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‘No one can take your place’

Farms can be seen as quiet, peaceful places where the crops grow and animals graze in the pastures. Farms can indeed be such tranquil spots. But as all Iowans know, farming is an industry. And like all industries, there are certain hazards associated with it. Tractors can be in crashes on rural roads. Machines can snag arms and legs. Grain bins can become death traps. Most of those nightmare scenarios can be avoided by using common sense and basic safety precautions. National Farm Safety and Health Week, which began Sunday and continues through Saturday, is a time dedicated to ...

Mentors can make a huge difference

There’s no doubt that young people need to be around positive adult role models. And sometimes, kids need some advice and some attention from someone who is not their parent, teacher, coach or pastor. Seeing that need, the Fort Dodge Community School District launched a mentoring program in 1994. The goal was to recruit people from a broad spectrum of the community to spend time each week working with students at one of the district’s schools. A few high school students have been involved as well, mentoring younger students. Each mentor is paired with one student. These mentors ...

Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight is back

When a 737 roars into the sky above Fort Dodge Regional Airport just as the sun begins to brighten the horizon this morning, one of the most unique and heartfelt tributes to area veterans will be back in action. There will be about 108 veterans aboard that plane. They will be going to Washington, D.C., for free to see the nation’s war memorials. The trip will be the 24th one conducted by the Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight. The first took place in 2010. Since then, about 3,000 area veterans have made the journey. The Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight is largely the vision of one ...

A day for memories and fierce resolve

Sept. 11, 2001, is a day etched in the memories of Americans. The horrifying images of what began as a beautiful September morning and changed abruptly into hellish chaos remain vivid. The heartbreak of that awful day stems not only from the innocent lives destroyed, but also from the shattered dreams of the survivors. These obscene acts of terrorism inspire in our hearts a fierce resolve to take the actions necessary to prevent a similar tragedy from claiming more lives. The American people opened their hearts to the families touched by the evil work of the terrorists. They also ...

To benefit their community, bicyclists hit the trails

Physical therapy seems like something someone would need after a bad fall or a car wreck, but not as part of cancer treatment. It is, however, something cancer patients need. The disease is brutal. The treatments are no picnic, either. Cancer patients need to build up their strength after enduring all of that. A group of bicyclists recently raised money to help cancer patients get moving again while at the same time honoring one of their pedaling partners. The recent Prairie Rivers Trail Ride honored Connie Johnson, of Fort Dodge. She is an avid bicyclist and breast cancer ...

Clay County Fair is an Iowa treasure

The days are getting shorter. The kids are back in school. The season for summer fairs and festivals is nearly at an end. For the countless Iowans and others who love county fairs, however, one big event remains — the Clay County Fair. The fair that opens in Spencer on Saturday and runs through Sept. 17 is not just any fair. It is by far the largest county fair in Iowa and ranks among the grandest agricultural expositions in the nation. The members of the Clay County Fair Association had big plans for their fair when it launched more than 100 years ago. That first fair was the ...