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Editorial

Food pantries benefit from efforts of Master Gardeners

When someone earns the title of Master Gardener in Iowa, they agree to volunteer their time and expertise in things like community gardens. Fort Dodge and Webster County has a dedicated group of Master Gardeners. A lot of people who rely on local pantries to keep food on their tables are now benefitting from the efforts of that band of greenthumb volunteers. That benefit is in the form of fresh produce and later this winter, canned vegetables, all grown in a Fort Dodge garden. In the growing season that just concluded, the Master Gardeners raised 1,297 pounds of home-grown ...

Make your voice heard on Election Day

After a seemingly endless campaign season and weeks of early voting, Election Day is nearly here. On Tuesday, thousands of people will go to the polls to decide who will lead our nation, state and community. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. A listing of Webster County polling places is in today’s edition of The Messenger. If you have not voted already, do not miss this chance to make your voice heard. Casting a ballot is a crucial way for everyday citizens to help shape the future. Anyone thinking about skipping this election ought to remember that their right to vote ...

Fort Dodge, Webster County are experiencing business growth

In the coming week, Dunham’s Sports will make its return to the Fort Dodge community by opening its new store in Corridor Plaza. Its neighbors — Shoe Sensation and Maurice’s — will be opening soon as well. Just to the north of the building that’s home to those three stores, rapid progress is being made on the new Chick-fil-A restaurant. On the other side of Corridor Plaza, the mammoth sports pavilion is up and contractors are working on its interior. All of that represents a tremendous investment in our community. And those are just the most visible elements of the ...

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 ...

Voters, it’s time to get serious about the election

This is an election year, during which voters will pick a president plus other federal, state and local officials. Thanks to campaign signs and candidate forums, anyone who pays the least bit of attention to current events knows that. It is time for voters to get serious about the choices facing them on the ballot. We urge all voters to educate themselves not only on the candidates, but on the act of voting itself between now and the election. This year, Webster County voters will pick a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, a state senator, two state representatives, three ...

Local trails are monument to community spirit

Residents of Webster County and beyond have a new option for getting outdoors. That option consists of about six miles of paved trail, complete with a big bridge over a drainage ditch that connects Fort Dodge and Badger. It is between 170th Street on the north side of Fort Dodge and Second Avenue Southeast on the south side of Badger. There will still be plenty of crisp fall days during which people can walk, run or bicycle on that trail. The trail is obviously the result of more than a year’s worth of work by planners, engineers and construction crews. But it is also the result ...