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Child homelessness is a crisis

Local Columns

United Way of Greater Fort Dodge is working hard to help homeless children in our community. Inflation is difficult to deal with for most families, but it is devastating for low-income families. In Webster County, the data shows that food costs have risen 21 percent to 30 percent since 2019, and gas prices are up 65 percent and rental rates for houses and apartments have increased by 31.9 percent. Because of this, eviction rates have increased dramatically. Fort Dodge is no exception. The actual number of homeless women and children in the greater Fort Dodge area is not known, but ...

‘Don’t learn safety by accident’

Editorial

Farms can be seen as quiet, peaceful places where the crops grow and animals graze in the pastures. Farms can indeed be such tranquil spots. But as all Iowans know, farming is an industry. And like all industries, there are certain hazards associated with it. Tractors can be in crashes on rural roads. Machines can snag arms and legs. Grain bins can become death traps. Most of those nightmare scenarios can be avoided by using common sense and basic safety precautions. National Farm Safety and Health Week, which begins Sunday and continues through Saturday, is a time dedicated to ...

A day for memories and fierce resolve

Editorial

Sept. 11, 2001, is a day etched in the memories of Americans. The horrifying images of what began as a beautiful September morning and changed abruptly into hellish chaos remain vivid. The heartbreak of that awful day stems not only from the innocent lives destroyed, but also from the shattered dreams of the survivors. These obscene acts of terrorism inspire in our hearts a fierce resolve to take the actions necessary to prevent a similar tragedy from claiming more lives. The American people opened their hearts to the families touched by the evil work of the terrorists. They also ...

Respect to servicemen

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: My older brother, Col. Warren A. Polking, is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. He would have been shocked and disgusted that a politician would have the gall to use the hallowed grounds of the cemetery for a political photo op. My younger brother, Lt. Mark R. Polking, probably falls into ex-President Trump's terminology “suckers and losers” as he lost his life when his jet plane flamed out while serving his country in the U.S. Air Force. There are approximately 3,500 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Its recipients combine the values of ...

We can’t let the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expire

Local Columns

In 2017, Congress passed, and President Donald Trump signed into law, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) — the single largest and most comprehensive reform of the tax code in decades. As promised, this legislation boosted our economy, strengthened our global competitiveness, and let American families, farmers, and small businesses keep more of their hard-earned money. Real median household income increased by $5,000, real wages rose at the fastest rate in 20 years, the child tax credit was doubled from $1,000 to $2,000 per child, the corporate tax rate was lowered to spur investment and ...

FD voters should approve franchise fee plan

Editorial

Fort Dodge now has a chance to get more police officers. It is a chance the voters must seize. Obviously, adding eight officers to the 40-member force will not be free. A franchise fee added to the gas and electric bills of MidAmerican Energy customers would generate the $1.8 million annually to make it possible. We urge the voters to approve that fee. We realize that no one wants to pay more in monthly bills. But in this instance, the benefits of doing so will far outweigh the comparatively low cost of the franchise fee. The fee would cost the typical residential customer about ...