An arborist from ISU recently reminded me of the vital lifesaving importance of trees, a fact that is frequently underestimated. This is especially true of long-lived oak trees and the most majestic of the oaks, the bur oak. Consequently, it hurt to see a stately and healthy bur oak removed ...
Cops and doughnuts have been the subjects of bad jokes longer than anybody can remember. So upon learning that a bunch of law enforcement officers will be converging on Dunkin Donuts in Fort Dodge on Friday, one could be forgiven for groaning and waiting for the inevitable bad ...
If a seat on the United States Supreme Court opens up, President Trump must nominate a judge and the GOP-majority Senate must, if the nominee is qualified, confirm him or her. Undoubtedly, there will be a loud and raucous chorus of voices decrying such a maneuver and we are already hearing ...
To most Americans in 21st-century America, Labor Day is not an important holiday. It marks the unofficial end of summer. As such, it affords a three-day weekend to pursue summertime passions one last time before the weather cools. For most of us, it has little additional meaning. It may ...
Gov. Kim Reynolds is determined to get our state prepared for the rapidly changing workplace challenges of the 21st century. The governor’s strong commitment to the Future Ready Iowa initiative is part of her game plan for accomplishing that important goal. Future Ready Iowa seeks to make ...
Decker Truck Line Inc. is Fort Dodge’s ambassador to travelers on the nation’s highways. Along the millions of miles of U.S. interstates and roadways, the bright red-and-gold semi-trailer trucks operated by its drivers make no secret that they’re from Fort Dodge. The city’s name is ...
The Trump administration’s migrant policy has been troubling in many respects from Day One. Now, we are concerned that the administration’s decision to allow federal officials to hold migrant families indefinitely is another bad policy in the making. Every nation has the right to protect ...
The 2019 incarnation of the Dayton National Championship Rodeo will attract large crowds this Labor Day weekend – deservedly so. What began more than eight decades ago as the dream of three young cowboys – Allen Porter, Duane Vegors and Vern Danielson – has grown to a four-day event ...
To the editor: Back to School event was a Success! This being our 16th annual Back to School Bash, we were pleased to partner with the Fort Dodge Middle School on the location this year. It was the perfect place to bring the families together before school starts for a fun evening of ...
To the editor: On behalf of the Fort Dodge Athletic Department, I would like to thank all the individuals involved with our FDSH Athletic Booster Golf Outing. It is the generosity of the donors and golfers that make events such as this fantastic. With your support we can provide our students ...
When the medical staff at UnityPoint Health — Trinity Regional Medical Center has a particularly distraught child to care for, the doctors and nurses have a specialist they can call upon. When she gets the call, Sarah comes into the patient’s room on all four legs. Her friendly and furry ...
Recycling is a beneficial thing to do. It reduces the amount of material that gets buried in landfills and is left to decay for decades to come. It also reduces the demand for our natural resources by enabling certain materials to be used over again. Over the years, people in Fort Dodge ...
The push to get congressional approval for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement negotiated in 2018 by the Trump administration is at a crucial stage. It’s imperative that lawmakers promptly back USMCA. This pact has some similarities to the North American Free Trade Agreement it succeeds, but ...
The fairs are over. It won’t be that long before cooler weather becomes the norm rather than the exception — summer is drawing to a close. Even though the calendar shows another month of summer to be enjoyed, for students, vacation days are ending. All across Iowa, young folks are heading ...
The key part Iowa’s caucuses play in the process through which our major political parties select their nominees for president will put Iowa at the heart of the 2020 campaign for the next few months. Our caucuses get enormous attention from the national news media because they come at the ...
Fort Dodge Community: I love the first day of school! As a superintendent, this is by far my favorite day. Everyone is happy. Parents are happy, teachers and staff are happy, and even students (though they will not admit it) are happy. There is something undeniably special about the start of ...
Getting U.S. troops out of Afghanistan would be quite a coup for President Donald Trump. It would give him a foreign policy advantage going into next year’s election — one no Democratic candidate could criticize. But would it also be setting the stage for a bloodbath? Would it mean a ...
There’s a unique opportunity available for area teenagers who want to see firsthand how their state government works. Each year, the Iowa Senate and the Iowa House of Representatives employ a number of young people to do all kinds of odd jobs that are necessary to keep the legislature ...
Justin Rupnow believes that, as he puts it, ‘‘a small spark can start a fire.’’ The 16-year-old 4-H member from Sac County put that belief to work recently in a way that had nothing to do with flames. Instead, it had everything to do with a financial windfall for the Sac County ...
When students return after a summer break, college campuses transform overnight from quiet venues into bustling centers of activity. This week that took place at Iowa Central Community College. A new school year has begun. Students are back on its campuses ready in some cases to commence or in ...