Everything is expensive. We’re not going to argue about why. It’s true that living just seems to cost more and more each year. But we’re going to advocate for another one of your …

I read a lot of books on my phone. Last summer, I told myself I was going to read real books, the kind I could hold in my hand. That worked for approximately three books. I enjoyed all of them. …

Are you as tired as I am of election talk? So many ads. So many posts on social media. And yet, we all definitely need to vote in November, especially for state and local positions. I’d …

It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It’s funny the things that you remember. I was a young adult, 20 years old, a college junior. I was …

A Field Museum researcher came across a 120 million year old mystery recently. I was perusing a science website, Eurekalert, for dinosaur news — you all know already that my household loves …

I know the year resets every January, but as a mom of three kids still in school, my calendar always feels the newest at the end of August. As we’re going into a new school year, here are my …

I think the best way to divide Iowans isn’t by politics, college sports or whether they live in the city or the country. No, the best and clearest distinction is whether you love or avoid the …

I love advice columns. As a kid reading the newspaper, Dear Abby was one of the spots I always turned to. You never knew what you were going to get, but it was almost always interesting. …

I know I’ve written a lot about out-of-town things to do and see this summer. I love traveling. I love a road trip, so I can stop and detour and see whatever interesting things pop up. …

I know vacation is supposed to be for new experiences. I love new hikes, museums I’ve never seen and even checking out new grocery stores. But our family trip last week hit some family …

If you’ve met my youngest kid, you know his personality is pretty much “I love dinosaurs.” Kieran, who is 8.5 years old and going into third grade this fall, wore at least one clothing …

To the Editor: The greatest threat to American democracy is probably not ballot tampering or the outright cancellation of elections. America’s decentralized election system, state control of …

Do you ever wonder who sees a billboard for a place they didn’t plan to stop and then goes to the location being advertised? It’s me. I do that. Tad and I planned a day trip for the …

It’s almost fair week for Pocahontas County. For those of us living in Calhoun County, we just wrapped up fair week. Growing up, I was not a 4-H kid. I had friends who were, friends who …

This editorial reflects my personal opinion as a citizen who attends Pocahontas Council meetings regularly. While I also occasionally report on local government as part of my job, these views are my …

I think Wendy Larson best recheck her files. On May 1 at 8:54 a.m. I called the Legislature’s switchboard (515-281-3221) and requested help. That same morning I gave that number to Dollar General, …

Do you ever just have a really bad run of stupid little mistakes? I feel like that was the case at the R-D a few weeks ago. First was some reports about stuff we missed and then got wrong …

The Pocahontas   Record-Democrat, Laurens Sun and Buena Vista County Journal are officially online. One of our big goals when we hired Eric Gerdes was to get a website up and running. …

Rarely have I been so qualified for an assignment as I was last week. I got an email June 8 from a marketing guy in Des Moines. Would I be interested in visiting several farms near Havelock, …

To the Editor: I wanted to thank the City Council for appointing me to fill the vacant seat. Now, I was the only applicant, but I did voice that it would be OK to not accept my application if …