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Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig visiting central Iowa today

By KOLLEEN TAYLOR Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig is on the road today visiting several major agriculture projects in central Iowa. The trip, which is part of his 99 county tour, will take him to Boone and Webster City. The Boone stop will be at AgCertain. Secretary Naig will meet with company leadership and employees of AgCertain and tour this innovative ag company. They will discuss value-added ag, manufacturing, logistics, workforce, and other topics related to business. The visit to Webster City will focus on the Career Ag Academy project that broke ground in March ...

A small piece of local history comes home to Webster City

Earlier this week a small envelope arrived at the Webster City Area Chamber of Commerce. It contained a pocket-sized memo pad with a 1923/1924 calendar, and this note; “We are antique dealers and downsizing our inventory. I found this booklet from J.C. Penney in Webster City. It’s ...

A Taste of Italy

The Blanden Memorial Art Museum presents “Cityscapes,” a watercolor exhibition by Fort Dodge native Richard Hanson, on view in the second floor gallery from Saturday through March 28. A public reception will be held from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 7, with an artist talk beginning at 3 p.m. “Cityscapes” features Hanson’s richly textured visual impressions of Italian streets and architecture. Shaped by years of living, working, and traveling in Italy, Hanson’s work reflects a deep interest in art history and its relationship to the culture that produced it. The Italian ...

Kendall Young Book Clubs meet next week

Kendall Young library offers three different adult book clubs in early February. There are multiple copies of each of the titles available to check out from the adult circulation desk. Adult Daytime Book Club: Kendall Young Library invites you to join in the February Book Club discussion on "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot. This book will be discussed during the meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 10 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The book selection for the March Book Club will be announced at this time. Adult Evening Book Club: The Adult Evening Book Club discussion ...

New Fiction and non-fiction books available for check-out at Kendall Young Library

The Kendall Young Library has received the following new fiction books that are now available to be checked out of the library. Woman Down by Colleen Hoover All the Little Houses by May Cobb Palaver by Bryan Washington The Botanist's Assistant by Peggy Townsend The White Hot by Quiara Alegra Hudes Swallows by Natsuo Kirino The Favorites by Layne Fargo The Good Daughters by Brigitte Dale Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes: A Mystery by Sandra Jackson-Opoku Private Rome: A Private Novel by James Patterson The Devil's ...

2026 Iowa Crop Production costs increase, limiting profit opportunities for corn and soybean farmers

AMES—Iowa corn and soybean producers continue to face tight margins heading into the 2026 growing season, according to the newly released Estimated Costs of Crop Production in Iowa – 2026 from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The 2026 outlook reflects continued challenging economic conditions, with average market prices for corn and soybeans projected to remain below production costs. Opportunities for profit are expected to be limited, underscoring the importance of careful cost tracking and farm-specific planning. The 2026 estimates show: A 4% increase in corn ...