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Legislature accomplished a great deal

When lawmakers wrapped up business for 2022, it was clear that the Republican majority could celebrate a record characterized mostly as a success. Not only had major legislative changes passed, but much of the ambitious agenda outlined by Gov. Kim Reynolds in her Condition of the State message in January was enacted. The governor issued a statement applauding the lawmakers’ record shortly after the session ended. “This legislative session, I charged the House and Senate to work together to further advance Iowa’s strong growth through policies that cut taxes, invest in biofuels ...

Take the time to remember

Today is Memorial Day. For many people, it is a time to welcome the summer season by taking advantage of a three-day holiday weekend to spend time relaxing with friends and family. It is important, however, not to forget what this day is truly about. Beginning soon after the Civil War, a day in May was set aside as a time to decorate with flowers the graves of the war dead. The original stimulus for this day came from the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union Army Civil War veterans. For many years it was called Decoration Day. Honoring those who gave their lives in ...

Iowa’s community colleges need a little more from lawmakers

For most Iowans, $6.5 million is an awful lot of money. Everyone would like to see their income go up by $6.5 million in a year. Iowa’s community college system is due to get that much more in aid as a result of action by the state Legislature. But it is important to note that the $6.5 million is going to the entire community college system. That money will be split between 15 schools that are educating tens of thousands of students while dealing with the worst inflation the country has seen in decades. When that aid amount is split up between the all schools, it suddenly isn’t ...

Historical adventure can be found close to home

Now is the time when families are considering how to spend their summer vacations, and after COVID-19 basically wrecked almost two years worth of vacation plans, the open road is beckoning. But what if there was something really cool close to home that the whole family could enjoy? Well, there is such a thing. It’s the Fort Museum and Frontier Village here in Fort Dodge. There, people can explore a row of historic buildings, including a general store, a carpenter’s shop and an old newspaper office. Kids can pretend to lock each other up in an old jail. There’s a stable full ...

Tim Flaherty set an example of service

Fort Dodge lost someone special when Tim Flaherty died last year. During his entirely too short time in the community he made an impact that was recognized far beyond the city and Webster County. That’s why the Iowa Parks and Recreation Association recently honored him with its 2022 Business Support Award. It was presented Monday to his widow, Jodi, daughters Shannon and Katie, and parents Mick and Alyce. The award specifically recognizes the things Flaherty did in his role as Hy-Vee store director, and later as district store director, to support the programs of the Fort Dodge ...

New E15 law is a winner for Iowa

The designation E15 will be turning up at more and more gas pumps across Iowa in the months to come, and that’s a good thing. E15, obviously, is the common name for ethanol that contains 15 percent alcohol from corn and 85 percent gasoline. E15 fuel will be sold at all filling stations in Iowa thanks to a new law which passed the state Senate and House of Representatives by huge margins and was recently signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds. The law requires gas stations to offer E15 at 50 percent of their fuel pumps. The law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2023. Requiring another type of ...