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Group with compelling list of accomplishments to be honored

Since it opened more than 50 years ago, Iowa Central Community College has had students who excel in the classrooms, labs and shops and also in the venues of athletic competition. It has also produced graduates who went on to distinguished careers in public service, business, health care and just about every other field of human endeavor. The school has a Hall of Fame to honor its outstanding students, faculty, staff members, and alumni. Each year, a select few are inducted. This year’s induction ceremony will be held tonight. The inductees are: • Dr. Terry and Pam Hopper, ...

Let’s keep Halloween fun

Unlike most holidays, Halloween really has no serious purpose. It’s primarily an opportunity for harmless, child-oriented fun. Costumes, trick-or-treat activities and an opportunity to engage in make-believe combine to make Halloween a favorite of youngsters and those still young at heart. Unfortunately, what can be a day filled with happy festivities can turn tragic if adults don’t ensure that important safety precautions are observed. Drivers in particular need to be mindful that in the dark of early evening, large numbers of children preoccupied with trick-or-treat pursuits ...

October is Co-op Month across US

There are various types of businesses that operate as cooperatives, but according to the National Cooperative Business Association, they all are owned and democratically controlled by their members and are designed to serve those members. The members typically are the people who use the co-op’s services or buy its goods. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, there are 40,000 co-ops of all types in the country. Collectively, they pay out some $25 billion a year in wages. Here in Iowa, we are most familiar with the co-ops that run grain elevators and provide fuel ...

Southeast Valley gives its seniors an assist on financial aid work

Applying for student aid can require almost as much work as an actual college course. Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is a chore under the best of circumstances. Bureaucratic bungling in the last year resulted in the document, often called the FAFSA, being released late and more complex than ever. Parents and students need a big assist to deal with the application. And while dealing with it is a headache, completing the FAFSA is a must because it determines a student’s eligibility for thousands of dollars worth of loans and grants to help pay for higher ...

Keep the buses rolling safely

Riding the big yellow bus is an essential part of the school day for thousands of local children. Those school buses do more than take kids to and from class. They are also the transportation to field trips, sports events and other activities. With so many buses on the road carrying students from preschool to seniors in high school, safety is of paramount importance. That’s why the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa State Patrol have stringent standards for school buses. But the rest of us on the road also have some responsibility for keeping the kids on those buses ...

Support Coats for Kids

It’s hard to imagine facing an Iowa winter without a warm coat. Sadly, some area kids could be confronted with just that prospect if their families are facing a challenging economic situation. Fortunately, however, through the combined efforts of Shimkat Motor Co. and the Community Health Center of Fort Dodge, many of these young folks will have warm coats and other winter wear as the colder, wintry days arrive. This joint project — called Coats for Kids — accepts donations of new and gently used winter coats, along with hats, scarves, mittens and snow boots. All sizes are ...