A front-row view of democracy

Zieman upset; Hancock retains seat... Incumbents in Iowa House keep their seats... Boscobel votes to exceed revenue cap... 2 of 3 megadairy issues approved... Incumbents fall in pair of county races... Whoah! Try to keep out of the way, MARK TWAIN AWARD. Don't you know it's ELECTION NIGHT? Go grab yourself a free slice of pizza... Garthwaite, Hilgenberg, Nerison prevail... Sheridan, Kurt win in Illinois... Kind gains re-election to Congress... Durbin, Manzullo easily post victories...

Meeting of the newsroom mascots

Life is good for the TELEGRAPH HERALD mascot, CUBBIE THE PRAYING MANTIS.
Hand fed crickets all day, Cubbie generally lounges in the splendor of his DELUXE PLASTIC JAR home -- complete with air holes and twigs!
The much-beloved, predatory feeder emerged from his comfy confines Thursday afternoon for a special meeting with another newsroom mascot, MARK TWAIN AWARD.
Note Cubbie's miraculous camouflage ability: It is difficult to spot him in the above photo. Look hard, however, and you just might see Cubbie's winking eyes and delighted smile.

¡Estamos teniendo un partido!

Tenemos dos PIÑATAS.
¡El perro del periódico!
Hacemos el dinero para el UNITED WAY SERVICES. ¿Podemos comer la pizza?

¡Una cámara para el periódico!
Voto para el piñata.
¡MARK TWAIN AWARD quisiera comer la pizza!
POSTDATA:
¡SCOOP es el campeón!

Mark Twain Award and one BIG muskie

The fish bite was slow in WISCONSIN'S NORTH WOODS, so MARK TWAIN AWARD went fro the sure thing, taking a trek to HAYWARD'S NATIONAL FRESHWATER FISHING HALL OF FAME, home of the four-story muskie.

At a stop in RICE LAKE, MARK TWAIN AWARD donned a stale bread necklace in an effort to entice the ducks (and a goose) into a feeding frenzy.

Rocky Mountain Hiiiiigh! Coloradooooo!

MARK TWAIN AWARD scaled new heights recently when he journeyed to LEADVILLE, COLO., elevation 10,200 feet. Leadville bills itself as the highest-elevation community in North America. Those are some 14,000-foot peaks in the background.

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach Mark Twain Award to fish, feed him for a lifetime

The "Life on the Mississippi" author recently accompanied TH ARTIST MIKE DAY on his lunch-break fishing excursion to the Peosta Channel.
Without a log raft, they were relegated to fishing from shore. MARK TWAIN AWARD opted for the pink Mister Twister lure and within minutes was witness to a 13-INCH LARGEMOUTH BASS splashing about. With a turkey-strips lunch awaiting them back at the office, Mike and Mark Twain Award chose to release their catch.

I know it's only rock 'n' roll but Mark Twain Award likes it

MARK TWAIN AWARD traveled to POTOSI, WIS., on Independence Day to ROCK with tri-state area groove merchants SID V & THE HUMAN RESOURCES.
It was like "Highway 61 Revisited" down to "Sweet Home Alabama" when Mark Twain Award climbed "Jacob's Ladder" to "Wipe Out" with a "Brown Eyed Girl."
Mark Twain Award was feeling nothing like "Johnny B. Goode." In fact, he had something like the "Folsom Prison Blues" once the show had ended and we had to place him back in Emily Kittle's handbag.
It was a great time while it lasted, however, as Mark Twain Award said he "Can't Help Falling in Love" with vocalist/guitarist/bon vivant Matt Kittle and his "Blue Suede Shoes."