Tens of millions of Americans will do most, if not all, their holiday season shopping with giant online retail operations this year. They will argue that it is more convenient or safer for them to do so rather than patronize local brick-and-mortar stores. Local retailers, from mom-and-pop ...

You may hear of a place called Swede Bend, but you won’t find it on any map. Swede Bend isn’t — and never was — a proper town. The name refers to a sweeping curve in the Des Moines River along the border of Hamilton and Webster counties. In the 1800s many Swedish immigrants settled ...

Not long ago, a group of people dashed through a closed supermarket, putting groceries in carts as fast as they possibly could. No, they weren’t looting the place. In fact, they were doing a good deed that will help hungry people in the Fort Dodge area. The people filling those shopping ...

The death of a loved one is the emotional equivalent of getting hit by a train. There’s almost nothing that can create the bewildering range of emotions that the death of a loved one can generate. The range of emotions can include anger, fear, sadness, loneliness and other feelings that ...

As Christmas approaches, the campground at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park is once again being transformed into a holiday wonderland. The 18th annual Lights at Kennedy will help make the season more festive for area residents and visitors. Additionally, the event raises money to support the ...

The cynics in our world are quick to assert that college students live in a self-indulgent, self-centered world where truly being a part of the community where the college is located is simply not a priority. For some students, that may be true. It’s certainly not the case, however, for the ...