Reporters Notebook

Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the Polk County News. Read his column each week in the newspaper and on the website.

Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the Polk County News. Read his column each week in the newspaper and on the website.

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Negotiating with Toddlers

Rick Holtz
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
We have all heard that you cannot negotiate with terrorists, but add tired toddlers to that list. Timmy is my two-year-old. He is all boy.
Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the PCN.

Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the PCN.

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Time Flies When You’re Having Fun

Rick Holtz
Tuesday, December 26, 2023
It’s hard to believe that Christmas is in the rearview mirror. To be honest, the last couple of months have really been flying by. It feels like just last week that we were lighting off fireworks and cleaning up from Thanksgiving dinner.
Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the Polk County News. Find his column in the newspaper and online at www. polkcountynews.net.

Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the Polk County News. Find his column in the newspaper and online at www. polkcountynews.net.

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Lessons from Linus

Rick Holtz
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
I have mentioned before that I am a nerd. For Christmas this year my mom and dad got me a ring from Lord of the Rings that I wear around my neck. My kids joke that it is my precious. (If you read that last bit as Gollum then I think we can be friends.
Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the Polk County News. Find his column in the newspaper and online at www. polkcountynews.net.

Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the Polk County News. Find his column in the newspaper and online at www. polkcountynews.net.

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For the love of Christmas

Rick Holtz
Wednesday, December 6, 2023
I love Christmas. I love the lights on houses. I love Christmas presents under the tree. I can’t wait to watch my kids open their presents on Christmas morning. But as much as I love the holiday season, I have to take a step back and remember the reason for the season.
Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the Polk County News. Find his column in the newspaper and online at www.polkcountynews.net.

Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the Polk County News. Find his column in the newspaper and online at www.polkcountynews.net.

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Making Memories

Rick Holtz
Wednesday, November 8, 2023
Hello friends! We are just a few short weeks away from Thanksgiving and it got me to thinking about some holidays from my childhood. When I was a kid my grandparents lived just a few towns away in northwest Indiana. We saw them all the time.
Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the Polk County News. Find his column in the newspaper and online at www.polkcountynews.net.

Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the Polk County News. Find his column in the newspaper and online at www.polkcountynews.net.

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Plenty of reasons to be thankful

Rick Holtz
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
November is here and with Thanksgiving right around the corner, I started thinking about all that I am thankful for. The quick answer is I am thankful for my wife and kids. They put up with my antics daily and a little of my crazy has started to rub off on them.
Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the Polk County News. Find his column in the newspaper and online at www.polkcountynews.net.

Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the Polk County News. Find his column in the newspaper and online at www.polkcountynews.net.

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When did Christmas get moved to September?

Rick Holtz
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Hello friends! Another month is in the books. Last week we flipped to a new page on the calendar (do you even use a calendar anymore?), and pretty soon the leaves on the trees will start to turn colors, and the evenings will get cooler.
Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the Polk County News. Find his column in the newspaper and online at www.polkcountynews.net.

Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the Polk County News. Find his column in the newspaper and online at www.polkcountynews.net.

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Football Season is back and so is the Football Contest

Rick Holtz
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Hello friends! The Polk County News is pleased to announce that this week is the first week of the annual football contest. If you turn your newspaper over to page 14, you will find the week one games hidden within the ads of our 16 sponsors. I say hidden, but you don’t have to look too deeply.
Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the Polk County News. Find his column in the newspaper and online at www.polkcountynews.net.

Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the Polk County News. Find his column in the newspaper and online at www.polkcountynews.net.

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You’re Not a Bother

Rick Holtz
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Over the weekend I found out that a friend from my youth group growing up had been struggling with depression. He shared in a Facebook post how he fought the battle by himself, fell into a bottle and almost took his life last year. I nearly lost him and I never knew it. It broke my heart.
Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the Polk County News. Find his column in the newspaper and online at www.polkcountynews.net.

Rick Holtz is a co-owner of the Polk County News. Find his column in the newspaper and online at www.polkcountynews.net.

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County Fairs

Rick Holtz
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
This week all eyes turn to the Polk County Fairgrounds as 4-H’ers from all over the county gather to compete in the Polk County 4-H Fair.