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Editorial

Grants will put federal relief money into the hands of local businesses

Small businesses throughout Webster County that took a financial beating at the height of the COVID pandemic and didn’t get much help now have a second chance at relief. The Webster County Board of Supervisors, working with the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance, is once again offering grants for those businesses. Last year, the board chose to use some of of the county’s share of its federal COVID relief money to offer grants of $2,500 to $10,000. The first of those grants were awarded in January. Applications are once again being accepted for the Webster County Business ...

Used book sale offers good reading for a great cause

Reading a good book is a great way to spend a rainy spring afternoon. And with summer coming up, chances are people will be wanting something to read on the beach, on a plane or on the back porch at home. The Friends of the Fort Dodge Public Library is now offering a good opportunity for everyone to expand their collection of reading materials. That group is now holding the spring version of its twice yearly used book sale. There are tables stretching the length of the library’s big meeting room and they are covered with books for sale. There are even some books still in boxes ...

May is Beef Month in Iowa

Gov. Kim Reynolds has officially proclaimed May as Beef Month in Iowa. For many of us, every month is a time to partake of a food that ranks high on the list of culinary favorites. It’s no secret that Americans have a love affair with beef. That’s been true for generations and the demand for this tasty and healthy product is on the rise — up about 15 percent in the last decade. The passion for beef is widely shared. It is the beef industry’s vital role in the state’s economy, however, that warrants special recognition. The governor took note in her proclamation of some ...

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE

Sports are my passion, but I’ll let you in on a little secret: I’m also a big fan of musicals. To clarify, I’m no aficionado — mostly just an admirer from afar. This dates back to witnessing my first Fort Dodge Senior High performance, a rousing rendition of “Oklahoma!” in the ...

We are grateful for your sacrifice

More than 6 million served in the Korean War. Almost 9 million GIs were on active duty during the Vietnam War, from 1964 to 1973; 2,709,918 Americans actually served in Vietnam. That’s 9.7 percent of their generation. For nearly a decade, the Honor Flight program has made it possible for thousands of those veterans to visit the memorials to their personal sacrifices. Locally, Ron Newsum heads a committee that has organized and carried out repeated Brushy Creek Area Honor Flights. Another is about to take off from Fort Dodge Regional Airport in Fort Dodge. They will include ...

It’s time to rejuvenate the Lincoln neighborhood

One of the oldest neighborhoods in Fort Dodge is just north of downtown. People have been living there since the late 1800s. The area is called the Lincoln neighborhood, getting its name from the old Lincoln School which once stood where the St. Edmond practice fields are now along North 10th Street. Over time, the neighborhood deteriorated. Once grand homes decayed, and the area developed a sordid reputation. In the last few years, the city government has stepped in to address that decay by purchasing and demolishing old houses. Vacant lots now line North Eighth Street in the heart of ...