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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 ...

It will be a good day to recall past struggles for economic fairness

To most Americans in 21st-century America, Labor Day is not an especially important holiday. It marks the unofficial end of summer. As such, it affords a three-day weekend to pursue summertime passions one last time before the weather cools. For most of us, it has little additional meaning. It may come as a surprise to many contemporary Americans, therefore, to learn that Labor Day became a national holiday during an era characterized by great conflict between organized labor and the business community. The decision to create the holiday was, in part, an act of conciliation. The ...

Dayton Rodeo fun starts Friday

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 and spectators not only from all parts of Iowa, but also from throughout the nation. This annual event attracts 10,000 to 12,000 rodeo fans, many of whom journey every year to Webster County for this nationally recognized event. For a few action-packed days, Dayton becomes one of the busiest spots ...

River cleanup yields four tons of waste

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 that. It is unfortunate, however, that the volunteers’ strength and canoeing skill had to be applied to such a task. A tractor tire should never be in a river. On Aug. 5, about 30 volunteers using 13 canoes and two kayaks took part in the cleanup organized by Webster County Conservation. ...

Latest quality of life investments are necessary

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. Meriwhether Park on 10th Avenue Southwest. Those are the three latest investments in recreation and quality of life the Fort Dodge City Council has committed to. Contractors have been hired to build the new skateboard park along the riverfront and the four new pickleball courts north of the Rosedale ...