News

Time for a Second Chance

Fort Dodge’s first Second Chance Job Fair, offering employment opportunities to persons with criminal histories, was held Thursday morning in the Athletics for Education and Success facility at 712 Third St. N.W. Also referred to as a “workforce connections job fair” or “felon-friendly job fair,” the Second Chance hiring event was sponsored by Iowa WORKS of Fort Dodge in partnership with AFES, the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance, and the Iowa Department of Corrections. Brian Pibal, local career planner for Iowa WORKS, explains that this unique type of job fair is based ...

America at 250: Expansion of a new nation started with trip along the Ohio River

Editor’s note: It is impossible to tell the story of the nation without telling the story of the Ohio River Valley. Long before interstate highways and railroads connected the expanding republic, it was the rivers that served as the young nation’s first true highway westward. Through ...

From our files: May 2011

Coal, gypsum were key to growth of Fort Dodge

In Fort Dodge, there is a restaurant called Mineral City Mill and Grill. South of town, there is an off-highway vehicle park called Gypsum City. Also south of Fort Dodge is an unincorporated village called Coalville. All of those mineral-inspired names are a tribute to the long ...

Living on the road

Just in time for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Bill Clevlen is coming to the Fort Dodge Public Library to discuss his new book, “Presidential Road Trip: 100 Places to Explore and Experience in the History of American Presidents,” at noon Thursday May 21. A ...

Northwest Financial Corp. earns Top Workplace USA

Northwest Financial Corp. has been awarded a 2026 Top Workplace USA. The award honors organizations with 150 or more employees that have created exceptional, people-first cultures. The winners are recognized for their commitment to fostering a workplace environment that values employee listening and engagement. The winners are determined by authentic employee feedback captured through a confidential survey conducted by Energage, the HR research and technology company behind the Top Workplaces program since 2006. The results are calculated based on employee responses to statements about ...