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Let us help your new employees thrive

Local Columns

Do you have new employees who have started within the last 12 months? Don’t let them navigate this journey alone. Studies show that if your new employee does not feel a sense of belonging within 90 days, you could be at risk of losing them. Our Community Concierge program is here to ensure they seamlessly integrate into the community and feel right at home, strengthening your workforce and our community as a whole. Make the most of this opportunity - we want to help your new employees thrive in Fort Dodge. Step one: Contact our office today so that we can sign up your new ...

Feenstra recounts lessons from trip to Israel

Local Columns

Last month, I traveled to Israel to meet with government officials about the ongoing war. We walked the Kibbutzes where innocent Israelis were murdered, raped, beheaded, and tortured by Hamas terrorists and learned more of the horrifying details about the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust. We saw firsthand the food, water, medical supplies, and other aid that Israel is actively delivering to civilians in Palestine despite unfounded outcry from Hamas apologists. My visit to Israel left me even more determined to support our strongest ally in the Middle East, disprove the ...

Century Farms celebrate history

Editorial

It’s more than 180 years since land that is now the state of Iowa was opened for settlers. The America of the 21st century is far different from the nation presided over by President Andrew Jackson in 1833. There is, however, one constant feature for Iowans — agriculture is at the very heart of economic life in the Hawkeye State. Consequently, it was a fitting celebration of agriculture and the generations of Iowans who have farmed here that in 1976, as part of the nation’s Bicentennial Celebration, the Century Farms Program was established. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and ...

Come on down to the Webster County Fair

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: It is that time of year again — county fair season. As you put together your schedules for the upcoming month, take time to consider coming down to the Webster County Fair. The Webster County Fair offers days of fun and positive experiences for all ages and interest areas. From livestock shows demonstrating the high quality of animal stewardship in our county, to grandstand events such as the Tuff Trucks and Truck Pull, and the auditorium showcase of the hard work and effort put into various projects by our county 4-H’ers and other dedicated individuals. The ...

Be sure to attend your county fair

Editorial

Times change. Even so there are a few constants in life. One is the pleasure provided by the county fairs that continue to be a highlight of summer in Iowa. For as far back as anyone who now lives in this part of the state can remember, these summer festivals have been much-anticipated and much-enjoyed features of summertime. The fairs, of course, have changed over the decades. One central theme, however, remains much the same — a celebration of farm life and the assorted positive educational and personal-growth pursuits that are treasured features of life in rural and small-town ...

Putting the ‘we’ in Webster

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: From Humboldt through Fort Dodge, Coalville, Kalo, Dolliver Memorial State Park, Lehigh, and into Stratford, the Des Moines River winds its way through Webster County, leaving in its wake a beautiful throughline of nature, recreation, and scenery. But sometimes, just sometimes, it weaves a path of destruction as well. This was the case these past two weeks here as massive flooding from up north made the river steadily flood to its highest level in almost 60 years. Yet what could have been a terrible disaster turned into an opportunity for Webster County to display, in ...