Breaking News

Editorial

Youth trip to Kosovo deserves support

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has Americans thinking about foreign affairs in a way that they probably have not done in a long time. Among other things, the war has made it clear once again that peaceful bonds of friendship need to be forged between countries, and the United States is no exception. Iowa and Fort Dodge are already doing this, creating a new but steadily strengthening relationship with Kosovo and Gjakova, one of the cities in that relatively young Balkan nation. These relationships began in the early 2000s during the civil war in which Kosovo separated from Serbia. ...

Time to get outside and get moving

This past winter has been an interesting one, with plenty of cold days, one monster snow storm in January and an Easter snowfall to cap it off. Following all that, lots of folks are ready to get outside, stretch their legs and enjoy the company of others. Two upcoming events will provide a ideal chance to do all that. The first of those events is Third Thursday Fit Night. The Third Thursday Fit Night is a run/walk held, as the name implies, on the third Thursday of the month from April through October. This Thursday will be the first one for this year. Third Thursday Fit Night ...

PICA has major positive impact on Fort Dodge

The impact of a group of volunteers known as Pride In Community Appearance can be seen throughout Fort Dodge. Usually called PICA, the group makes the town look beautiful by taking care of flower beds and landscaping on public property. PICA members tend to flower beds in parks and around the welcome signs at the gateways to the community. They give the landscaping at Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports Complex a thorough grooming before the girls state softball tournament every summer. In perhaps the group’s biggest project, its members turned a stub of street off Martin Luther King ...

Unique attractions await along historic Highway 20

If you want to get across northern Iowa quickly and efficiently, by all means take four-lane U.S. Highway 20. Advocates for the highway worked for about 60 years to get it widened to four lanes as a way to grow the economy of the northern tier of the state. But if you want to take a leisurely road trip, see some unique sites, and enjoy some food and beverages, there is a part of the highway that is perfect for that, too. The original U.S. Highway 20 was laid out in 1926, and much of that first route is still intact. The Historic Route 20 Association, a national group, is ...

Donations make new biofuels lab possible

All the ethanol and biodiesel that gets pumped into fuel tanks across Iowa has to meet state standards, and the place where those biofuels are tested against the standards is in Fort Dodge. The biofuels lab at Iowa Central Community College is more than a teaching facility. It is the official analytical laboratory for the state’s Bureau of Weights and Measures.The lab was started in about 2007. A bipartisan effort by federal and state legislators secured the money to get it started. The key players were former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, a Democrat; former U.S. Rep. Tom Latham, a ...

Special Olympics volunteers to be honored

When about 150 Special Olympics athletes enter Dodger Stadium this morning for their track and field competition, some of their biggest supporters won’t be present. Tim Flaherty, Donna Gutknecht, Charles Johnson, Laurie Mullen and Lis Ristau will not be in the stadium. But the dedication that they demonstrated to support Special Olympics athletes will be remembered and honored. All of them passed away within the last year or so. They will be honored during the opening ceremonies, set for 9 a.m. today in the stadium. Flaherty was the store director of the Fort Dodge ...