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Editorial

Laptop donations will simplify workload of child care providers

Being entrusted with watching over and teaching some of the youngest children in the community is a massive responsibility. It is one the workers in child care centers throughout the Fort Dodge region enthusiastically tackle every day. The work includes hundreds of interactions with the kids every day. Plus, there is training and continuing education for the child care providers. Piled on top of all that is the need for bookkeeping and maintaining all kinds of other records. Recent donations from the group Linking Families and Communities will help with the training and recordkeeping ...

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 ...

Otho adds free library, pantry

There is a pair of new white cupboards outside near the City Hall in Otho. One is filled with DVDs and books. The other is filled with canned goods and other non-perishable foods. Neither of them is locked, for that would defeat the purpose of the community’s new Little Free Library and Little Free Pantry. Both of them were set up by the Otho Betterment Committee recently. The Little Free Library concept has been around for awhile and outdoor cabinets full of books have been cropping up throughout the Fort Dodge region. People can stop by one and grab something to read at no ...

Law officers to visit doughnut shop for a great cause

The combination of cops and doughnuts has been the subject of bad jokes longer than anybody can remember. So upon learning that a bunch of law enforcement officers will be converging on Dunkin Donuts in Fort Dodge on Friday, one could be forgiven for groaning and waiting for the inevitable bad punchline. However, what everyone should be doing is applauding the officers, because their upcoming trip to the doughnut shop is all about raising money for the Special Olympics. The fundraising event is called Cop on a Rooftop. It will be held from 5 a.m. to noon. Representatives of the ...

Getting Decker Auditorium ready for tomorrow

Iowa Central Community College is a huge asset to Webster County and much of north central Iowa. It benefits both families and employers. Not only does the college offer high quality post-secondary education at an affordable cost, it has curricula that address the specific needs of area employers. In that regard, it is a major partner in helping to grow the economies of Fort Dodge and many nearby communities. For a half century, Iowa Central’s Decker Auditorium has served as the heart of the performing arts at the college. The auditorium has also served as a venue for performances ...

Move ahead with Badger Lake restoration

We live in a part of the Midwest where good lake fishing is not as readily available as in some close-by states. That’s one of the reasons that Badger Lake was built in 1965. As the centerpiece of John F. Kennedy Memorial Park, it has served our county well for a variety of recreational purpose including fishing. Now the lake needs major renovation so it can be enjoyed for many decades hence. The undertaking has been named the Badger Lake Restoration Project and will proceed if the Webster County Board of Supervisors approves a bid for the project at its Aug. 16 meeting. The ...