By CHUCK OFFENBURGER DES MOINES, Iowa, July 26, 2026 — Oh, how I’ve loved RAGBRAI, the 53rd edition of which ended Saturday, July 25, in Dubuque. I’ve ridden 30-plus of them, starting in 1983, but in more recent years, just a day or two. I will be forever grateful for all that the great bicycle…

By CHUCK OFFENBURGER DES MOINES, Iowa, July 11, 2026 — In this week of my 79th birthday (July 11), the Carroll Times Herald, one of the nine newspapers I subscribe to, has been running an ad saying it “has an opening for a full-time sportswriter/photographer…. “A love for high school sports is a must for…

DES MOINES, Iowa, July 7, 2026— The Great Iowa Cinnamon Roll Challenge of 2026 is now set for 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Iowa State Fair here. The event celebrates Chuck Offenburger’s decades of experience and pursuit of the best cinnamon roll in Iowa. (That’s me.) As the former Iowa Boy columnist…

By CHUCK OFFENBURGER SHENANDOAH, Iowa, June 28, 2026 — Please oblige me as I share some hometown news, maybe grieve just a little, and then start celebrating 96 years of mostly great memories. This coming week, the boys and girls sports teams from my alma mater Shenandoah High School, here in southwest Iowa, will have…

By CHUCK OFFENBURGER WASHINGTON, D.C., June 21, 2026 — In this summer when we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the nation, it seemed like a great time for my wife Mary Riche and me to spend a long weekend in and around our capital. We did that Friday thru Tuesday, June…