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Editorial

Iowa Central graduates are valuable to north central Iowa

Hundreds of blue-clad graduates filed into Hodges Fieldhouse on the Fort Dodge campus of Iowa Central Community College Friday to the traditional strains of “Pomp and Circumstance.” Friday’s double-header of commencement ceremonies marked the pinnacle of achievement that the graduates had worked for over the last year or two. When the ceremonies were done, the graduates walked out of the fieldhouse and into their futures. For a huge percentage of them, that future is right nearby. Community college graduates tend to stay in Iowa and fill key jobs in factories, health care ...

Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight is back

When a 737 roared into the sky above Fort Dodge Regional Airport just as the sun began to brighten the horizon this morning, one of the most unique and heartfelt tributes to area veterans was back in action. There were about 120 veterans aboard that plane, going to Washington, D.C., for free to see the nation’s war memorials. The trip was the 27th one conducted by the Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight. The first took place in 2010. Since then, about 3,600 veterans from 228 Iowa communities have made the journey. The Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight is largely the vision of one man, ...

Nurses dedicated to caring for all

There is perhaps no profession that is so intertwined with an individual’s life as nursing is. Nurses are there to help bring new life into the world. They administer the vaccines, and help people get through all the various illnesses and injuries of a lifetime. And at the very end, nurses care for people in their last days. Nurses provide care in the form of medicine and therapy. But they also provide it in the form of reassuring words and a comforting presence. In light of what they do for all of us, it is highly appropriate that we spend a little time honoring them. National ...

Governor, legislature must support community college funding

The Iowa legislature has gone into extra innings for its 2025 session, and the roughly $9 billion proposed state budget is the main obstacle to finishing it up. The lawmakers and Gov. Kim Reynolds are haggling over big, big numbers trying to get a spending plan hammered out. We would like to call their attention to one spending category that is kind of small by state budget standards but pays big, big dividends for our state. That spending category is state support for Iowa’s community colleges. Those 15 institutions now receive a total of $235.8 million from the state. The ...

Book sale, Go Big Go Dodgers highlight the week

The Friends of the Fort Dodge Public Library is now offering a good opportunity for everyone to expand their collection of books. That group is now conducting 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 beneath the tables. Something to satisfy just about any reading taste can be found on those tables. The sale is underway, so book lovers will want to get there as soon as they can to ensure they have a chance to ...

Sign up for fun at Frontier Days

Mention Frontier Days and perhaps the first thing that comes to mind for many people is the massive parade that moves down almost the entire length of Central Avenue. It’s a signature part of a traditional three-day event that celebrates the frontier heritage of Fort Dodge and truly launches the summer season. In addition to the parade, Frontier Days features music, food, games and live entertainment at the Fort Museum and Frontier Village. The 2025 version of Frontier Days is a little more than a month away. It will be held June 6-8. The theme for this year, which is the 50th ...