec. 13 Kossuth County Advance.

Last week, Art Cullen came to Algona for a book signing event held at Algona Publishing. Art, as most of you surely know is editor of The Storm Lake Times, and winner of the coveted Pulitzer Prize for journalism in 2017. He beat out all the biggies....
Read Molly's "Ink Spots" column in the Dec. 13 Kossuth County Advance.

If you are considering running for an Iowa Statehouse seat in the 2020 general election, here's a potentially winning issue: Propose legislation reqquiring the state to pay for the deductible on people's insurance when they strike a deer.
Read Brad's column in the Dec. 6 Kossuth County Advance.

Happy Holidays! Time is sure flying by this school year. At West Bend-Mallard we have been busy doing many things.
Our fall sports and activities have wrapped up, and our winter ones are just beginning. Our staff has been busy learning new teaching strategies ....
Read Amber's column in the Dec. 6 Kossth County Advance.

On Wednesday, Nov. 28, a story hit the media regarding Father Jeremy Wind. I deeply regret how this story has affected our faith community and Bishop Garrigan Catholic Schools. Your concerns need to be addressed.
Read the full letter in the Dec. 6 Kossuth County Advance.