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Community Health Center and Upper Des Moines Opportunity team up again

If it seems like it gets dark just a tiny bit earlier every night, that is because it probably does. As the days get just a bit shorter and the nights get just a bit cooler, that means summer is winding down. And as summer winds down, that means one thing for local kids - school will soon resume. Getting ready for another school year can be a real chore for parents. Buying supplies and clothes, plus getting the kids any required physical and dental exams can be a big financial blow for some families. The Community Health Center of Fort Dodge and Upper Des Moines Opportunity Inc. ...

Cochrane served Fort Dodge schools, students well

Being a member of a school board is a rather thankless job. In influencing the education of children, board members grapple with decisions that impact the future of individuals and ultimately, the country. Board members also regularly deal with rules imposed on school districts by the state and federal governments. And then there are the unhappy parents and crabby taxpayers. For dealing with all that, board members in Fort Dodge are paid exactly nothing. It takes a special kind of person to deal with all that for any length of time. That is what makes Stu Cochrane’s tenure on ...

Jimmerson was truly the leader of the band

It seemed like he was always there. When the Karl King Municipal Band began its summer season by playing at the Memorial Day observance, Jerrold Jimmerson picked up his baton and led his musicians in playing patriotic favorites. Throughout the summer concerts, he conducted the band and did all kinds of behind the scenes work to make for successful, enjoyable shows. The same was true for the indoor winter concerts. Jimmerson was a fixture in the community. Indeed, many Fort Dodge music lovers can’t remember any other conductor of the band. After 21 years as conductor and 65 ...

Patience will pay off at Corridor Plaza

The steel framework of what will be a sports pavilion at Corridor Plaza seems to get bigger every day. On the opposite side of the property that used to be Crossroads Mall, a fence has gone up around the area where a Chick-fil-A restaurant will be built. Earthmovers are rumbling around another section of the complex, while workers go in and out of the old Younkers wing of the mall that is being converted into a row of stores that will include Dunham’s Sporting Goods, Maurice’s and Shoe Sensation. It seems like suddenly there is a whole lot of activity at Corridor Plaza. It is ...

Innovative plan seeks to increase heat on drug dealers

Illegal drugs can be found at the root of nearly every crime, ranging from a broken window to a homicide. Here’s how Webster County Sheriff Luke Fleener describes it: “Our crime rate is driven by the influx and availability of illegal narcotics in our community.” What if something could be done to make life miserable for the drug dealers at the heart of all these problems without costing the local taxpayers any more money? An innovative plan put together by county leaders and the Fort Dodge Community Foundation aims to do just that. The plan would pool funding from the ...

Iowa Sales Tax Holiday starts Friday

Area families are already beginning to think about the items that will be needed to send young folks back to school properly equipped and looking good. According to the National Retail Federation, families with children in school will spend about $38.8 billion nationwide on back-to-school clothing and supplies. Surveys by the federation have shown that clothing and shoes account for about half of a family’s back-to-school spending. Finding bargains is part of the fun of back-to-school shopping every year. Clothing and shoes are among the necessities that will be on just about ...