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Editorial

Iowa Central Community College is key to area economy

A recent report on the economic impact of Iowa Central Community College contains a head-spinning array of big numbers, all of which are big in a positive way. But if you want to zero in on the importance the college has for Webster County and eight nearby counties it is helpful to look at one fact contained in the report. It shows that one out of every 27 jobs in the region is supported by the college. Think about that for a second. One out of 27 jobs is supported by the college. In other words, if the college didn’t exist one out of every 27 workers might not have a job. ...

MNW students provide tasty, nutritious help

When there is a crisis, such as the deadly tornadoes that pounded south central Iowa on March 5, reaching out to help is a natural reaction for residents of our state. In the aftermath of the storm, volunteers rolled into the Winterset and Norwalk areas to help clean up and to provide supplies to people who lost their homes. Those residents also got a long distance assist in the form of meals and treats from Manson Northwest Webster High School. Led by Jessica Lavicky, a family and consumer science teacher, 18 students prepared about 120 meals in the school over the course of about ...

Sunshine Week affirms freedom of speech

For more than two centuries, the bedrock of our liberty and prosperity as Americans has been our right to know what is going on around us and to discuss it freely. Our nation’s founders believed that was so important that when they wrote the Bill of Rights, they made freedom of speech the First Amendment. This week, we celebrate Sunshine Week, a time designated to think about that freedom and the importance of defending it. We in the newspaper business believe freedom of the press is critical — and always under attack. Warnings these days about “fake news” merely bring out ...

Second legislative funnel will reduce bills to be considered

The first funnel date has passed by and the second funnel date is this week. As you recall, the first funnel killed any bills that were not out of committee in the chamber where they originated. So, House files had to be out of House standing committees and Senate files had to be out of Senate standing committees. The second funnel, which is Friday, forces House files to be out of Senate committees and Senate files to be out of House committees. Bills that do not make it out of their respective committees will die in the second funnel. Governor’s Student First Scholarship ...

Donation from Linking Families and Communities helps babies

Ezra Peterson hit the sack – literally – for an afternoon nap recently. That sack was a HALO SleepSack, a sort of sleeping bag with arm holes for babies. It keeps the little ones nice and warm as they sleep on their backs. Sleeping on their backs is the recommended position for babies because it greatly reduces any risk of suffocation from excess bedding. Linking Families and Communities has donated about 1,600 of the SleepSacks to UnityPoint Health – Trinity Regional Medical Center in Fort Dodge and Stewart Memorial Community Hospital in Lake City. That supply is expected to ...

Iowa Central shows enrollment increases

Iowa Central Community College continues to attract students to its high caliber programs and is seeing hefty increases in enrollment. The college’s Board of Directors was recently informed that the total number of students is 4,557 across its three campuses in Fort Dodge, Storm Lake and Webster City. That’s up 7.9 percent. Those students come from 94 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Additionally, the student body includes people from 44 of the 50 states. There are also students from 33 other countries. In addition to the head count, educational administrators pay a lot of attention to ...