EPA Run by Fossil Fuels Advocate, the Pope, and Mayor Boesen

...the Iowa Legislature, Governor's Race, and a Caitlin Clark story update

Thanks to our paid subscribers, members of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative gather each year somewhere in Iowa to learn—about Substack, our state, and each other.

From Jefferson to the Amana Colonies, to the Whiterock Conservancy, Winterset, and the Hotel Manning, we’ve made a point of getting out of our own zip codes.

This spring, we landed in Storm Lake—and were reminded why that matters.

Because what happens in one corner of Iowa doesn’t stay there.

Learning, meeting with students, and listening to music in nearby Pomeroy

• I may not be Catholic but the pope speaks for me on this
  Rekha Basu — READ

• Who’s watching city hall? Fewer Americans than ever.
  Dave Busiek — READ

• Wednesday was Earth Day. Unfortunately there was nothing to celebrate. The EPA is run by a fossil fuel puppet.
  Christopher Gloninger — READ

• Governor’s race news, 1Q fundraising, abortion bill returns: April 20 edition of “KHOI’s Capitol Week”
  Laura Belin — READ

• White Christian Nationalists Are Trying to Make the US a “Christian Nation” Without Saying So - And Women Are Most At Risk
  Daniel Henderson — READ

• New Iowa law bans phony degrees on resumes — but political candidates need not worry.
  Randy Evans — READ

• Only One Day for the Earth?
  Cheryl Tevis — READ

• WHAT HISTORY TELLS US ABOUT MIDTERM ELECTIONS
  Arnold Garson — READ

• Pete Hegseth lied about the two Iowa soldiers and four others who were killed in Kuwait.
  Robert Leonard — READ

• The City of Davenport just won a victory at the Iowa Supreme Court, but officials can still be open with their constituents over payments to three former employees.
  Ed Tibbetts — READ

• Iowa’s future is secure if we can gather on common ground
  Art Cullen — READ

• Brad Zaun’s new purpose, Jack Whitver’s goodbye, and some thanks from Dave Price
  Dave Price — READ

• What’s stopping Iowa Republicans from adjourning this session?
  Dave Price — READ

• Why I wouldn’t attend the correspondents dinner.
  Dave Busiek — READ

• George Washington said it 230 years ago
  Rick Morain — READ

• In electoral politics it’s all about the base...
  Dennis Goldford — READ

• On the way to Byron’s
  Joan Zwagerman — READ

• THE MAN WHO DEFINED FINE DINING AT OKOBOJI
  Arnold Garson — READ

• Introducing: The Farmers Land Investment Cooperative...
  Hannah Breckbill — READ

• Vietnamese Iowans Thrive with Support from Mayor Boesen
  Jane Nguyen — READ

• Morels!
  Robert Leonard — READ

• Tears at a restaurant in Storm Lake, Iowa—come with me.
  Robert Leonard — READ

• How Did You End Up In Council Bluffs, Iowa?
  Maria Torres — READ

• Midas: An ancient poem perfectly suited for our modern times.
  Michael Judge — READ

• Traveling Light: A Hometown Poem to My Younger Self
  Suzanna de Baca — READ

• Caitlin Clark’s story keeps adding texture...
  Mike Hlas — READ

• The Great Performance: Why reading scripture for clicks isn’t an awakening
  Nicole Baart — READ

• A Writer’s Feng Shui: Rethinking the Creative Space
  Debra Engle — READ

• Data Centers’ Energy Suck; Tariff Refunds Not Intended for Little Guys...
  Rick Jost — READ

• The future of leadership isn’t certain, and that’s a good thing...
  Suzanna de Baca — READ

• Finney’s 5 x 3: Drake Relays changes, Earth Day fails...
  Daniel Finney — READ

• Rites of Spring, or The secret weapons of Curt Pefferman
  John Busbee — READ

  ---

The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative: A Trip

Thanks to our paid subscribers, each year members of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative gather somewhere in Iowa for time to learn—about Substack, about our state, and about each other.

Our first adventure took place in 2022 at the Wild Rose Casino in Jefferson, where Chuck Offenburger lives part-time. It was a short drive for Cheryl Tevis of Boxholm, and for many of the rest of us, our first visit to Iowa’s gambling outpost.

The following year, we met in the Amana Colonies, where Mary Swander was producing a play. Then came an adventurous trip to the Whiterock Conservancy, where subscriber Liz Garst taught us about Iowa’s vanishing topsoil.

Last year, we gathered at the Hotel Manning. This spring, we headed northwest to Storm Lake, home to two of our members, Joan Zwagerman and Art Cullen.

If you have a student considering colleges, make the trip to Storm Lake and visit Buena Vista University. The campus is welcoming, with beautiful lake views and an engaged faculty.

We do this because it matters to get out of our own zip codes. What happens in Des Moines impacts Storm Lake, and what happens in Storm Lake ripples across the state.

Zach Smith, Matt Bormann, and Jim Hepp - the Lobe Rangers

During our visit this week, Darcy Maulsby invited three farmers—Zach, Matt, and Jim—to meet with us. They’ve formed a nonpartisan group focused on common-sense ways to expand the use of soil-saving, life-preserving agricultural practices.

They call themselves the Lobe Rangers—and they’re saddling up to make a difference.

The Lobe is a region of central and north-central Iowa shaped by the most recent glacier, leaving fertile soils along with poor natural drainage that makes it both highly productive for farming and especially dependent on modern drainage practices.

Unlike many who write about the challenges—consolidated land ownership, resistance to changing practices, and environmental concerns—these three are farmers who bring firsthand experience to the issues, and have proven that relatively simple changes can improve soil health and increase yields.

Iowa’s cancer rate is not something to shrug off as “just the way it is.” The Lobe Rangers are speaking up—and offering solutions.

You’ll be hearing more about them soon. In the meantime, you can explore their work here:

https://www.theloberangers.com

We capped off our visit to northwest Iowa by heading to the legendary Byron’s music ‘listening room’ in nearby Pomeroy. Readers joined us, and although Bryon is adamant folks don’t talk while musicians perform, we were able to chat between sets, and enjoy the show.

Where Should We Go Next?

Our merry band of Iowa Writers’ Collaborative members welcome recommendations for other spots to visit in the state. It’s an economic shot in the arm and introduces writers to story ideas. We’ll need about 50 lodging rooms, meeting space, and a local ‘listening room’ spot for our musicians to perform would be ideal. Let us know if you have a suggestion. Extra consideration given for an off-season room rate, something special about your town, and food catering options.