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Opinion

Dayton Rodeo fun has started

Editorial

The roping and riding that make up the 2025 edition of the Dayton Labor Day Rodeo are underway. The small Webster County city will be packed with rodeo fans all weekend. What began more than eight decades ago as the dream of three young cowboys — Allen Porter, Duane Vegors and Vern ...

Q&A: Blue slips

Local Columns

Q: What is the blue slip tradition in the U.S. Senate? A: The blue slip refers to a paper form, literally a blue piece of paper, the Senate Judiciary Committee has used for more than a century to give home-state senators the courtesy to show their endorsement or disapproval for a ...

The Messenger to unveil 68th football publication

Editorial

Fall in Iowa is the season of harvest, pumpkins, orange-colored leaves and, of course, football. On cool Friday evenings and on Saturday afternoons, people from all across the Fort Dodge area gather every fall to watch their local heroes of the gridiron compete. They’ll scream and cheer for ...

Honoring labor, honoring Jane Burleson

Local Columns

Recently, I was honored to introduce Fort Dodge’s own Jane Burleson as she was inducted into the Iowa Federation of Labor’s Hall of Fame. Jane’s incredible story is a reminder that the labor movement is not just about contracts and wages; it’s about people who spend their lives fighting ...

Local residents need to remember the good things

Editorial

Fort Dodge had an opportunity Monday to make a good first impression on a company that could be a major part of the community in the future. The early results from the Hometown Tour by representatives of Kading Properties appear to be good. The company leaders had good things to say about ...