Iowa Central Community College is a remarkable success story. After more than a half century serving north central Iowa, this exceptional educational institution continues to grow stronger. This summer, an array of projects are underway that when finished will not only address some important ...

If you love a parade, plan to be in Des Moines Wednesday evening at 6:15 p.m. That’s when what’s billed as the state’s largest parade will be the kickoff event for what may well be the grandest of our nation’s state agricultural festivities — the Iowa State Fair. Iowans gathered ...

The ongoing negotiations between the United States and China regarding trade policies has created major difficulties for our nation’s farmers. In response to tariffs imposed by the U.S., the Chinese government has imposed a variety of retaliatory measures targeting American farmers. As a ...

The distinctive crack of a bat hitting a baseball will be heard at the ball diamond in Badger for decades to come. That wholesome bit of American tradition will continue there in large part due to the efforts of a baseball-loving family that the field is now named after. City officials and ...

It’s hard to believe, but area families are already beginning to think about the items that will be needed to send young folks back to school properly equipped and looking good. According to the National Retail Foundation, a typical family with children in school will spend nearly $600 on ...

Sometimes good things can happen in Washington. One did this week when the Senate approved a common-sense bill to help veterans of military service. It is called the Veteran STEM Scholarship Improvement Act, S 2011. It was introduced by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. Co-sponsors were senators Ted ...

One of the striking warnings in a recent Pentagon white paper on the growing strategic threat from Russia is that its president, Vladimir Putin, could pull a “reverse Nixon” and play his own version of the “China card” with the United States, a reference to the former president’s ...

U.S. senators were told last week that the federal government should have a bigger role in protecting states’ election systems from computer hackers such as those working for Russia. That sounds reasonable. Proposals that Uncle Sam have more power over us almost always do. A report ...

During the long, hot days of summer, Iowans often turn to rivers and lakes for some fun ways to cool off. Heading out on the water in a boat, canoe, kayak or even just an inner tube is a good way to relax. And if common sense and a life jacket are used, it’s generally pretty safe, ...

Health care is expensive. For families all across our nation the biggest concern about health care is not its availability, but rather how they will pay for needed treatments and medicines. That’s true even for people with state-of-the-art insurance. Confronted with huge payouts to health ...

President Trump and congressional leaders have struck a bipartisan deal on a two-year federal spending plan, and while all the details are not clear, three big takeaways are. First, a deal beats no deal. Before the agreement, the government was on its way to running out of legal borrowing ...

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was something completely natural that could take care of at least some water pollution problems? It turns out there are such things. They’re called wetlands and they have the capability of removing nitrates from water. In simplest terms, the process works ...

After the final bell of the 2018-2019 academic year rang earlier this summer at Southeast Valley Middle School, Andy Peterson, the school’s industrial technology teacher, got ready to go back to class. The class he returned to wasn’t at a university. It was at the John Deere plant in ...

We do not quarrel with the decision on Thursday by majority Republican leaders in the Iowa Legislature to not put the state’s medical cannabis program on the agenda for interim study committees this year. That they pledged to put the issue “at the forefront of the 2020 legislative ...

There are many ways that downtown districts can be made vital. In some communities where central commercial venues have waned, revival of the city centers has been accomplished in part by incorporating architectural masterpieces from earlier days in the plans for tomorrow. That’s part of ...

During a recent round of town hall and other meetings back home in Iowa, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst discovered there is widespread concern all across the state that Congress has yet to approve the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. This trade pact was signed on Nov. 30, 2018. To become effective ...

The state softball tournament first arrived on Fort Dodge’s doorstep nearly 50 years ago, when a freshly-christened Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports Complex was still in the beginning stages of its development. So much has changed since 1970. The sport has evolved. The Iowa Girls High School ...

Editor’s note: The following editorial was published in The Messenger on July 21, 1969. One billion dollars in 1969 would be nearly $7 billion today. Man has landed and walked on the moon. That the “man” was an American is a source of great pride for all of us ... and that includes those ...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm to School Program makes grants available to school districts and other organizations to support projects that connect American young people with farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers in their communities. According to the USDA, this grant ...

When a politician makes a promise, it’s not uncommon for voters to respond with skepticism. When U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley says he will do something, however, it’s a good idea to pay close attention — the Iowa Republican has a history of following through on his pledges. Many years ...