By William A. Ehm —- Iowans have recognized the value of comprehensive flood plain management policy since the devastating floods of the 1950s. A flood plain management symposium in 1968 included public servants, educators, economists and engineers. The strategies that emerged there are still in use today. Iowa at all levels of government has [...]

    By Sen. Rob Hogg —- Cedar Rapids could survive, muddle through, recover from, or even thrive after a single multi-billion-dollar disaster like the Flood of 2008. But a second such disaster would lead to the irreversible loss of wealth, population, and economic activity from our community. As the old saying goes, fool me [...]

  In the May 12 Omaha World Herald, a reporter broke the news that MidAmerican Energy had allowed its options on land in Fremont County to expire. The article also stated “ … the company says it will inform local landowners of its plans by the end of the month and provide documentation of any [...]

  By Peter Sprigg —-   National leaders of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have proposed a new resolution on membership standards regarding homosexuality. It will be voted on Thursday by delegates to their national convention. The resolution sounds like a ringing endorsement of the Scouts’ moral values — until its very last sentence: [...]

  By Sonia Ashe —-   Between World War II and 2004, U.S. drivers consistently traveled more vehicle miles virtually every year — so it’s no surprise that our policymakers expect that trend to continue about as much as they expect the sun to rise in morning, and act accordingly. But hold onto your seat [...]

    By Pastor John Sheda —   Congratulations, graduates. You made it! Back in 1969, I foolishly thought “commencement” meant the end. But it means “the beginning.” So now you begin. Your walk in life, your mark on the world, your opportunity to make a difference, your chance to right a wrong or two. [...]

  By Tyler Irons —-   When I first came to Metro, I thought it was going to be like an all-day detention center. All the intimidating and far-fetched things people told me about the school made me feel like I wasn’t going to enjoy it at all. In reality, Metro is like a blank-paged [...]

  By Michael Bugeja —-   Higher education believes in sustainability to such extent that at Midwestern universities, like my own, we advocate for ingredients on food labels. The biggest issue in sustainability, however, is not a green environment as much as the greenbacks it takes to earn a college degree. University presidents are trying [...]

By Roger Wolf —-   Today, erratic and extreme water events have been the norm rather than the exception for Iowans. Water wasn’t kind to Iowa, with memorable flooding in 1993, 2008, 2010 and 2011 impacting upstream and downstream communities. In 2012, historic widespread drought across Iowa had us hoping wells wouldn’t be dry or [...]

  By Gov. Terry Branstad —-   Thousands of new graduates from Iowa’s foremost academic institutions soon will be embarking on career searches. Many will find themselves in a position to take a national approach to their job hunts. However, I would like to encourage the fine young men and women of this state to [...]