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Good reading for a good cause

The weather is colder and every day it gets darker just a little bit earlier. When it is chilly and dark outside, it is a perfect time to relax inside with a good book. The Friends of the Fort Dodge Public Library is now offering a good opportunity for everyone to expand their collection of reading materials. That group is now starting the fall 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 ...

Support Coats for Kids

It’s hard to imagine facing an Iowa winter without a warm coat. Sadly, some area youngsters could be confronted with just that prospect if their families are facing a challenging economic situation. Fortunately, however, through the combined efforts of Shimkat Motor Co. and the Community Health Center of Fort Dodge many of these young folks will have warm coats and other winter wear as the colder, wintry days arrive. This joint project — called Coats for Kids — accepts donations of new and gently used winter coats, along with hats, scarves, mittens and snow boots. All sizes are ...

Chief justice’s legacy to be honored with volunteer efforts

Fairly and correctly administering the law was a form of public service that Mark Cady turned into his life’s work. Cady, the Fort Dodge man who was the chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court when he died in November 2019, was a steady presence in courtrooms for nearly 40 years. He began his judicial career as a Webster County district associate court judge. He steadily moved up the ranks of the state’s judiciary, becoming a district court judge, judge of the Iowa Court of Appeals and justice of the Iowa Supreme Court. He became chief justice in 2010. During that time, he heard ...

It’s time to put trivia knowledge, driving skills to work

Have you ever been accused of having a trivial mind? Now, we don’t mean that in any insulting way. But if you have a mind for obscure facts and figures – the stuff that forms the basis of trivia games – you have a gift that can be put to use helping to make sure that some of the older residents in our community will be assured of getting at least one hot meal a day. Meals on Wheels, the organization that delivers that food, is having a trivia game night Saturday as a fundraiser. It begins at 6 p.m. at Willow Ridge Golf Course, 1788 Madison Ave. The cost is $50 per person, and ...

Be part of area effort to support our troops overseas

There are still thousands of American troops who are stationed not only far from home, but thousands of miles away from the United States. They are on the frontlines, protecting our rights and freedoms in a world that seems increasingly scary. An effort now getting underway will enable folks from northwest Iowa to send those soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines a few comforts of home in the form of care packages that will arrive as the holiday season gears up. And people will be able to be a part of this effort without lugging anything to the post office. The troop care package ...

Keep the buses rolling safely

Riding the big yellow bus is an essential part of the school day for thousands of local children. Those school buses do more than take kids to and from class. They are also the transportation to field trips, sports events and other activities. With so many buses on the road carrying students from pre-school to seniors in high school, safety is of paramount importance. That’s why the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa State Patrol have stringent standards for school buses. But the rest of us on the road also have some responsibility for keeping the kids on those buses ...