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Coronavirus

WC Schools seek waiver for remote learning

Webster City Community Schools is seeking a waiver from the Iowa Department of Education to temporarily move to remote learning. Officials cited the significant increase in COVID-19 cases in the area and the increasing numbers of staff and students in quarantine as the reason for requesting the waiver. If approved, all students will begin learning remotely on Monday, Nov. 30. This model will remain in effect until at least Friday, Dec. 11, according to Superintendent Dr. Mandy Ross. All remote learning will be required during that time frame. On Thursday, the district’s COVID-19 ...

COVID testing site is on the move

Citing a high demand for COVID-19 testing, Community Health Center of Fort Dodge has moved its test site to the east side of the city. Rapid testing will now be offered at the Iowa Central Community College East Campus, 2031 Quail Ave., beginning today. “A larger indoor space was needed for us to accommodate the demand of patients for testing,” said Renae Kruckenberg, CEO of the Community Health Center of Fort Dodge. “This location gives us twice as many drive-thru lanes and offers the ability to have multiple vehicles inside at once.” The East Campus site will have four ...

Hybrid learning from a teacher’s perspective

As of October 29, Webster City High School has finished their first quarter of Hybrid learning. Students took 3 or 4 blocked classes that were 90 minutes long. They met in person for 22 days and were at home with remote work for 22 days. We covered the same content and standards that we have in past years. Their classes were either high school or college classes. I congratulate the students that I had in class and many others for their patience and willingness to take on this type of learning. The juniors and seniors in my classes stepped up and were ready to go, since they had been ...

‘A crisis moment’

“We’re in a crisis moment in Hamilton County. We’re in a crisis moment at the health department. We need everyone to help us.” Those attending or listening to the live-streamed Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning heard a noticeably frustrated Shelby Kroona, public health ...

Masks required in city buildings

Masks will be required for the public and staff in all city buildings, following a resolution passed Monday night by the City Council of Webster City. The resolution comes from the city’s COVID-19 committee. The committee asked that the measure be put into place until further notice. The ...

Record numbers vote early in Hamilton County

More than 4,700 voters of Hamilton County’s approximately 10,000 registered voters have already cast their ballots or submitted absentee ballots as of Monday afternoon. “We went over the 4,700 mark today. It’s been nonstop here at the courthouse,” Kim Schaa, county auditor said.” That tops the previous high of 3,505 in 2012 and 3,309 in 2016. The absentee ballots will be counted on Tuesday, but the results will not be printed until after the polls close, according to the auditor. The courthouse lobby has been set up with voting booths for those wishing to cast early ...