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Local food pantries deserve support

Over the last few years, the United States has experienced a surge in inflation that has probably not been seen since the 1970s. The war with Iran is now fueling inflation, literally. The price of oil has gone up, which means the prices of gasoline and diesel fuel will do the same. We have already seen proof of that at local filling stations. And higher fuel prices will push the prices of everything else up because everything is at some point transported by a truck or a train that burns fuel. Everyone is feeling the hit of higher prices. And for some of our neighbors, that hit is ...

D/SAOC Cake Auction time is coming

It’s not too early to start thinking about the D/SAOC Cake Auction. One of the tastiest fundraisers this community has traditionally experienced is the annual auction conducted by the Domestic/Sexual Assault Outreach Center. This online event enables people to indulge their sweet tooth while generating money that is vitally needed to help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. It begins at 10 a.m. March 26 and ends at 7 p.m. March 30. It is traditionally known as the Cake Auction. For years, bakers tried to outdo each other with elaborate cakes that went on the ...

The time has come to end Daylight Saving Time

People across Iowa will set their clocks forward one hour tonight because of Daylight Saving Time. That means if they go to bed at their regular time they will lose an hour of sleep. Hopefully, they will also replace the batteries in their smoke detectors that use 9-volt batteries. Serving as a reminder to replace the smoke detector batteries is a nice advantage of the twice yearly ritual of changing the clocks. The other advantages to changing the clocks are less and less apparent. For as long as anybody can remember, Iowans have been changing their clocks twice a year for ...

Dogs are making hospital rounds

People and dogs seem to have a bond that defies ordinary definition, and that bond is known to provide health benefits. There is a stack of medical research which shows that interacting with a dog lowers human blood pressure, improves cardiovascular health and reduces anxiety. In Fort Dodge, patients have a unique opportunity to take advantage of the human-canine healing connection. There are four therapy dogs that work at UnityPoint Health - Trinity Regional Medical Center. The newest addition to the staff is Tedwin, a Corgi owned by Toni Deal, of Coalville. Tedwin and Deal also ...

Phil Gunderson has remarkable record of community service

“It’s so great to do great things with great people.” Those were the words of Phil Gunderson, of Fort Dodge, Thursday evening at the annual dinner of the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance. Many in this city view Gunderson as one of those great people, a fact that was reflected at the dinner when he received the Catalyst Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Growth Alliance. We believe he truly deserves the honor. Just how much Gunderson has done and continues to do for the community was made very apparent when The Messenger obtained a copy of the remarks made by Jim ...

Group dedicated to helping families of fallen officers deserves support

A police officer being killed in the line of duty seems like something that would happen only in a big city. Such a death in Chicago or New York seems possible, but in our mostly rural area that seems far-fetched. Unfortunately, it can happen here. The citizens and law enforcement officers of Algona can provide firsthand confirmation of that sad fact. On Sept. 13, 2023, Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram went to a home where a man named Kyle Ricke was known to be staying. He went there to arrest Ricke on a warrant accusing him of third degree harassment. Cram found Ricke, who shot and ...