The 2023 incarnation of the Dayton Labor Day Rodeo will attract large crowds this weekend – deservedly so. What began more than eight decades ago as the dream of three young cowboys – Allen Porter, Duane Vegors and Vern Danielson – has grown to a four-day event that draws contestants ...

Balancing a big tractor tire on a canoe and then paddling that canoe downstream without capsizing requires some skill. Fortunately, some of the volunteers who recently took part in a Des Moines River cleanup effort called Pickin’ Up While Paddlin’ Down had the necessary skills to do just ...

Serving a ball over a pickleball net and soaring through a half pipe on a skateboard are about as different as two recreational pasttimes can be. Sometime next year, people will be able to do both in Fort Dodge. They’ll also be able to shoot hoops on a rebuilt basketball court at H.C. ...

An innovative solution to provide help for those situations in which mental health problems intersect with the criminal justice system is getting started in Fort Dodge. We think it has a lot of potential to improve individual lives and, by extension, our whole community. This new program puts ...

The time for eating all kinds of food on a stick while gazing at a cow sculpted in butter has arrived. Yes, we are talking about the Iowa State Fair which continues through Sunday. It may well be the grandest of our nation’s state agricultural festivities. Iowans gathered in Fairfield ...

For local communities and organizations, applying for a federal grant can be a bit of a gamble. The community or organization may not get any money. And even if a grant is awarded, the amount may be less than what was applied for. That’s what makes a recent grant award to the Webster ...