Author

Cheryl Tevis
As farm management editor at Successful Farming magazine at Meredith Corp. in Des Moines, Cheryl was the first woman editor in the magazine's history to write about business. Her monthly column elevated the role of women in agriculture. She also wrote the longest-running farm magazine's health and safety page. She retired in 2015, after 36 years. Cheryl served on the board of Farm Safety For Just Kids, and is a founding member of Iowa Women in Agriculture. She farms and is a longtime 4-H leader and community volunteer in Boone County, Iowa. Her column, Unfinished Business, is on Substack and she is a member of the Iowa Writers' Collaborative.
Disasters happen when businesses put profits above people
By: Cheryl Tevis - March 11, 2023
My heart goes out to the people of East Palestine, Ohio. Their world was upended last month when 11 Norfolk Southern Railway cars containing hazardous chemicals careened off the track. A controlled venting created a toxic gas plume threatening the health and safety of its population of 4,700. This past week, the Bipartisan Railway Safety […]
Proposed child labor law change would put kids in harm’s way
By: Cheryl Tevis - February 24, 2023
They’re just kids. But now I see that we’re going to solve Iowa’s workforce shortage on the backs of our high school students. Senate File 167 by Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, would allow teens to work longer hours and more types of jobs. The legislation would allow: 14- and 15-year-olds to work evening work shifts […]
Emergency medical services in Iowa are operating without a net
By: Cheryl Tevis - December 9, 2022
I still can hear the phone ringing. It was a continuous shrill ring, clearly distinct from an ordinary call. No matter the time of day, my heart would begin to race. When I picked up the receiver, I’d hear worried — and sometimes frantic — voices asking for help. It wasn’t a wrong number — […]