Category Archives: Opinion

Being a lifelong Iowan and a farmer’s daughter, I admit I’m a little biased about our great state. I love the people, the land, even (mostly) the changing weather. Now, it seems I’m not alone. A new report from “U.S. News and World Report” says Iowa is one of the Top 10 Best States in the...

Since I have to endure winters in Iowa, this winter really hasn’t been too bad. But there are news features and also those people who remind me of the “wonderful” things about Iowa’s winters. I’ve been writing them down, and since this is the month spring arrives, it’s time to get the good things out...

Growing up, M&M’s were the “melts-in-your-mouth-not-in-your-hands candy,” which doesn’t seem to be promoted as much as it once was. Tomorrow, Friday, Mar. 3, the candy will have its 76th birthday. Millions of the colorful, bite-size chocolates come pouring off conveyor belts at a factory in Hackettstown, NJ, every day. M&M’s have been one of America’s...

Next week Monday, the nation celebrates Presidents’ Day. Way back when I was an elementary school student, I always thought February was the best month as there was so much to color and make in observance of first Abe Lincoln’s birthday on Feb. 12, then Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14, and George Washington’s birthday on Feb....

Candy hearts and their sweet little love notes are the best-selling treats made by New England Confectionery Company (Necco), the country’s oldest multi-line candy company. In keeping with tradition, Sweethearts, also known as conversation hearts, have been made from the same simple recipe since 1902, when they were first introduced, even though the original assortment...

Dear Editor: The Iowa State Fair’s evolution from a simple stock show to today’s agricultural, industrial, and entertainment extravaganza is a direct reflection of Iowa’s evolution from an untilled prairie to the very center of the nation’s food production. The Iowa State Fair has been the historical trademark of this progress, and we are humbled to...

I cannot help but react to numbers, but why are odds masculine and evens feminine? Why were Levi's 501s and WD-40 given those names? And is number 3 really “warm” and “friendly?” I think I typed in “love of numbers” for a Google search to find out the word for that. What I found was the...