E-Newsletters

Flood control isn't only an accounting of dollars and cents in North Missouri—it's a matter of life and death.

Our proximity to the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, two of the nation's largest, means that when they flood, the consequences are not just financial. It disrupts businesses, making it harder for families to make ends meet. It destroys homes, tears families apart, and prematurely steals loved ones from us.

The American flag is a symbol of freedom recognized worldwide. Its 13 stripes and 50 stars stand for more than just one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. It has flown proudly from the Revolution through two World Wars and countless other battles, as men and women have laid down their lives to defend it.

It's a living monument to all who have served and sacrificed so that we might be free. That's why it's so painful to see it tarnished, torn, and burned—especially by our fellow Americans.

Last Saturday, we all watched as a deranged individual came within inches of taking the life of President Trump. If it weren't for the grace of God, I would be writing a very different message to you all today.

In the immediate aftermath, I had hoped that every American would share the same concern for the President's life, the well-being of his family, and the health and safety of the other innocent Americans who were killed or injured. In the days that have followed, I've been deeply disappointed that this wasn't the case.

Our neighbors to the north have seen some absolutely devastating floods these past few weeks. With both the Missouri and Mississippi rivers rising to flood stage, folks in North Missouri are on high alert and preparing for possible flooding. While proper precautions are being taken, we pray that levees, new and old, will withstand the flood waters and do the job they were designed to do. 

Few things in life are more frustrating than waiting on bureaucrats—especially when you’re waiting on a passport, and you have a well-earned vacation coming up.

Getting a passport has always been a slow, burdensome process, but things have just gotten worse over the last couple of years. Nearly every day, we’re getting multiple calls from folks in a panic because they still haven’t gotten their passports. They’re afraid they’ll have to cancel their trip set to start the next morning, even though they submitted everything correctly months ago.

Being a cattleman is more than a job; it's a way of life. It isn't always easy, particularly when you're pulling a calf at three o'clock in the morning or trying to warm up a newborn calf in your dining room because it's ten below zero.

What's easy doesn't always factor into it. You do what's right and you do what it takes to nurture those calves into steers and heifers that will go on to feed other families. When you lose one along the way, it hurts—and not just your pocketbook.