Breaking News

Editorial

Residents should attend tonight’s candidate forum

In an election year, the races for national and state offices usually get the most attention, but it is the campaigns for local offices, such as county boards of supervisors, which can have the most impact on the everyday lives of Iowans. In Webster County there are two seats on the Board of Supervisors which will be filled by the voters on Nov. 8. In District 1, Republican Supervisor Keith Dencklau is retiring after 16 years in office. Democrat Tommy Coleman and Republican Austin Hayek are vying to replace him. District 1 includes Badger, Duncombe, parts of northeastern Fort Dodge, ...

New owners seek bright future for Laramar Ballroom

For 118 years, the building that we know today as the Laramar Ballroom has stood at 710 First Ave. N. It opened in 1904 as a National Guard armory. Decades later, the soldiers moved to a different location and the site became an entertainment venue. Buddy Holly and J.P. Richardson, also known as The Big Bopper, took the stage there for one of their final concerts. There were many other dances, gatherings and even mixed martial arts fights there in the following years. Recently, the Laramar Ballroom has been closed and empty. Some local investors are working to change that. Chris ...

Colliding with a train is a no-win situation

Take a long admiring, look at your personal vehicle some time, and then think back on the last time you saw a train. The difference between the two is spectacular. You may have the biggest, most tricked out SUV or pickup and it still won’t stand a chance against a diesel locomotive if the two collided. That big SUV, or any other vehicle for that matter, would be squashed like an old beer can. And if a person was struck by a train, the consequences would be too horrible to contemplate. The nation’s railroads stress safety, especially during this week designated Railroad Safety ...

Schools are starting — drive safely

It won’t be that long before cooler weather becomes the norm rather than the exception — summer is drawing to a close. Even though the calendar shows another month of summer to be enjoyed, for students, vacation days are ending. All across Iowa, young folks are heading back to school this week. Classes at St. Edmond Catholic School begin Tuesday. Classes at Fort Dodge Community School District begin Wednesday. That makes it especially important that each of us resolve to keep our streets and highways safe during a time of year when youngsters are present on or near roadways at ...

Shellabration Inc. is an asset to Fort Dodge

Jim Reed, Ted Bodensteiner and all the other volunteers who make up Shellabration Inc. have pulled off another musical masterpiece. Last Saturday, thousands of people crammed into the intersection of Central Avenue and Ninth Street for this year’s Downtown Country Jam. They were treated to rousing performances by the Tank Anthony Band, Jake McVey and Big & Rich. Hundreds of local volunteers worked behind the scenes for months to make the show possible, then shifted into really high gear the day before the concert to get everything set up. Then the day after the show, they took down ...

Fort Dodge, area residents can be thankful for good water service

When the folks in Jackson, Mississippi, turn the handles on their water faucets, water may or may not come out. And the city was under a boil advisory for about seven weeks, which meant if people got any water from their faucets they had to boil it before drinking it or cooking with it to get rid of any nasty bacteria. And this is happening in a modern American city. We in Fort Dodge and surrounding communities are fortunate and indeed downright spoiled. Water comes out of our faucets. We occasionally have boil advisories, especially in the smaller communities, when a water line ...