It’s time to honor a local leader

February 8, 2023

Do you know anyone who has worked hard, perhaps out of the public view, to make Fort Dodge and Webster County a better place to live, work and play? If so, a unique opportunity to honor them is at hand. The Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance is seeking nominees for its Catalyst Award. Nominees should meet these basic criteria: • Have a history of active involvement in the Growth Alliance. • Have shown that they are an active and visionary leader who is a catalyst for action in economic and community development. • Have demonstrated excellence in their profession or ...

Get out and vote Tuesday

February 6, 2023

Early February is not a typical time for a City Council election. That does not mean that Tuesday’s vote is unimportant. Two candidates, Wayne Mason and Megan Secor, are on the ballot Tuesday. They are competing to complete an unexpired term as an at-large member of the council. It is true that the winner of Tuesday’s election will only serve through the end of this year, because the at-large seat will be on the November ballot as part of the regular election cycle. But that is no reason to skip voting on Tuesday. Remember that the person who is elected Tuesday will be able to ...

Indoor arena project is worthy of support

February 4, 2023

It is easy to take the indoor arena at the Webster County Fairgrounds for granted. After all, it’s been there since 1973. Lots of people can’t remember a time when it wasn’t there. But generations of fair goers and 4-H members remember all the special things that have happened inside its walls. 4-H members of all ages have proudly shown their livestock there. More than a few of them have dashed through the arena carrying a watermelon slathered with soap as part of the Barnyard Olympics held during the Webster County Fair. And the arena is the home base for the Iowa Central ...

Corn still fuels Iowa economy

February 1, 2023

Corn production has been a key factor in the Iowa economy for more than 150 years. The state’s 21st-century economy is characterized by increasing diversity, and agriculture isn’t as dominant as once was the case. Even so, there can be little doubt that corn remains of critical importance. The renewable fuels industries have increased demand for corn as a critical ingredient in manufacturing ethanol. Ethanol production has not only increased demand for corn, but also strengthens corn’s already enormous importance to Iowa’s prosperity. Iowa leads the nation in ethanol ...

Iowa Ag Expo starts Tuesday

January 30, 2023

What organizers say is the third largest indoor agricultural equipment show in the upper Midwest starts Tuesday and continues through Thursday at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. The 2023 Iowa Ag Expo will feature about 700 exhibitors filling more than seven acres in three buildings. The exhibition was started in 1910 and lots of people still know it by its original name, the Iowa Power Farming Show. That name was changed in 2020 to reflect the diversity of the show. It will feature the best ag has to offer from big iron, precision ag, aerial imaging, livestock production, ...

Eggs and Issues is democracy in action

January 25, 2023

Interaction between citizens and the officials they elect to represent them is crucial to a democracy. Citizens must be able to tell the officials what they want and what they don’t want. They must also be able to hold the officials accountable for their actions. The elected officials must explain to the citizens why they take the actions they do. In Fort Dodge there has been an event in place for at least 25 years that brings state, and sometimes federal, legislators together with citizens. It’s called Eggs and Issues. Eggs and Issues is a forum that is held once a month ...