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Editorial

National Gypsum supports local community

National Gypsum Co. has been a rock-solid presence in Fort Dodge and Webster County for generations. Although it is a significant contributor to the local economy, company leaders and workers at all levels believe National Gypsum owes something to the community. Company leaders say giving back to the communities where it does business is a core value of National Gypsum. The company proved that locally by recently giving the Fort Dodge Community School District a $40,000 grant. The money will be used to update the industrial technology program at Fort Dodge Middle School. “This ...

Bikes for Tykes brings cheer to kids

These days, cars, pickups and SUVs share the showroom of Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota with an entirely different kind of wheeled vehicle. That vehicle is the bicycle. And there are a lot of them, maybe hundreds of them, in the showroom. But before long they will be going out the doors to be distributed to kids who would not otherwise get a bicycle of their own. The effort is called Bikes for Tykes. The annual Bikes for Tykes drive has a simple mission: making Christmas merrier for youngsters. Each year hundreds of new bicycles are donated so that children in families facing ...

A thank you for a job well done

During a big winter storm such as the monster that dropped 13.5 inches of snow on Fort Dodge recently, lots of people like to stay inside, sipping their favorite hot beverage while they watch the white stuff pile up outside. But one group of people goes out in every storm, and the work of these unsung heroes makes it possible for everyone to travel in snowy conditions. They are the men and women who drive snowplows. They are employed by the Iowa Department of Transportation, counties and cities. Their mission requires them to maneuver big trucks and sometimes, motor graders and ...

Lights at Kennedy makes season bright

As Christmas approaches, the campground at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park has once again been transformed into a holiday wonderland. The 22nd annual Lights at Kennedy will help make the season more festive for area residents and visitors. Additionally, the event raises money to support local service groups. This is the first weekend that the lights are on. Actually, they went on Friday and are scheduled for Sunday evening, with Saturday cancelled due to inclement weather. The lights will also be on Dec. 12-14 and Dec. 19-21. Each day, the displays will be lit up from 6 p.m. to 9 ...

A Time for Angels helps those who mourn

The death of a loved one is the emotional equivalent of getting hit by a train. There’s almost nothing that can create the bewildering range of emotions that the death of a loved one can generate. The range of emotions can include anger, fear, sadness, loneliness and other feelings that defy ordinary description. And those emotions can hit hardest during the holiday season. The staff of Gunderson Funeral Home and Cremation Services is well aware of that. They also believe that grief shared is grief that is diminished. Keeley Gunderson came up with the idea for a community ...

This holiday season, support your hometown businesses

Tens of millions of Americans will do most, if not all, their holiday season shopping with giant online retail operations this year. They will argue that it is more convenient or safer for them to do so rather than patronize local brick-and-mortar stores. Now, Fort Dodge will soon become home to one of Amazon’s last-mile delivery stations. The massive building is being constructed now. This is great news for the future of the community, but it is no reason to give up on the existing local retailers. Local retailers, from mom-and-pop specialty shops to the big-box stores, rely on ...