Foundation, Sheriff’s Office score big success with grant

August 12, 2023

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 County Sheriff’s Office and the Fort Dodge Community Foundation remarkable and perhaps even unprecedented in our area. The Sheriff’s Office and the foundation applied to the U.S. Department of Justice for a $72,000 crime prevention grant. They received $200,000. There doesn’t appear to be ...

Dragon boats to come roaring back

August 9, 2023

The sights and sounds of long dragon boats slicing through the water of Badger Lake will return this weekend. This will be the 26th anniversary of the Badger Lake Dragon Boat Bash. It will be a two-day event on Friday and Saturday featuring a concert by Band K, fireworks and lots of racing action as the dragon boats zoom across the lake propelled by teams of 20 paddlers. In addition to local teams, others are expected from Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin and eastern Iowa. A silent auction to benefit the Cancer Center at UnityPoint Health–Trinity Regional Medical Center will begin ...

Protect our road workers by slowing down

August 5, 2023

Chances are that over the years everyone has heard some version of the old wise crack that goes like this: In Iowa, we have two seasons - winter and road construction. We are seeing a lot of road construction right now. For those who are snaking their vehicle through a maze of orange road cones and barricades, it may not seem like a good thing at that moment. But in fact, all the hassle means that projects, some of which are long overdue, are getting done to make future trips easier and better. The unkind reality is that the only time any significant work can get done on city ...

Iowa Sales Tax Holiday starts Friday

August 2, 2023

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, a typical family with children in school will spend about $890 on back-to-school merchandise this year. That adds up to about $41.5 billion nationwide. 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 ...

It’s time to tee up to stop violence

July 29, 2023

Some of the golf carts that will be rolling along the paths at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course on Aug. 5 will have something extra attached to them. As part of the seventh annual Tee’d Off Against Violence Golf Tournament that day, the carts will have shields on them which tell the story of someone lost to violence. Those shields will serve as a reminder of the twin purposes of the day’s event: raising money and raising awareness. It is a noble cause worthy of wide support. The tournament is sponsored by the Homicide/Other Violent Crimes Program, which is part of the ...

Work of many made for softball tournament success

July 26, 2023

The 2023 Girls State Softball Tournament did not end the way both the Fort Dodge Dodgers and St. Edmond Gaels and their fans had hoped that it would, but it still showcased our community and its outstanding sports complex. The fact that Fort Dodge has hosted the tournament for more than 50 years is a tribute to the work and the partnerships created by essentially a generation’s worth of local leaders. These are leaders that have seen the value in both having a world class facility in Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports Complex, and maintaining a close relationship with the Iowa High ...