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Editorial

Health Center steps up again to aid Wright County residents

For the second time in as many years, it looked like a Wright County community was going to be left without a local dentist. Once again, the Community Health Center of Fort Dodge has stepped into the gap, preparing to give Clarion not only a local dentist, but convenient access to primary health care and behavioral care as well. The move is a tribute to the dedication of the health center’s staff and the organization’s ability to react quickly to a community need. And there is definitely a need in Clarion for dental care. For example, statistics amassed by the Community Health ...

Eggs and Issues is democracy in action

Interaction between citizens and the officials they elect to represent them is crucial to a democracy. Citizens must be able to tell the officials what they want and what they don’t want. They must also be able to hold the officials accountable for their actions. The elected officials must explain to the citizens why they take the actions they do. In Fort Dodge there has been an event in place for at least 25 years that brings state, and sometimes federal, legislators together with citizens. It’s called Eggs and Issues. Eggs and Issues is a forum that is held once a month ...

Celebrating Lutheran Schools Week

Students at St. Paul Lutheran School will have a bit more than the usual class work this week. That’s because the Fort Dodge school will observe Lutheran Schools Week. Among other things, there will be an Awards Chapel. And on Friday and Saturday, the St. Paul Saints will host an annual basketball tournament. The week provides the school’s students with some fun breaks from the usual routine. But the greater purpose of the week is to highlight the strengths and characteristics of St. Paul Lutheran School and other Lutheran schools across the country. St. Paul Lutheran School ...

Progress 2024 sections begin today

As the holiday season draws to a close each year, The Messenger’s writing staff embarks on a challenging adventure — producing a comprehensive look at how a wide array of developments in our region are shaping tomorrow. While every issue of this newspaper is filled with articles, features and advertisements that readers find informative and useful, the six special sections we call Progress provide a perspective that goes far beyond simply reporting the latest happenings. Our goal is to look at the big picture, capture trends and explore more fully events that may lead to headlines ...

FD council should approve franchise fee plan

Fort Dodge now has a chance to get more police officers, a slightly lower property tax rate and some extra money for quality of life programs. It is a chance that the City Council must seize. None of that — the additional officers, the lower levy rate or the money for quality of life — is free. A franchise fee added to the gas and electric bills of MidAmerican Energy customers would generate the $2.4 million annually to make it all possible. We realize that no one wants to pay more in monthly bills. But in this instance, the benefits of doing so will far outweigh the ...

A thank you for a job well done

During a big winter storm such as the one that blew into Fort Dodge Monday night, lots of people like to stay inside, sipping their favorite hot beverage while they watch the white stuff pile up outside. But one group of people goes out in every storm, and the work of these unsung heroes makes it possible for everyone to travel in snowy conditions. They are the men and women who drive snowplows. They are employed by the Iowa Department of Transportation, counties and cities. Their mission requires them to maneuver big trucks and sometimes, motor graders and loaders, in the worst ...