The funeral service for Staff Sgt. William Nathaniel “Nate” Howard was held Saturday morning at the Marshalltown High School Roundhouse. Hundreds of citizens and uniformed soldiers gathered inside to honor the slain Iowa Army National Guardsman, who was killed in an ISIS terrorist ...

A Fort Dodge woman was arrested after threatening to stab and kill law enforcement officers during a Saturday night incident, according to court records. Those records show that Estrella A. Mendez, 25, of 623 N. 21st St., was arrested by Fort Dodge police and charged with two counts of ...

A mid-morning snow squall brought traffic throughout north central Iowa to a halt Sunday. “We have a tow ban in place,” said Webster County Sheriff Luke Fleener on Sunday afternoon. “Stay home and don’t travel. Our deputies are having trouble getting to stranded motorists due to ...

Editor's note: This feature first ran in a special publication called Hometown Pride, published June 28, 2025, featuring people and organizations from Fort Dodge and the surrounding area who are making a difference in their communities. DAYTON — Coming to the aid of community members ...

A local nonprofit dedicated to ensuring affordable housing throughout Fort Dodge is asking residents to don formal wear and a mask for a new fundraiser on New Year’s Eve. Heartland Hope and Homes will host a masquerade ball at the Cardiff Event Center at Fort Frenzy on New Year’s Eve ...

Grant Gibbons has been named the publisher of The Messenger. While he is new to the position of publisher, he is no stranger to The Messenger. He worked at the paper as regional circulation manager from 2000 to 2023. Most recently, he was the publisher of The Journal in New Ulm, Minnesota, ...