Avoca, Persia, Panama, Portsmouth, Westphalia, Kirkman, Tennant, Earling, Exira, Brayton, and now, Iowa’s largest metro, Des Moines. These are just some of the communities I’ve seen recently with water advisories or restrictions in place.
On Wednesday June 11 th , U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins traveled to Capitol Hill to testify before the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Agriculture Committee, respectively.
I was driving over to Bristow to get some cattle feed and listening to the radio. I thought the radio was tuned to NPR and was shocked to hear them promoting the annihilation of the Palestinians in Gaza. They were pretty detailed in stating the reasons for the war, listing many despicable acts as evidence. I was convinced, except for one thing.
In the 1800s, American settlements began appearing across Iowa’s sprawling prairies. Families, young and old, ventured out West, braving terrifying prairie fires, tornadoes, and uncertainty, in search of a better life. Early communities were often built around families coexisting and growing together. In 2025, not much has changed. Iowa’s landscape is dotted with small towns occupied by family names dating back generations.
I’ve disagreed with Senator Joni Ernst and her policies before. But I’ve never felt more insulted and embarrassed for Iowa by her actions than I was on May 31 by her non-apology for saying “we all are going to die” at a town hall in Parkersburg.
With Father’s Day coming up you’d think I’d write about mine. But no.
Dawn’s folks were, let me say, skeptical. Surfer turned logger from the sinful state of California. But they reluctantly trusted her judgement. “It’s your life.”
Eventually we moved into the old farmhouse that Grandpa owned. The tenant had emphysema and never admitted it but couldn’t do it anymore.
On the morning of Thursday May 22nd, my Republican colleagues and I voted to pass President Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” and kept our promises to the American people. This legislation delivers massive tax cuts for Iowa families, farmers, workers, and small businesses while making historic investments in domestic manufacturing, rural development, farm security, and American energy production.
I'm writing this on Memorial Day, formerly, Decoration Day. Ever since Hans, our oldest, played trumpet and was recruited to play taps with the Legion guys, my wife has been singing the National Anthem at four cemeteries and a bridge on that last Monday of May.
Donald Trump gave a speech in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last week that blows U.S. government foreign policy out of the water. Rejoice, rejoice! But wait.
Trump traveled to the Middle East without visiting “our greatest ally” (haha), Israel. He made a shocking speech in Riyadh.
During National Police Week, we pause to recognize and thank our police and law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities and honor the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. These heroes dedicate their careers to public safety and make incredible sacrifices to keep our families safe.
When I saw the news about the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice (Iowa MMJ) receiving an intimidating letter from state Representative Charley Thomson of Charles City, it brought back memories. Recent memories and feelings of what I experienced late last year when I received a letter from Summit Carbon Solutions’ attorneys attempting to silence me from speaking out against their pipeline.
My family and I take our Summer trip early in the season, on Memorial Day weekend. We started doing it this way for various reasons, but the main two are that it works best with my husband's work schedule and the weather is always mild at the end of May.
I see these places on the blacktops where somebody does repeated burnouts. I'm not talking about being stressed out at a job. I'm talking about some kid ruining tires. It seems awfully wasteful. My dad would have kicked me out of the house if he knew I had done that, even if I bought my own tires.
Back in 2021, as a result of the COVID Pandemic, Franklin County received money from the federal government. This is called ARPA Funds or American Rescue Plan Act funds. There were specific rules and regulations surrounding the funds as to how the County could spend them. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to just “sit” on the funds and allow them to incur interest to use at a much later date. We were required to “commit” them to projects b
Every year, during National Small Business Week, we recognize and celebrate the contributions that our small businesses make to our economy and our communities. From family-owned-and operated enterprises spanning generations to young entrepreneurs pursuing the American Dream, the spirit of hard work, resilience, innovation, and ingenuity is alive in small towns and flourishing cities across Iowa’s 4th Congressional District.
