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SBA’s fast fraud, made to order.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is running a drive-thru for fraudsters, serving up tax dollars from COVID-19 assistance programs to career crooks, violent criminals, and even felons still behind bars to grab-and-go. The agency cut billions of dollars of checks to almost anyone who asked, in any amount requested, without even doing simple background checks or verifying the accuracy of applications. As a result, the programs provided the cash for violent street gangs to obtain firearms and conduct other illicit, illegal activity, according to federal investigators. SBA’s ...

Building the border wall and fighting the fentanyl crisis

President Biden has overseen the worst border crisis in recent memory. Since the beginning of his administration, more than 5.5 million illegal immigrants have crossed our border, and in July alone, illegal border crossings increased by 30 percent. This has not happened by accident. The Biden Administration’s policies have intentionally exacerbated this crisis by failing to enforce our laws, hold drug traffickers accountable for their crimes, and protect our families from the fentanyl crisis. Simply put, if President Biden refuses to secure our border, stop the flow of fentanyl ...

End of era when Wicker, Kirkberg, Olson served Fort Dodge’s jewelry needs

Back in the day, there were three family-owned jewelry businesses on Central Avenue – Wicker, Kirkberg and Olson – all mainstays of a then-vital downtown Fort Dodge retail scene that even included stores open for Monday night shopping. Any day now, the last of the three to survive – ...

11 of the ‘Best Days Ever’

The start of August signals that summer is winding down. Students begin preparing to head back to school, fall activities ramp up, and farmers start to look ahead to harvest while hoping for a few more rain showers. But before the pace changes for many of us, there’s one last, very big hurrah that most Iowans know and love – the great Iowa State Fair. It’s truly the Super Bowl of Iowa agriculture. There are many reasons why I love the Iowa State Fair, but perhaps, most importantly, it’s a wonderful opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to learn about ...

Quality of life and workforce

Communities with a higher quality of life generally experience both higher employment and population growth. Our region’s elected officials and leaders understand this and have invested in improving the quality of life initiatives, such as trails, arts, and culture, and other such amenities. Understanding that a vibrant business climate also impacts quality of life is in our wheelhouse at the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance. Having a solid business climate attracts customers, employs residents, and gives consumers more choice for buying everything from groceries to furniture to ...

Whistleblowers shine light on wrongdoing

Q: What is Whistleblower Appreciation Day? A: Throughout my work on behalf of Iowans in Congress, I take seriously my constitutional oversight responsibilities to ensure the government works for the American people, not the other way around. Whistleblowers play a crucial role by shining light on wrongdoing. As co-founder and co-chair of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus, I reintroduced a bipartisan resolution to designate July 30 as “National Whistleblower Appreciation Day” for the 10th consecutive year. This resolution celebrates the courageous contributions of unsung ...