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Editorial

Voting requires research

For the last year, Iowans have been immersed in numerous political campaigns for Congress, the governor’s office, the state legislature and various county offices. A lot of people may feel like they have been bombarded by non-stop political ads. With the primary election just days away, the campaigning will no doubt reach a fever pitch. In a democracy, that is to be expected. Every candidate for every office wants to get their message out and take a few jabs at their opponents. As fed up as folks may get with all of this campaigning they may forget that they are lucky to live in ...

Collaboration led to a new life for Exposition Park

Exposition Park in Fort Dodge has been a lot of different things over its many years of existence. Its newest version, to be unveiled Thursday, is an innovative one that shows how a rather plain patch of ground can become something attractive. And as is often the case in Fort Dodge and Webster County recently, it is a product of collaboration. In this case, that collaboration involved a couple of different city agencies and the Public Art Commission. But first a recap. The roughly three acres of ground along North Seventh Street near 14th Avenue North was a county fairgrounds a ...

Take the time to remember

Monday is Memorial Day. For many people, it is a time to welcome the summer season by taking advantage of a three-day holiday weekend to spend time relaxing with friends and family. It is important, however, not to forget what this day is truly about. Beginning soon after the Civil War, a day in May was set aside as a time to decorate with flowers the graves of the war dead. The original stimulus for this day came from the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union Army Civil War veterans. For many years it was called Decoration Day. Honoring those who gave their lives in ...

Big construction season in Fort Dodge will provide big benefits

If there is one thing Fort Dodge residents have consistently complained about over the years, it is the condition of the city’s streets. This year they may have something entirely different to complain about: the amount of road work that will be impacting their daily travels. It does no good to point fingers or accuse anyone of negligence, but the reality is that our city’s infrastructure problems were caused by years of neglect. Nothing was done to maintain and improve things. Over the last few years, that has been changing. And this year’s construction season promises to be ...

It’s time to honor EMS providers

In Webster County and all across America, teams of dedicated professionals stand ready to render medical assistance in emergencies. For some, this is their career. For many others, it is a volunteer undertaking that is performed in addition to their normal employment. It’s impossible to overstate how important emergency medical service (EMS) personnel can be to just about any of us in a moment when knowledgeable help is needed fast. Honoring the men and women who handle this vital work is appropriate at all times, but especially so just now. That’s because National EMS Week began ...

Postal Service should not be privatized

As we Americans celebrate the 250th birthday of our country this year, we ought to take a minute to appreciate an often maligned organization that has helped tie the nation together throughout its history. That organization is the United States Postal Service. Even in the age of email, the Postal Service has a key role in helping Americans communicate and do business. We ought to keep it that way. Privatizing the Postal Service would be a mistake that would result in less service and higher costs for citizens. Unfortunately, the concept of privatizing it has come up a couple of ...