Time is short for those of us who have fallen behind on our Christmas shopping. As we cope with the struggles of everyday life while trying to find the perfect gifts for everyone on our lists, let us not neglect to take care of the one task that ought not to require any thought: ensuring Santa ...
Selling American agricultural products internationally makes an important contribution to our nation’s economy. It’s also hugely significant for the Hawkeye State. According estimates by the United States Department of Agriculture, agricultural exports support more than 1 million American ...
Food, like twinkling lights and carefully wrapped presents, is a major component of the holiday season. At family dinners across the area, dining room tables will be just about creaking under the weight of all kinds of good things to eat. But unfortunately, not everyone can afford even a ...
There aren’t many roles in our nation’s capital more important than being chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance. Consequently, its welcome news that Iowa’s senior U.S. senator is poised to take the helm of this crucial policy-generating body. The committee has a broad ...
If price-gouging for life-saving EpiPens goes on, feds should step in. If competitive forces cannot drive down the price of an essential drug that costs just $75 across the border in Canada, Congress and federal regulators have the authority, as well as an ethical obligation, to step ...
The Santa Cops project is a delightful annual effort to make the holiday season a bit brighter for area youngsters whose families need a hand up to make this time of year as merry as it should be. The Fort Dodge Police Association, Webster County Sheriff’s Department, Fort Dodge/Webster ...
It’s a bit bureaucratic, but on page 15 of the new review of the various cost saving estimates from Iowa’s Medicaid program, there is this extraordinary line: “However, during the decision making process to move the Medicaid program from primarily a fee-for-service program to a managed ...
Passing a budget and the appropriations bills to fund the U.S. government are among the most important functions of the U.S. Congress. Anyone who has been paying even casual attention realizes, however, that getting that vital work done on time and in an orderly fashion almost never ...
The cynics in our world are quick to assert that college students live in a self-indulgent, self-centered world where truly being a part of the community where the college is located is simply not a priority. For some students, that may be true. It’s certainly not the case, however, for ...
Hunger is a huge problem in many places around the world. The impact of an inadequate diet is especially great for children. With that in mind, Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization, coordinates an effort to get food to people in need. Last Saturday, about 400 ...
When former President George H.W. Bush passed away Friday, he left a legacy with much to recommend it. It is of a kinder, gentler nation fully capable of using an iron fist. Bush, our 41st president, was 94 when he joined his beloved wife, Barbara, who died earlier this year. Supreme Court ...
Thanksgiving has passed and the Christmas season has begun. The time spent together with family over food and gift giving is something that we all associate with this time of year. But there are those for whom these holidays are just another day, but with an added sense of loneliness and ...
Make plans to spend some time at the 17th annual Farm News Ag Show. It kicks off Wednesday at the 2031 Quail Ave. on the East Campus of Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge. On its first day, the show is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It resumes at 7:30 a.m. Thursday and runs until 3 ...
As Christmas approaches, the campground at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park is once again be transformed into a holiday wonderland. The 15th annual Lights at Kennedy will help make the season more festive for area residents and visitors. Additionally, the event raises money to support the ...
If you want powerful evidence that Iowa’s economy is doing well, drive around any of the state’s major towns or cities. Almost everywhere businesses have posted “hiring” signs in windows or other prominent places. Nationally, the unemployment rate is at a remarkable 3.7 percent. Here ...
The Webster County Telecommunications Board will meet today, and it’s expected to vote on privatizing the management of the local 911 dispatch center. We urge the board members to slow down and postpone the decision. It’s a momentous choice that impacts the work of dispatchers who handle ...
Fort Dodge Senior High students who are handy with a set of tools will soon have a new activity to enjoy. Creation of the Dodger Manufacturing Club was OK’d recently by the district’s Board of Education. Club members will make items and possibly sell them, according to Matt Elsbecker, ...
Cars, trucks and trains are all vital parts of the American transportation system, and the roads and tracks that carry them intersect at lots of places. Those intersections, called grade crossings, require caution on the part of people driving cars and trucks. The undeniable fact is that a ...
It’s hard to imagine facing an Iowa winter without a warm coat. Sadly, some area youngsters could be confronted with just that prospect if their families are confronting a challenging economic situation. Fortunately, however, through the combined efforts of Shimkat Motor Co. and the ...
When one thinks of a library, the image of row after row of towering bookcases, often patrolled by a stern librarian who’s quick to tell people to be quiet, comes to mind. Libraries are much more fun and interesting than that starchy old stereotype suggests. And when students return to ...