To the editor:It is our fault.Over the last few decades both political parties have successfully wooed voters with same old mantra of jobs, jobs, jobs and that the free market economy will benefit everyone. This may be true for the party leadership and the big money that supports it, but has ...
Many troubled military veterans turn to a crisis hotline operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs. It received more than 500,000 calls last year.But often, hotline callers do not get the qualified counseling they need, according to Greg Hughes. He should know. He is the former director of ...
To the editor:The rationales people will use to try to discredit climate scientists amazes me. In response to Roger Huetig's letter to the editor in the Oct. 1 Messenger, Mr. Huetig shows little knowledge of science. Pharmaceutical research is no more unchanging than any other kind of ...
To the editor:The 2016 presidential election has been little short of a joke. Americans, hungry and hopeful for true leadership, have been presented with two incredibly bad nominees from the two major parties. We are supposed to accept that this is the best America has to offer?No.One brave man ...
What's next from North Korea? One week the rogue dictatorship tests new missiles.The next, it improves its nuclear arsenal. And recently, there were reports Pyongyang is building a new submarine for use as a missile-launching platform.Given the regime's unpredictable aggressiveness, it may be ...
To the editor:The Patterson Field Scoreboard Committee would like to thank everyone who donated time and gave monetary donations to make the purchase of the scoreboard possible.It was because of all of you that we were able to raise the money for this project. Again, thank you very ...
To the editor:It is time to stop the name-calling, demonizing and to look at the issues.Hillary Clinton is standard-bearer for the Democratic Party. Its platform contains many "planks," which begin with negative remarks about Mr. Trump, and his supposed unconcern for a group of people.This is ...
Since human beings first learned to cultivate the soil, harvest time has had extraordinary significance. In earlier centuries, good crops meant prosperity and security. They signaled that the winter months just ahead could be faced without fear of starvation.In 21st-century Iowa, harvest season ...
As the campaign season heats up we thought it would be good to give voters and taxpayers a comparison on how state funding for Iowa's community colleges has been provided versus local school districts, other public and private four-year colleges and why now more than ever Iowa's community ...
In the 60 years he served as managing editor, editor and editor emeritus of The Messenger, my dad - Walter B. Stevens - witnessed 11 presidential election seasons and interviewed many of the candidates who came through Fort Dodge during the Iowa caucuses.But none were like the current campaign ...
Every day more than 53 million newspapers are delivered to readers. Those compendiums of news and community information arrive on doorsteps all across our land as if by magic. Nothing magical is afoot, of course. Hundreds of thousands of newspaper carriers spread out across the nation each day ...
A change in ownership for the plant Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. currently operates at 800 Fifth St. N.W. won't diminish Fort Dodge's standing as a major source of pharmaceuticals for animals.This plant is one of Fort Dodge's largest employers with a workforce of about 500. That it will ...
To the editor:I would like to give a big shout out to the great 4-H program we have right here in Webster County - as well as throughout our state and nation.National 4-H Week is being celebrated Oct. 2-8 so it's the perfect time for students in fourth grade and above to get involved. If you ...
To the editor:National 4-H Week is Oct. 2-8. I cannot express strongly enough what a fantastic, useful and educational program 4-H is in our community and around the country.A common misconception is that 4-H is just for farm kids. While showing livestock is definitely one aspect of 4-H, kids ...
To the editor:I would have to agree with Gov. Terry Branstad's assessment of The Messenger during last week's Professional Developers of Iowa fall conference.The governor praised the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance, strong support from elected officials both city and county, along with a ...
Islamic State terrorists have been guilty of atrocities truly worthy of the history books. They need not be detailed here, other than to note their viciousness has been broad as well as deep.IS torturers and murderers often focus on certain groups, however. Christians are among them. So are ...
About half the more than 300,000 people who work at the Department of Veterans Affairs received performance-based pay bonuses in 2014, according to a recent investigation.Yes, the VA. The same agency still under fire for how some veterans seeking medical care are treated. The same one with a ...
To the editor:A huge "thank you" to every one who helped us with our fund raiser that was held on Aug. 27. A special thanks goes to Corey Lombard for the use of Rides Convention Hall, the band that provided great music - The Midwest Revue, Donavan and Lin Adson for the great job auctioning all ...
To the editor:Back in the late 1940s we had an English teacher who had a recommended reading list for book reports. One of the titles on her list was a book written by John Hersey named "Hiroshima." It was a book based upon the survivors' experience of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, ...
Here at The Messenger, we work diligently to put out a daily newspaper that we hope readers find both informative and useful.This is National Newspaper Week. That makes it a good time to reflect on our industry.Newspapers are so much a part of daily life that most people spend little time ...