Monthly Archives: February 2008

State lawmakers backed away from a proposal this week that would have removed stickers from gas pumps promoting fuel blended with ethanol. Backers argued that out-of-state drivers leery of ethanol might use the cheaper corn-based blend if it wasn’t labeled. Critics panned the … Continue reading →

On Tuesday I columnized that “critics, cranks and government minimalists” are already taking shots at Cedar Rapids’ latest downtown/riverfront development effort. I said I have a soft spot for the naysayers, but I can’t join the local battle cry that … Continue reading →

From Radio Iowa’s OK Henderson: A group pushing for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Iowa is charging that key Democrats in the legislature are getting campaign contributions from wealthy gay rights activists. Chuck Hurley of the Iowa … Continue reading →

The Des Moines Register reports today that Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller is willing to hand some of his authority to a new board the Legislature may create to enforce open meetings and records law. It’s good news for the … Continue reading →

I live among the beige, gray and beige-ish gray homes in the English Glen subdivision on the north side of Marion. It’s the sort of neighborhood I made fun of when I was younger. I’d never live in the cornfield-turned-sprawl, I thought … Continue reading →

Health experts are warning sun-starved Iowans about the dangers of vitamin D deficiency, according to Radio Iowa: “While the cold winter weather may put you in a bad mood and keep you indoors, one group says it can also have … Continue reading →

Note: This is a companion piece to my Sunday column. It is by no means a complete list. Please add to it liberally.   Old School Dives Alpine Tap Room, Des Moines Small, dark joint on Ingersoll Ave. During my Drake … Continue reading →

An envelope arrived on my desk this morning from Kathy Hendricksmeyer of Cedar Rapids. Inside was a clever, funny song she wrote about our never-ending winter: Lament for the Winter of 2007-2008 (Sung to the tune of “Jingle Bells”) Chorus Winter snow, … Continue reading →

A bunch of state lawmakers wants to curtail your control over your pennies. Don’t fret. They mean well. They want to take the 10-year local-option sales tax for school buildings — the one some of you around here voted for … Continue reading →

And there wasn’t even a snowstorm in the forecast. From the New York Post: “AUSTIN, Texas – Hillary Rodham Clinton‘s free-spending campaign blew a whopping $95,000 at a low-end supermarket-deli chain last month in Iowa – a telling sign of why … Continue reading →