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Be sure to attend the Hamilton County Fair

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 the Hawkeye State. For as far back as anyone who now lives in this part of Iowa 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 ...

The end of an era

It was known as a cozy gathering place for an intimate dinner. Businesses and organizations gaveled in thousands of meetings in the iconic Quarry Room. And were there any local children who didn’t insist that the family sit at the table by the aquarium? The 2nd Street Emporium, in business for more than 40 years in downtown Webster City, closed its doors June 30. Owners Scott and Candy Rector decided the time was right to retire. Once the business closure was announced, diners flocked to the restaurant to have one last lunch or dinner at the establishment. The Rectors purchased ...

Congratulations, Class of 2021

To the Graduates of 2021, What a long, strange trip it's been. You may not know where that comes from, but it's never been more true this year. You spent the last year and a half taking classes from home, not being sure how long it would be before you could hang out with your friends and family without the shadow of COVID-19 hanging over you. And yet you got through it. Whatever your plans for the next few years, at worst they had to be adjusted or postponed, but not canceled. Nobody escaped this last year unscarred and unchanged — not you or the adults around you, who were ...

New production facility is positive development for WC

NaturalShrimp Inc. has taken over the assets of Alder Aqua (formerly Vero Blue Farms). This is a positive development for Webster City and will bring many good-paying jobs to the community. It also repurposes existing industrial properties so that they are back on the tax rolls. The facilities will use city utilities and bring other economic benefits to the community. The proprietary technology used in their production process cleans and recirculates wastewater, which means less wear and tear on city infrastructure. The publicly traded Texas-based company expects to produce ...

Low state unemployment figure is positive sign

Iowa continues to get some good news on the jobs front as the state’s economy gradually rebounds from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2020, the state’s unemployment rate stood at 3.1 percent. That marks a healthy decline from the November 2020 unemployment rate of 3.8 percent. Perhaps most significantly, the Iowa unemployment rate is well below the nationwide figure of 6.7 percent. According to Iowa Workforce Development, 9,700 new non-farm jobs were created between November and December 2020. The retail sector led the way with 5,400 new jobs; manufacturing was ...

Today we honor a dream of justice

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, being observed today, is an appropriate time to recall an exceptional person. But more importantly, it’s a time to recommit the nation to the cause for which King died and the legacy he left for all of us. The famed civil rights leader, assassinated April 4, 1968, was a preacher with a message as important today as it was more than four decades ago. He saw God’s words as fundamentally connected to his call for equality, nonviolence and justice. King’s religious faith was the heart, center and soul of his work. Without God’s word, King believed, there ...