By CHUCK OFFENBURGER COON RAPIDS, Iowa, Nov. 13, 2018 — The lights are burning late at night this week at the “River House” in the wild, wooded and wondrous Whiterock Conservancy southeast of this western Iowa town. Zack Jones, artist-in-residence the past three weeks, is getting ready for a show this Saturday when he’ll share…
By CHUCK OFFENBURGER JEFFERSON, Iowa, Dec. 3, 2018 — We lost one of our longtime leaders of business and community here last week when Dean McAtee died at 86. He became a wealthy man by building McAtee Tire, Inc., into a company that at one time had dealerships in Jefferson as well as eight other…
By CHUCK OFFENBURGER CARROLL, Iowa, Oct. 4, 2018 – In a town so Catholic that the local radio station still broadcasts the rosary every afternoon, I just went to the most gut-wrenching, emotional and sad church meeting I’ve ever attended. On Wednesday evening, Bishop Walker Nickless, spiritual leader of perhaps 100,000 Catholics in the Catholic…
By CHUCK OFFENBURGER COOPER, Iowa, Oct. 2, 2018 – After traveling to Cuba 18 months ago, then studying and thinking about it, I’m kicking myself that I didn’t get involved earlier in my life in the beautiful island nation that is one of the most interesting places on Earth. But I’m happy and proud to…
By CHUCK OFFENBURGER COOPER, Iowa, Oct. 15, 2018 – The truth is that Fred Hubbell should have run for governor of Iowa a dozen years ago, or maybe in 2010 or 2014. But thank goodness he’s running now, right when Iowa really needs him. This state needs a reboot. And Hubbell – one of our…