The quality of any community is often measured by the commitment citizens in that community make to support their youth. According to updated census data, one out of five children and adolescents in Fort Dodge live in poverty-stricken homes and are coping with the social ills of poverty. Too ...

We celebrate National Farmers Day on Oct. 12, during the height of harvest, to honor the men and women who feed and fuel the world. The dirt underneath my own fingernails, from our fourth generation corn and soybean farm in northeast Iowa, represents the real-world perspective I bring to ...

On Oct. 1, the new president of Mexico — Claudia Sheinbaum — was officially sworn into office. While politics in Mexico may seem inconsequential to domestic affairs here in the United States, this development is very significant for our country, and particularly for our agricultural ...

In her 80 years of life, Bonnie Largent Barnett was a tireless worker, widely known to hundreds upon hundreds of Fort Dodge residents in her roles as a waitress, hair stylist, food service worker, house cleaner and grocery courtesy clerk. Unknown to most, however, is that those years of ...

Q: What new option do Americans have to renew their passports? A: The U.S. Department of State announced in September a new service, enabling Americans to renew passports online. This is good news. Americans have enjoyed a robust return to international travel that contributed to a ...

The way our pets enjoy nature is inspiring — bounding around local parks or stalking through backyard grass. As I think about making a difference in my local community and caring for the planet for my own pets and family, I’m driven to seek out sustainable actions I can take at home and at ...