Interaction between citizens and the officials they elect to represent them is crucial to a democracy. Citizens must be able to tell the officials what they want and what they don’t want. They must also be able to hold the officials accountable for their actions. The elected officials ...

Students at St. Paul Lutheran School will have a bit more than the usual class work this week. That’s because the Fort Dodge school will observe Lutheran Schools Week. Among other things, there will be an Awards Chapel. And on Friday and Saturday, the St. Paul Saints will host an annual ...

As the holiday season draws to a close each year, The Messenger’s writing staff embarks on a challenging adventure — producing a comprehensive look at how a wide array of developments in our region are shaping tomorrow. While every issue of this newspaper is filled with articles, features ...

Fort Dodge now has a chance to get more police officers, a slightly lower property tax rate and some extra money for quality of life programs. It is a chance that the City Council must seize. None of that — the additional officers, the lower levy rate or the money for quality of life — ...

During a big winter storm such as the one that blew into Fort Dodge Monday night, 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 ...

Just about everyone has called in sick at some point, saying they had the flu when they were sniffling, sneezing, maybe running a fever and generally feeling lousy. Those symptoms definitely add up to an illness, but the problem is not really the flu. Influenza, as it is properly known, is ...