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Stratford Lutheran Church to hold Lucia Festivity of Light Dec. 9

STRATFORD — The Lucia Festivity of Light is 2 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Stratford Lutheran Church, Stratford. There will be light refreshments following the program. A freewill donation will be accepted. The church is looking for community members of all heritages, ages and talents to participate in this annual tradition. Those wishing to participate should sign up before Sunday by contacting Joni Stark Miller at 515-351-7220. Program participants should be available on Dec. 9 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Young ladies ages 14-19 are invited to be Lucia candidates. Girls and boys ages 5 to 13 are ...

Symphony concert set for Sunday

The Fort Dodge Area Symphony will hold its annual holiday concert at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Fort Dodge Middle School, 800 N. 32nd St. In collaboration with the Fort Dodge Area Fine Arts Association members, the symphony will be joined by local actors to present Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” in a concert event for the whole family. Single tickets can be purchased at the door on Sunday. Adult tickets are $15; students are admitted free.

Otho Fire Department gets state grant

OTHO — The Otho Fire Department received a state grant to help pay for a piece of equipment used to put out grass and brush fires. The state Department of Natural Resources awarded $2,500 through its Fire Assistance Grant Program. Fire Chief Marty Smith said the money will help to pay for a fire skid to be mounted in an off-highway utility vehicle the department plans to obtain in a few months. A fire skid consists of a water tank, small pump and a reel of hose that is placed in the bed of an off-highway vehicle. The price of the fire skid is $5,000, so the grant will cover half ...

Deceased female found during house fire in Rockwell City last week

ROCKWELL CITY — While extinguishing a structure fire in the 100 block of North Elm Street last Wednesday, Rockwell City firefighters discovered a deceased female in the residence, according to a release from Rockwell City Fire Chief Shane Voith. According to the release posted by Voith on the department’s Facebook page, the Rockwell City Fire Department was dispatched to the fire at about 2:35 p.m. on Nov. 22, where they found “heavy fire conditions but knocked the fire down quickly.” That was when firefighters found the deceased female in the residence. The release does not ...

FD Police Dept. gets two new officers

Two new Fort Dodge police officers will be reporting for duty today. Officers Madison Anderson and Kevin Smith were introduced to the City Council Monday evening. They are filling two vacancies, which will bring the Police Department up to its full strength of 40 members. Anderson is a graduate of Eagle Grove High School. She earned an associate degree from Iowa Central Community College and a bachelor’s degree from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake. She is a veteran of the Iowa National Guard. Smith is a graduate of Southeast Valley High School. He most recently worked at ...

St. Paul to accept preschool registrations

St. Paul Lutheran School will begin accepting applications on Friday for preschool for the 2024-2025 school year. Children who will be 4 years old by Sept. 15, 2024, may be registered for 4-year-old preschool, which is offered Monday through Friday in the mornings with the option of Enrichment Care in the afternoon. Children who will be 3 years old by Sept. 15, 2024, may be registered for Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday classes with morning or afternoon options. Morning classes will have the option of Enrichment Care. Morning sessions are 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Afternoon ...