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Editorial

It’s time to honor local leaders

Do you know anyone who has worked hard, perhaps out of the public view, to make Fort Dodge and Webster County a better place to live, work and play? If so, a unique opportunity to honor them is at hand. The Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance is seeking nominees for its Catalyst Award and its new Emerging Leader Award. The Catalyst Award has long been the highest honor bestowed by the Growth Alliance. Nominees for it should meet these basic criteria: • Have a history of active involvement in the Growth Alliance. • Have shown that they are an active and visionary leader who ...

Corn still fuels Iowa’s economy

Corn production has been a key factor in the Iowa economy for more than 150 years. The state’s 21st-century economy is characterized by increasing diversity. Agriculture, however, remains a powerhouse. There can be little doubt that corn remains of critical importance. The renewable fuels industries have increased demand for corn as a critical ingredient in manufacturing ethanol. Ethanol production has not only increased demand for corn, but also strengthened corn’s already enormous importance to Iowa’s prosperity. Iowa leads the nation in ethanol production, with 52 percent of ...

Hands-free proposal should be the law in Iowa

We think Iowa lawmakers have yet another chance to make the state’s roads safer for everyone. How can they do that? By approving a bill that would prohibit drivers from using electronic devices unless they are in a hands-free mode. State Rep. Ann Meyer, R-Fort Dodge, first introduced the bill more than four years ago after hearing horror stories from people who were in crashes or nearly in crashes because another driver was using their phone instead of paying attention to the road. Meyer has now submitted the bill in four consecutive legislative sessions. And in each of the three ...

Parochial schools serve area well

There has been a Catholic school system in Fort Dodge for almost as long as this town has been in existence. There are other towns in the area The Messenger serves that can make similar claims. The same can be said for St. Paul Lutheran School in Fort Dodge. Both schools will celebrate their heritage in the next week as both Catholic Schools Week and Lutheran Schools Week will be marked at the same time. Both commemorative weeks start Sunday and end Feb. 1. Catholic education got underway in Fort Dodge more than 160 years ago. The first Catholic school came into being during the ...

Community Health Center is growing again

Among organizations that step up to meet the needs of people, the Community Health Center of Fort Dodge is in a class by itself. Since it opened in 2006, the center has been steadily growing, both in terms of the services it provides and the geographic area it serves And now it is growing once again. The original center in downtown Fort Dodge just offered medical care when it opened. Then dental care was added, followed by behavioral health care. The latest expansion of services will bring eye exams to the center. To make things even better for patients, some of those services ...

Persistence pays off for Webster County

The bridge that connects the two halves of Lehigh across the Des Moines River is nearing the end of its useful life. It is going to have to be replaced and doing so is going to cost big bucks. Those are inescapable facts. But here’s some good news: Webster County leaders have been able to secure a little over $9 million in grants to help pay for replacing that bridge. A big portion of that money — $6.2 million — came from a U.S. Department of Transportation grant award that was recently announced. Webster County was the only community in Iowa to get any money from that ...