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Earth Day unites more than it divides

The late 1960s were turbulent years in America. It was a time of rapid change when young protesters expressed disillusionment with many aspects of the world their elders had built. The divisions in society that emerged from those conflicts decades ago still haunt our society in the 21st century. Some of the emotional scars from those bitter disputes will influence American politics well into the future. There is, however, one legacy of those chaotic times that unites rather than divides us — Earth Day. The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970. Today marks 54 years of Earth ...

Brushy Creek State Recreation Area to get $2 million in upgrades

Brushy Creek State Recreation Area has something to offer for everyone who likes to get outside for some fun and relaxation. The sprawling 6,000 acre park in southeastern Webster County offers plenty of room to ride your horse or your mountain bike. Its massive lake beckons people to go fishing, kayaking or swimming. Its location south of U.S. Highway 20 makes it easily accessible to a big portion of Iowa’s population. That’s why a recent announcement by the state Department of Natural Resources was such welcome news. That agency announced that it would spend $2 million over ...

Officials’ DC trip is worthwhile

Visiting Washington, D.C. is always a fascinating experience. The Capitol, the White House, the Supreme Court building, the towering Washington Monument and even the cherry trees surrounding the Tidal Basin make the city a unique place. And within that place, history is made every day and has been since the original portion of the Capitol opened in about 1800. What happens in Washington affects Fort Dodge and Webster County. That’s why a group of local leaders representing Fort Dodge, Webster County, Iowa Central Community College and the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance went ...

Fur Ball is Saturday at FD Ford Toyota

It would be hard to imagine our society without pets. Dogs and cats contribute wonderfully to the happiness and well-being of people of all ages. In a perfect world, every pet would at all times be a welcome and loved part of someone’s home. Unfortunately, reality falls short of that ideal. That’s why it’s important to our community that the Almost Home Humane Society of North Central Iowa remains strong and grows even stronger. As with so many other worthwhile endeavors, achieving laudable goals depends in part on raising the money necessary to support the cause. For the ...

Iowa Central embraces new workforce training effort

It’s no secret that it is tough to fill all the open job positions in north central Iowa. The only logical way to meet the demand for people in all kinds of skilled positions is to train people, especially local people, to fill those jobs. Community colleges have always had a lead role in doing just that. Now Iowa Central Community College is preparing to take another step to help fill those jobs. It will be the first community college in the state to adopt the Early College Success Program in partnership with Iowa Jobs for America's Graduates, often called iJAG. The iJAG ...

Keep Iowa’s roads safe during planting

We are quickly approaching one of those times of the year when big, slow-moving farm vehicles rumble out onto roadways dominated by faster-paced traffic. That shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who lives in farm country. Even so, all of us should pay special heed to safety considerations as we share the roads with agricultural vehicles heading to the fields. Iowa has been doing a good job of keeping accidents involving farm vehicles to a minimum. According to data from the Iowa Department of Transportation, fatalities and major injuries resulting from such accidents have been on the ...