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State softball returns to Fort Dodge

One of summer’s most enjoyable events gets underway today. The Girls State Softball Tournament will be the highlight of the season for the teams that made it to state-level competition, including the two hometown squads. For the fourth time in five years, both the Fort Dodge Dodgers and the St. Edmond Gaels will be competing in the tournament. But we must admit that all the teams are outstanding. Making it to this final event of the season means that none will have any reason for more than a brief lament, no matter what their final standing. Making it to state is itself an ...

Balance is needed in everyone’s online lives

Teenagers who once spent hours talking to each other on the phone now spend hours communicating on social media. Many adults do much of the same thing, spending hours scrolling through various web sites and social media feeds. Ironically, much of this is done using phones. Devices which were originally created to enable people to speak to each other in some cases now get used to do about everything but speak to another human being. The internet has a lot of tremendous benefits. It enables people to access all kinds of news and information that they could have never received ...

Be sure to check out the Webster County Fair

The Webster County Fair begins today and continues through Sunday on the fairgrounds at 22770 Old Highway 169. It will feature all of the traditional 4-H and FFA livestock exhibits, plus other projects completed by the youth of those organizations. The fair royalty will be crowned early in the event so that the king and queen can be on hand for all the festivities that will follow. In addition to the farm-related activities, there will also be a full slate of entertainment. The entertainment lineup includes Lew-E’s Comedy Circus and a Live Shark Encounter. The grandstand ...

Buffer Pilot Project just got better

There are times when a good idea can be made even better. That is the case with the expansion of the state’s Streamside Buffer Pilot Project. It uses a comparatively small amount of money to help farmers plant vegetation along the sides of waterways, with the ultimate goal of cleaning up water downstream. And there is plenty of evidence showing that the all-natural processes of plants can make the nearby water cleaner. The buffers are the plant kingdom’s version of an NFL offensive line: they block things from getting through. But instead of protecting a quarterback, they protect ...

Internship program is innovative way to boost health care workforce

Health care workers are always in demand in our region. Local hospitals and clinics need people to take care of the patients, maintain the medical records and even keep up the buildings where people meet their care providers. The continuous challenge is finding the qualified people to fill all those positions. UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge has created a way to get young people interested in medically-related careers. And the organization already has evidence that its initiative is paying off. In 2024, UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge began a summer internship program for high ...

Colliding with a train is a no-win situation

Take a long admiring, look at your personal vehicle some time, and then think back on the last time you saw a train. The difference between the two is spectacular. You may have the biggest, most tricked out SUV or pickup and it still won’t stand a chance against a diesel locomotive if the two collided. That big SUV, or any other vehicle for that matter, would be squashed like an old beer can. And if a person was struck by a train, the consequences would be too horrible to contemplate. The Fort Dodge area is served by two major freight railroads: Canadian National Railway and ...