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Protect our road workers by slowing down

Despite the heaps of snow outside, the calendar tells us that it is now spring. All of that snow is in fact, starting to melt. And once all that snow melts into water that trickles down into the storm drains, what will we find on our streets? Yes, you guessed it - potholes. Chances are that over the years everyone has heard some version of the old wise crack that goes like this: In Iowa, we have two seasons — winter and road construction. The annual chore of fixing all the potholes will be part of the road construction season. Plus there will be fresh coats of asphalt and concrete ...

Corrections workers are unsung heroes

Anyone who took the time to read the entire Iowa criminal code would come across an offense entitled assault by an inmate with bodily fluids or secretions. Yes, that offense does exist in state law. And yes, the offense is as gross as it sounds. But that kind of an assault is one of the things county jailers and state corrections officers must contend with. Everyone is well aware that law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel risk their lives every day to protect us. But there is another group of people that risk their lives every day to protect the ...

Help celebrate National Ag Day

As another growing season approaches, Tuesday has been set as National Ag Day by the Agriculture Council of America. The council designates the week it falls within as National Ag Week. One goal of National Ag Day is to recognize the contribution agriculture makes in the lives of all of us. The council sponsors and encourages programs during National Ag Week that help Americans: • Understand how food and fiber products are produced. • Appreciate the role ag plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products. • Value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a ...

People needed to join the ranks of blood donors

The idea of getting poked with a big needle and having some of your blood siphoned out is not at all a pleasant one. However, people who are brave enough to get jabbed and allow some of their blood to be drawn out are a type of hero commonly called a blood donor. They save a lot of lives. Donating blood takes about an hour, according to leaders of Lifeserve Blood Center, which has a facility in Fort Dodge. In that hour, a blood donor can save three local lives, they say. Blood and blood products are needed by trauma patients, premature infants, cancer patients, organ transplant ...

Get out and vote Tuesday

Early March is not a typical time for a local election. That does not mean that Tuesday’s vote is unimportant. On Tuesday, the voters will decide if a property tax of 75 cents per $1,000 of taxable value should be levied to pay for emergency medical services throughout Webster County. It is estimated that the proposed tax will generate $1.6 million annually to be divided between all the communities in the county for providing pre-hospital emergency medical care. Currently, there is no designated tax funding stream to help pay for training and equipping ambulance services and the ...

Kersten is deserving choice for Catalyst Award

It is likely that no one has been as successful as Jim Kersten at approaching state and federal decision makers to secure their support for things that will benefit Fort Dodge, Webster County and Iowa Central Community College. For some, lobbying has a kind of negative connotation. But the reality is, in order to get help for a project or a program, someone has to make a case to the people who can provide the money or other assistance. When it comes to doing that skillfully and consistently, Kersten has no match. And he is motivated simply by his love for his hometown. The Greater ...