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.
In an age of noticeable decline in the quality of research in articles, to say nothing of the traditional presses quest to maintain investor dividends in the face of declining revenue from classified ads, it is gratifying to be able to subscribe to the Collaborative.
Ed,
Congratulations on your one-year anniversary. You are doing valuable work, and I appreciate your diligence and expertise.
I would like to make a donation to Along the Mississippi. How do I do that?
Finally, the Orioles are playing .600 ball on August16th??!! Here's to you as a devoted fan.
Gary Rowe