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 ...

It may not seem likely, but child care is a key driver of economic development. Now, that statement may leave some folks scratching their heads. How can providing a safe space for little ones help to power economic growth? Well, here’s how it works. Businesses obviously need workers if ...

Every year around the holidays, the generosity of people who live in and around Fort Dodge blossoms. The familiar red kettles of The Salvation Army get filled with change by people going in and out of stores. Donations flow for initiatives like Bikes for Tykes. Those are some of the ...