What's next for Along the Mississippi

The Iowa caucuses and maybe a few surprises

Nikki Haley at the Iowa State Fair. (Photo: Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

A year ago this month, I launched Along the Mississippi.

Since Aug. 25, 2022, my mission here has been simple: To tell the truth about what’s happening in Iowa and the Quad-Cities; or at least the truth as I am able to discern it.

It’s not easy. Finding the truth requires hard work — and humility.

It has always been my belief that while some things in this world are undeniably true, most others are simply expressions of opinion. Figuring out which is which and deciding what opinions to hold require probing and judgment.

It is with this in mind that I write this newsletter. I have an opinion, and I will share it. But I also know not everybody shares my worldview; so, I try to ground my essays in exploration, facts and good sense rather relying on a sharp tongue and attitude.

It’s the way I conducted myself for 33 years as a reporter and editor, mostly focused on politics, at the Quad-City Times in Davenport.

I may not always succeed at this mission, but it is what I strive for.

Apparently, several hundred of you find this approach is worthy and subscribe to my emails.

I am grateful for this, and I thought I would observe the 1-year anniversary of Along the Mississippi by writing to you a little bit about what’s going to happen here over the next year.

As you undoubtedly know, the first-in-the-nation Iowa presidential caucuses will be in early 2024, and Republican voters in this state will play a crucial role in deciding the future of our country. (Iowa Democrats no longer hold their traditional leadoff role.)

You’ll hear more from me about this in the coming weeks and months.

I’ve spent nearly 30 years covering this Iowa tradition in both parties, and I believe that while much of the media narrative at the moment is driven by the idea that Donald Trump is a near shoo-in to win the GOP presidential nomination, it’s my feeling that most Republican voters in this state haven’t really settled on their choices yet. In the end, I suspect that they eventually will look to somebody else to lead their party into the 2024 general election.

This could upend the Republican primary nationwide.

I bring an Iowan’s perspective to this race, and I hope to offer some insight you’ll not get elsewhere.

Otherwise, over the next year Along the Mississippi will continue to offer stories about events and trends that don’t get enough attention in the news media – or that aren’t adequately explained; like how a congressional effort to rein in ESG investing really wouldn’t change anything, despite claims from both parties.

Or how Iowa’s book ban law is so vague it could take a lot of American classics out of our school libraries.

I also plan to continue covering the effects of state and local government policies, like lawmakers in Des Moines ignoring the state’s most persistent poverty and the failure in the Quad-Cities to make much of a reduction in the number of families threatened by lead-based paint in their homes.

On occasion I will also find a story unique to the Mississippi River region, like a first-of-a-kind fish passage that could be an initial step in reversing some of the decades-long environmental impact brought about by the lock and dam system on the river.

For those who have been reading over the past year, I want to make a special request: Please consider donating financially to Along the Mississippi. The writing and research that goes into this newsletter takes time and effort. It isn’t cheap, and the more financial contributors sign up, the better able I am to continue this work.

I hope that over the past year, I have demonstrated Along the Mississippi’s value to you, and that it is worth the investment.

I’m excited about what the next year has to offer, and I look forward to informing and perhaps even surprising you. I have some ideas about what those surprises might be, but I’m not quite ready to discuss them yet.

I want to close by saying something about the Iowa Writers Collaborative.

I can’t tell you how lucky I am to be part of this group.

The collaborative is made up of three dozen new and experienced writers and journalists from all over the state.

We are a new media venture with a broad array of news, features and commentary that is Iowa-centric. I am empowered by all of the writers in the collaborative, and I hope you’ll support their work, too. The collaborative is only a year old, so we need more people to know about us.

I look forward to the next year and the challenges it brings.

Along the Mississippi is a proud member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative. Please check out the work of my colleagues and consider subscribing to their work.

Laura Belin, Iowa Politics with Laura Belin, Windsor Heights

Doug Burns: The Iowa Mercury, Carroll

Dave Busiek: Dave Busiek on Media, Des Moines

Stephanie Copley: It Was Never a Dress, Johnston

Art Cullen, Art Cullen’s Notebook, Storm Lake

Suzanna de Baca: Dispatches from the Heartland, Huxley

Debra Engle: A Whole New World, Madison County

Julie Gammack: Julie Gammack’s Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and Okoboji

Jody Gifford: Benign Inspiration, West Des Moines

Rob Gray: Rob Gray’s Area, Ankeny

Nik Heftman, The Seven Times, Los Angeles and Iowa

Beth Hoffman: In the Dirt, Lovilla

Iowa Writers’ Collaborative, Roundup

Dana James: New Black Iowa, Des Moines

Pat Kinney: View from Cedar Valley, Waterloo

Fern Kupfer and Joe Geha: Fern and Joe, Ames

Robert Leonard: Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture, Bussey

LettersfromIowans, Iowa

Tar Macias, Hola Iowa, Iowa

Darcy Maulsby: Keepin’ It Rural, Lake City

Alison McGaughey, The Inquisitive Quad Citizen, Quad Cities

Kurt Meyer, Showing Up

Wini Moranville, Wini’s Food Stories, Des Moines

Jeff Morrison: Between Two Rivers, Cedar Rapids

Kyle Munson: Kyle’s Main Street, Iowa

Jane Nguyen, The Asian Iowan, West Des Moines

John Naughton, My Life, in Color, Des Moines

Chuck Offenburger: Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger, Jefferson and Des Moines

Barry Piatt: Behind the Curtain, Washington, D.C.

Dave Price: Dave Price’s Perspective, Urbandale 

Macey Spensley: The Midwest Creative

Larry Stone, Listening to the Land, Elkader

Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Buggy Land, Kalona

Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Emerging Voices

Cheryl Tevis, Unfinished Business, Boone County

Ed Tibbetts: Along the Mississippi, Davenport

Teresa Zilk: Talking Good, Des Moines

Also, please read the work of our alliance partner, Iowa Capital Dispatch. It provides hard-hitting news along with selected commentary by members of the Iowa Writers Collaborative.