Abby Chalstrom, 18, of Moorland, a member of the Son Rays 4-H Club, was sitting at a table among dozens of caged chickens, geese, turkeys and other feathered fowl in the poultry barn at the Webster County Fair Wednesday. On the table in front of her, an open bottle of bright pink nail ...

After patching up her house to get her by for three years, Linda May has received a special gift that most take for granted — a roof over her head. “It’s like Christmas in July,” May said Wednesday, as RoJohn’s Home Improvement of Fort Dodge tore down the old one to put in a new ...

GOWRIE — The grills are all set to be fired up as the Southwest Webster Emergency Medical Service prepares for its annual fundraiser. The event will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. July 21 at the Heartland Community Room, located at 1201 Market St. in Gowrie. Mike Temple, director ...

BARNUM — A house west of Fort Dodge is a total loss after it caught fire Wednesday morning, according to Barnum Fire Chief Nick Ruhland. Firefighters from Barnum, Badger and Clare were called to the house at 1771 Johnson Ave., at about 10 a.m. “When we arrived there was smoke coming ...

Food is a vital part of our lives in so many ways. It is the centerpiece of many family traditions: Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinners, birthday celebrations, even simple family dinners. Food shapes us — literally. And while the cooking talent may not necessarily transfer to ...

WEBSTER CITY — A Webster City doctor faces possible imprisonment and a substantial fine for false statements he’s alleged to have made to the United States Attorney’s Office about Medicare claims that he had billed for his nursing home patients. Dr. Joseph X. Latella, 76, pleaded ...

GOWRIE — Montana Gov. Steve Bullock believes he has the right frame of mind to not only win the Iowa Democratic caucuses in February, but to bring one of several chiefly rural states back into the blue column come November 2020. Now, facing 22 other candidates in the crowded field eager ...

The Webster County Board of Supervisors has scheduled public information meetings for proposed repairs and improvements to the courthouse’s clock tower and roof. The public is encouraged to attend the sessions on July 17 and Aug. 8, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the lobby of the courthouse. ...

Anyone wanting to be alerted to severe weather should not depend solely upon the outdoor warning sirens, according to Webster County Emergency Management Coordinator Dylan Hagen. Recently, with the installation of some new tornado sirens in Otho and Lehigh, he was made aware of concerns among ...

The family of Jessica Gomez took the opportunity to tell Mackenzie Knigge how her actions, which played a role in Gomez’s death, have impacted their family. Knigge, 28, of Clare, was sentenced on Monday to a maximum 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder, aiding and ...

The Fort Dodge City Council on Monday cleared the way for potentially using tax increment financing to reimburse a developer for demolishing the former Sears store at Crossroads Mall. The council voted unanimously to add the Sears site to the Center City and Industrial Park Urban Renewal ...

Improvements are coming to Crossroads Mall, and area residents should remain both patient and positive as new developments occur, the mall’s general manager said Monday evening. During Monday’s Fort Dodge City Council meeting, Melissa Verschoor said five new businesses have opened in the ...

Since the Fort Dodge Fire Department became the sole provider of ambulance service in the city and surrounding areas, its roster has grown and its workload has just about exploded. The department added 12 people on July 1, 2018, when it assumed responsibility for the ambulance service once ...

A new commission will take charge of murals and sculptures in public spaces around Fort Dodge. The City Council on Monday established a nine-member Fort Dodge Public Art Commission. The commission’s members still must be appointed. Councilman Jeff Halter was skeptical of the need for a ...

Fort Dodge city leaders are moving to finance the next big portion of $80 million worth of needed sanitary sewer improvements. The City Council on Monday unanimously passed the first resolution needed to borrow $16 million from a state low-interest loan fund. That money will be used to pay ...

The Dodger Tennis Courts will have a new look and feel by October. On Monday, the Fort Dodge Community School District board awarded a contract for the Dodger Tennis Courts resurfacing project. Tennis Courts Unlimited, of Nebraska City, Nebraska, received the contract. That firm submitted a ...

A former chiropractor is the newest Fort Dodge police officer. The City Council on Monday hired Jordan Hagar to fill a vacancy in the Police Department. He graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High School in 2005. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Waldorf College in Forest City in 2009. He ...

The Fort Dodge Community School District board on Monday renewed a contract with the firm that provides the schools with items like copy machines and printers. The board approved a five-year agreement with Access Systems, of Fort Dodge. The district’s monthly base payment will be $4,985. ...