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Editorial

Lawmakers shouldn’t change funding for job training program

Tucked inside an economic development bill that probably contains many good things is a provision that would severely inhibit and maybe even end an effective job training program. The measure would make a change in the way an employee training program commonly called 260E is paid for. That number and letter combination refers to the exact section in Iowa law where the program is described and authorized. The 260E program enables community colleges to provide training for companies that are adding 50 or more employees. Locally, Nestle Purina PetCare, Cargill and CJ Bio America ...

Corrections workers are unsung heroes

Anyone who took the time to read the entire Iowa criminal code would come across an offense entitled assault by an inmate with bodily fluids or secretions. Yes, that offense does exist in state law. And yes, the offense is as gross as it sounds. But that kind of an assault is one of the things county jailers and state corrections officers must contend with. Everyone is well aware that law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel risk their lives every day to protect us. But there is another group of people that risk their lives every day to protect the ...

Travelers must take advantage of new Denver flights

For five years, United Express has provided its Fort Dodge passengers with convenient flights to Chicago - O’Hare International Airport, where they can transfer to United Airlines flights to the rest of the country and the world. Someone can board a plane at Fort Dodge Regional Airport, fly to Chicago, walk to their next gate and fly to their final destination. It’s a seamless transfer - there’s no need to retrieve suitcases and check them in again. And Chicago is a logical place to get flights to the eastern and southern United States. But if a passenger’s destination is ...

Local food pantries deserve support

Over the last few years, the United States has experienced a surge in inflation that has probably not been seen since the 1970s. The war with Iran is now fueling inflation, literally. The price of oil has gone up, which means the prices of gasoline and diesel fuel will do the same. We have already seen proof of that at local filling stations. And higher fuel prices will push the prices of everything else up because everything is at some point transported by a truck or a train that burns fuel. Everyone is feeling the hit of higher prices. And for some of our neighbors, that hit is ...

D/SAOC Cake Auction time is coming

It’s not too early to start thinking about the D/SAOC Cake Auction. One of the tastiest fundraisers this community has traditionally experienced is the annual auction conducted by the Domestic/Sexual Assault Outreach Center. This online event enables people to indulge their sweet tooth while generating money that is vitally needed to help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. It begins at 10 a.m. March 26 and ends at 7 p.m. March 30. It is traditionally known as the Cake Auction. For years, bakers tried to outdo each other with elaborate cakes that went on the ...

The time has come to end Daylight Saving Time

People across Iowa will set their clocks forward one hour tonight because of Daylight Saving Time. That means if they go to bed at their regular time they will lose an hour of sleep. Hopefully, they will also replace the batteries in their smoke detectors that use 9-volt batteries. Serving as a reminder to replace the smoke detector batteries is a nice advantage of the twice yearly ritual of changing the clocks. The other advantages to changing the clocks are less and less apparent. For as long as anybody can remember, Iowans have been changing their clocks twice a year for ...