The annual #memorialday🇺🇸 program at Bentonsport Presbyterian Church is always beautiful and thoughtful. Mindy Kralicek organizes all, including the incredible flowers. Paula welcomed participants as president of the Bentonsport Improvement Assn, and the American Legion provided the 21-gun salute.

Another big day and another record for Van Buren County Schools boys track, winning the 1A distance medley and setting a meet record! Lots of hard work through the year pays off. www.southeastiowaunion.com/sports/high-...

Memorial Day weekend in Van Buren County: Lions Club pancakes in Keosauqua, then the yearly Van Buren County Conservation hike to honor longtime chair Bob Steingraeber. His wife, Kris, started us with a remembrance, then we marched through woods and past beautiful fields of rye. Wonderful.

Paula and I were at the Van Buren County courthouse this morning to cast our ballots. Get in now, lock in your vote, and don't risk missing out on June 2! #earlyvoting

Jefferson County and Fairfield are getting ahead of this trend to dump undesirable facilities like data centers and detention camps in rural Iowa. I was at a productive meeting last night to block them. Thanks to Taylor Ross for raising the alarm and gathering info. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/02/o...

This piece captures Iowa's public-private education conflict. The bottom line: public schools could become a ghetto of the poorest students who often need the most help. Meanwhile, Catholic schools raised tuition because educating kids is expensive. #publicschoolsmatter www.tspr.org/npr-news/202...?

On Saturday I enjoyed talking with about 20 Henry County women leaders at the wonderful Mt Pleasant home of Mike and Anita Hampton. So many great thoughts and questions! I hope these influential people will advocate for our movement to create a lasting and caring community. odonnellforhouse87.com

Enjoyed from-scratch pizza & conversation at Fairfield's Wanderer's Haul game store tonight, with Jesya, Ben and Ginger, plus Tobias & Saia, who had to leave. What will it take to keep them in Iowa? A state with clean water and air, a strong tech community, & a welcoming attitude toward all.

Working people built Iowa and keep it running. I'm proud to have the endorsement of the Iowa Federation of Labor. We all do better when workers have a strong voice.

I learned today that my friend Gwen Pedrick has died. I knew Gwen was special when she walked in a parade with us and periodically stopped to hug friends and former students and colleague. She was our first campaign chair and gave her utmost effort. We're crushed and sad for Jim and their family.

You can count on the yearly Keosauqua Lions soup dinner and auction for three things: delicious food, ample auction choices and a big crowd. It always raises a lot of money for worthy causes, such as eye exams for kids. I'm proud to be married to a Lion!

With thunderstorms and snow coming, we feared that attendance would be light for the weekly Henry County First Amendment rally today. So we donned our rain gear and grabbed some signs. A hardy band came out! Such a great tradition of speaking out for justice and freedom!

I toured the Van Buren County Sheriff's Department and then rode with Deputy Spencer Rider this morning. The department provides outstanding service, even though they're a bit short on staff. I enjoyed getting to know Spencer and learning about #lawenforcement in VBC.

This is what nomination petitions holding more than 400 signatures looks like. Proud to have filed papers today with my beautiful and smart wife! Let's go! secure.actblue.com/donate/tom-o...

Playing trivia for the Van Buren County Schools post-prom fundraiser with the dream team of Weston, Kirchner and three Whitlatches. Team KWOW rides again!

Laura at the Van Buren County Auditor's office notarized my affidavit of candidacy this morning. We're ready to file the paperwork and petitions in Des Moines to get on the ballot for House 87! Join us to strengthen Southeast Iowa! odonnellforhouse87.com

Paula and I are at the theater for the Van Buren Players 67th annual musical production. This time it's "Seussical the Musical." The whole county comes out, either to participate or enjoy their neighbor's' talents. A great show!

This gripping piece - a fictional account of real symptoms based on deep reporting- describes what parents risk - for their children and others' children - when they skip #vaccination. It's also why dropping school vaccine requirements is a terrible idea. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

JFAN brought ex-Polk County exec. John Norris and Adam Shriver @harkininstitute.bsky.social to Fairfield last night to discuss water research and, more importantly, how we all can change policy to decontaminate our waters. First: restore financing to preserve our water quality monitoring system.

GOP rushed 3 bad bills through subcommittees and committees in 1 day: Ban gender information in HS, school-public library co-op & school vaccine requirements. Why the haste? They know people oppose this. thegazette.com/health-care-medicine/iowa-gop-lawmakers-move-to-end-school-vaccine-requirements/

Our last stop on Sunday's campaign kickoff tour was our best: home in Bentonsport, with good food and great friends. Linda Whitten roused the audience and we enjoyed time as a community. Please join us! Odonnellforhouse87.com

Scenes from our first campaign kickoff stop in Mt. Pleasant, where we joined the weekly First Amendment rally before moving to St. Michael's Episcopal, where the atmosphere was warmer in more than one way! Thanks to Kasey and the Henry County party for all the help. Join us! Odonnellforhouse87.com

If you can, please attend this memorial as Alex Pretti's union family honors his service and sacrifice.

Look what arrived yesterday! We'll unveil this Sunday at our three campaign kickoff events. Join us for cookies and community. (Cats for scale.)

Great forum Sun. In Fairfield on damage coming #medicaid rules will do to rural #healthcare. Randy Dillon gave stats. ARNP Kerri Rupe & retired health care leader Rick Johnson described impact on hospitals & providers. Former Henry cry EMS chief Jacob Dodds & Sen. Janice Weiner added perspective.

This is a start. Good to fully fund monitoring. I'm unsure that putting more $ into the largely ineffective NRS is best. Better to keep pollutants out from the start. Nonetheless, good for the @iowahousedems.bsky.social for getting ahead on this key issue. iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/01/22/i...

Please join us February 1 after the Mt. Pleasant First Amendment rally and then in Fairfield and Bentonsport. Minimal speechifying, maximum fun and community

I was fortunate to be one of about 30 citizens chosen to react to the Van Buren County Schools facilities plan last night. Board members including William Cline and Alisha Duehn outlined the details and then gathered comments. Watch for more info to come.

@vanburencountyschools #basketball with new friends Erica, Kennedy and Brooklyn. It's been awhile since I had the fun of staffing the ticket table. Thank goodness Erica is here to help me give correct change!!

If I was a young Iowan trying to buy a house, I'd be mad about this plan. Older Iowans would pay no property tax and already pay no tax on retirement income. So younger people, often earning little at the start of their careers, would subsidize their elders.> iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/01/12/i...

There are good things and bad things in this bill from ag sec Mike Naig.The major flaw: little or nothing to address THE Iowa ag-related issue of our time: water quality. He keeps up the happy talk while conditions deteriorate. www.thegazette.com/state-govern...

This #propertytax plan is worth discussion and I hope Republicans engage with it seriously. It uses the "Taxpayer Relief Fund" as the GOP intended. I'm waiting to see how it will affect rural schools, towns and counties, which already feel squeezed. iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/01/05/i...

Congratulations to Fairfield for its top 7 spot among the Intelligent Community Forum competition. It was the smallest city in the group. FFL is an unexpected treasure in southeast Iowa. www.southeastiowaunion.com/news/fairfie...

#firstdayhike has become a great New Year's tradition at Lacey Keosauqua State Park. I went the whole three miles, then boarded the bus to the CCC-built lodge for soup and cookies. I saw many old friends and made a few new ones. The hills were tough!

An important piece via @bleedingheartland from a tax and revenue expert. Iowa faces a recurring budget hole due to income #taxcuts that most benefitted wealthy Iowans. It's worth reading. Please share if you agree. www.bleedingheartland.com/2025/12/18/f...

Over the next 10 months, we'll travel the district, listening more than talking. By working together, we can preserve the rural community we all treasure. kilj.com/odonnell-see...

In Stockport tonight for a soup dinner for the local library and an auction to help Christmas for Kids. We could've bought a huge bag of cat food or dog food! I'll drive through the snow to help libraries any night. It's heartwarming to see a community come together for a good cause.

At ISAC district 5 meeting at Lake Darling today. VBC attendees: Supervisor Bob Waugh (Auditor Lisa Plecker photobombed us inadvertently before posing) and Treasurer Linda Whiten. Supervisor Dale House ntroduced me to ISAC leaders. Topics: property tax, unfunded mandated & more. Great insights.

The Keo Lions Festival of Trees ended today with the usual long line to pay They let me bag trees with Milton Lion Gary Cooper. The trees then awaited pickup or delivery via a fleet of trucks. Paula & Tom Allen ably collected payments. Another successful event, raising thousands for the community!

On duty again, selling admission for four (!) Van Buren County Schools basketball games. I'm decked out in my new Warriors shirt. Long past time I got one! It's always a pleasure to help out our school district.

Paula & I also shopped for wreaths at the Keosauqua Lions Festival of trees. Tom Allen was among those keeping watch over a forest of elegantly decorated real trees as Michael Philipsen played Christmas carols. Get to the Roberts Building to make your bids. Vash and carry items are available, too.

The first of two seasonal events Paula and I attended tonight: tree lighting in Bentonsport, with folks gathered round the fire, Ted Kralicek elfed out, and Mindy Kralicek tinkling the electronic ivories in the snow. The decorations are really well done. Stop by and see them.

Our last day in Tampa before the long drive home: at the @tampabaybuccaneers.bsky.social vs Arizona Cardinals game with Tony, his best bud Peter and Peter's wife Becca; our last dinner together at Babushka's with pirozhki and Turkish coffee. See you again soon, Antoine!

Scenes from a Thanksgiving trip to Tampa-St. Pete: contemplating an Ybor City chicken; Recreating a 1982 photo with Jose Marti and a more beautiful woman than the one I posed with then; Tony talking to an AI Dali on the lobster phone; the Don CeSar glowing in the twilight on St. Pete Beach.

After visiting the Alabama state capitol and the Freedom Ride museum at the restored Montgomery Greyhound bus station, we stopped at the First Baptist "brick a day" Church, wherr rioters confronted Freedom Riders. Ironically, the Montgomery Police station is now across the street. Much history here.

Lunch at Montgomery's Dreamland BBQ, where these letterpress signs were outside the restroom. I endorse both sentiments. The BBQ pork sandwich and macaroni and cheese were just fair.

An elegant dinner with my favorite person outside a grocery store and gas station in Fulton, Mississippi. We'll be in Tampa for #thanksgiving with Young Tony O:Donnell.

Paula & I are at Keosauqua's Roberts Center where a huge crowd turned out to support the family of Kelly Osborne, who died in a work accident. Dozens of items - guns, baked goods, clothes (& two items we donated) are getting huge bids. Great to see all VBC opening its wallets and hearts

I have business in Mt Pleasant today so I thought I'd try one of their local laundries. It's BIG, with helpful signs to size the machines, from double to MEGA. Loads of fun? It depends on how you get your jollies ... #laundryday