News

Actively seeking acceptance

Inclement weather did not stymie the spectrum of smiles and statements of support that were on display during the 8th Annual Autism Acceptance Walk and Resource Fair held Saturday at the Fort Dodge Middle School. Due to sporadic thunderstorms, the planned walk was relocated to the middle school’s hallways, with over a hundred participants marching for autism acceptance and inclusion. Sponsored locally by Facing Autism, Inc., the Autism Walk occurs annually in April to coincide with National Autism Acceptance Month, formerly known as Autism Awareness Month. Initiated nationally ...

From our files: April 2011

The orphans of spring

’Tis the season. All critters in the wild, great and small, are having babies. Sometimes, they leave those babies, then people find them. Then the trouble starts. That’s when Matthew Petersen, Iowa DNR conservation officer for Webster and Humboldt counties, gets involved. ...

Former Eagle Grove officer sentenced

EAGLE GROVE — A former Eagle Grove police officer will serve jail time after pleading guilty to sending obscene images to a minor. Colt Richardson, 28, was fired from the Eagle Grove Police Department in December 2024 after he was accused of repeatedly sending inappropriate Snapchat messages to a teen and of sending an inappropriate image to her. According to court documents, at least one of those messages was sent while he was on duty. Richardson pleaded guilty in January to two counts of disseminating obscene materials to a minor and one charge of first-degree harassment. ...

Smith named executive director of finance for UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge

UnityPoint Health — Trinity Regional Medical Center announced AJ Smith as the executive director of finance. “AJ brings extensive experience in health care finance, business transformation and strategic planning,” said Leah Glasgo, president of UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge. “In his role, AJ will partner closely with our senior leadership to drive financial performance, strategic planning and operational excellence.” Smith most recently served as director of business transformation at Mary Greely Medical Center in Ames. He also works as an adjunct professor at the ...

The making of America’s first president

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of 12 weekly stories focusing on America’s 250th birthday, as told through the lens of our communities and the role many of the places we call home played in shaping the nation before, during and after the Revolutionary War. This week we ...