On Sept. 24 at 6:30 a.m., after dropping off her son at soccer practice at City High, Fatou Traore drove to her sister’s house to pick her up on her way to work.

Main Street Matters: Fall Fest offers chance to come and shop local
by Jessi Simon, MSWB Executive Director · Opinions/Editorials · October 01, 2026
There is something special about West Branch in the fall. Our downtown storefronts are refreshed with seasonal finds, the trees begin to change, and a quick errand can turn into a conversation with a neighbor.

82nd Indivisible Group: Private, safe, simple: Everyone should get out and vote
Opinions/Editorials · October 01, 2026
If you haven’t registered to vote yet or made a plan to hit the polls early this midterm, you are not alone.

Letter: Don’t want socialism? Trump does
Opinions/Editorials · October 01, 2026
You’ve probably seen President Trump’s taxpayer funded “public service announcement” telling us that America will never be a socialist/communist/Marxist country. This from the guy who literally rolled out the red carpet for China’s Xi and wrote “love letters” to North Korea’s Kim.

Soapbox Philosophy: Why do media frequently ask about trans issues?
by Gregory R. Norfleet · Opinions/Editorials · September 23, 2026
Why are trans issues coming up so much in the midterm elections?

82nd Indivisible: Pate for state? Accessibility, privacy, voting rights at risk
Opinions/Editorials · September 23, 2026
Secretary of State Paul Pate has served for a total of 15 years and this is his 5th time seeking reelection. His name even rhymes with the office. He seems safe, familiar and a known quantity.

Letter: Depressed by political ads? Hit mute button
Opinions/Editorials · September 23, 2026
There are four simple things you can do to exercise your right to vote in our democracy this November:

Letter: Iowa delegation rolls over for Trump on ag
Opinions/Editorials · September 23, 2026
Hey Farmers!

Letter: Vote like Trump on ballot: Wrong on economics
Opinions/Editorials · September 23, 2026
President Trump recently urged voters to pretend that he is on the ballot this November. Good idea. With that in mind, let’s review some of Trump’s economic pronouncements.

82nd Indivisible Group: Iowa’s attorney general should focus on wage theft
Opinions/Editorials · September 18, 2026
You know what a governor does, what a senator does, and maybe what a house representative does, but what does an attorney general do? The answer is, it depends a lot on who you elect and what they consider the job to be.

Letter: Constitution in crisis with Trump holding power
Opinions/Editorials · September 18, 2026
239 years ago on September 17, 1787, our great and the world’s longest surviving Constitution was completed and sent to the states for ratification.

Editorial: 25 years later, we will ‘Never Forget’
Opinions/Editorials · September 09, 2026
To those who belong to the latter part of Gen Z, or the current “Generation Alpha” (2010-2024), believe your parents and grandparents when they talk about the horrors of Sept. 11, 2001.