Strengthening Families to start soon

February 20, 2020

To the editor: Strengthening Families for parents and youth 10-14 is about to start in Fort Dodge the week of March 1. This PROSPER program will begin its 19th year of programs with fifth-and-sixth-graders and their families. Families that participate in the programs delivered through PROSPER can expect: more time spent together as a family; to feel closer to one another, and to use more effective and consistent discipline. As one mom shared after the fall session, “I was hesitant to sign up at first due to the time commitment, however, it has been so well worth the time. Even ...

Says Iowa needs ranked choice voting

February 19, 2020

To the editor: Last week we have seen an unprecedented delay in the results of our Iowa Caucus. Our broken election process is so convoluted we still don’t have a definitive winner. We need a change and Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is the answer. The spoiler effect prevents people from voting for niche or third party candidates. RCV allows voters to vote for who they want to see in office by ranking their choices in order of preference—a drastic improvement to caucusing. What does it say about our voting process when our country is so polarized? RCV will unite this country around ...

Thank you for Hospice Ball support

February 12, 2020

To the editor: Our deepest thanks to Fort Dodge and the surrounding communities for your ongoing support of UnityPoint Hospice and quality end-of-life care. On Saturday, February 1st approximately 375 people gathered at the Starlite Village to attend the 28th Annual Hospice Ball – all united by a common thread: the UnityPoint Hospice program. We were honored to serve as co-chairs of the event. The Hospice Ball celebrates loved ones we have lost and raises awareness and funding to benefit UnityPoint Hospice patients. The evening included a buffet dinner, a program honoring those ...

Says the caucuses were a disaster

February 8, 2020

To the editor: What an embarrassment for the Iowa Democratic Party. The Democratic candidates and the media left Iowa Monday night not knowing who won the Iowa caucuses. The means of reporting caucus results was a disaster to say the least. I watched with interest just how those of the television networks would react. They showed great patience, but there were signs of growing frustration with the Iowa Democratic Party as the night wore on and numbers were not released. I have a feeling some around the country brushed it all off as what they expected from Iowa. After all it was Iowa, ...

A special thank you to the Ft. Dodge community

February 7, 2020

To the editor: The Salvation Army would like to thank the community for helping us help the needy and marginalized people in Webster County. Through your efforts our Angel Tree program brought toys and food to many families this Christmas season. With the help of many volunteers, our Red Kettle Campaign met our goal of $51,500. It is a blessing to see this community come together as one each holiday season. A special thanks goes out to the managers of Fareway, Hobby Lobby, Hy-Vee and Walmart for allowing us to bell ring at their locations. We also want to thank all the ...

Supports Randy Feenstra for Congress

February 1, 2020

To the editor: I favor Randy Feenstra as the best Republican challenger to Steve King. Feenstra has a strong record of helping Iowans in our district having lived, gone to school, and worked his entire life in our district. Feenstra played a large part in the Iowa tax reforms and has done more for Iowa than King considering that King has been nothing but a troublemaking firebrand who got stripped of his Congressional committee assignments for absolutely uncalled and unnecessary reasons. Feenstra has been quietly, carefully working at the state level with tangible, positive results. ...