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To benefit their community, bicyclists hit the trails

Editorial

A large convoy of bicyclists cruised through Fort Dodge and parts of Webster County last weekend. Everyone in the group looked like they were having fun. And while doing so, they made a contribution to the future of their community. The bicycle jaunt was the Prairie Rivers Trail Ride, an annual event in which cyclist pedal in honor of someone and raise money for a cause dear to that person. This year, the ride was in honor of the late Joan Meyer, an avid cyclist and leader of a RAGBRAI team. All the money generated by the ride was despised ina fund managed by the Fort Dodge ...

Impressed with lt. gov. candidate Muhlbauer​

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: I first met Dave Muhlbauer back in 2019 through our work as county supervisors. We’ve known each other for a while now, and I can say this without hesitation: the guy’s the real deal. Dave’s a fifth-generation farmer from western Iowa. When he talks about ag, rural communities, or what farming families are dealing with right now, it’s not something somebody handed him on a sheet of talking points. It’s his day-to-day life. I also know him as somebody who’ll work with pretty much anybody when there’s work to get done. He knows what he believes. He’ll tell ...

Medicare for all? Here's the missing truth

Local Columns

Ever since I was in Congress there was a group of people that wanted some form of universal healthcare. It would include one healthcare provider through the federal government, which they frequently refer to as "Medicare for all." However, there is a huge difference between Medicare which is ...

Elanco, Iowa Central launch innovative apprenticeship program

Editorial

Every industrial facility needs people to keep all of the different systems running so that the site can fulfill its mission of making products that are wanted and needed. But in this region it can be hard to find the people with the skills to perform those maintenance mechanic jobs. The obvious answer is to train people so that they have the needed skills, but that can be a big task to take on. That is what makes a new partnership between Iowa Central Community College and Elanco, a Fort Dodge manufacturer of vaccines and medicines that veterinarians depend on, so exciting. In the ...

Supporting veterans in their greatest time of need

Local Columns

Throughout my tenure in Congress, I have been committed to ensuring Iowa’s veterans have the resources they need. The brave men and women who have selflessly worn our nation’s uniform have made extraordinary sacrifices for our freedom. While we can never fully repay them for their service, ...

Safety is driving construction of roundabouts

Editorial

One of the various construction projects impacting local drivers this summer is north of Fort Dodge, where Nelson Avenue and 170th Street intersect. That road juncture just south of Fort Dodge Regional Airport is being converted from a traditional one in which the roads meet at right angles to each other to a circular one called a roundabout. If it seems like you are seeing more and more roundabouts as you drive around, it is because there are more of them. There are 150 roundabouts in the state, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. The local inventory already ...