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Local Columns

Continuing a strong health care legacy for our community

This past year, we celebrated 130 years of being our community’s trusted health partner. With stories and insights of our legacy from those who came before us, we are inspired and reminded of the legacy we’re continuing to build in Fort Dodge. As we look to a new year, I am proud to share ...

Education funding passes Iowa Senate

With the first floor debate of the year, the Senate passed our K-12 education funding proposal. Senate File 167 is a $235 million increase for K-12 education in Iowa. When combined with last year’s budgeted amount for education, Iowa’s total amount in state aid for schools will come to ...

EMS as an essential service: Why it’s important for Fort Dodge

One critical component of ensuring the safety and well-being of Fort Dodge citizens is emergency medical services (EMS), which, despite its integral role in public safety, is not currently classified as an essential service. This leaves the community vulnerable and exposes local businesses to ...

Iowa House proposes more aid for public schools

We are four weeks from the first legislative funnel. Bills that originated in the House must pass a House full committee for them to be considered on the floor. This excludes appropriation and tax bills. State Supplemental Aid for Schools SSA funding for our public schools is one of the ...

Iowa government reorganization is working

In 2023, the Iowa legislature passed a massive government reorganization bill with the goal of making government more efficient, aligning similar departments and eliminating redundancies. While it was estimated to save a decent amount of money over the next several years, the governor announced ...