Breaking News

Local Columns

A rose by any other name

Four centuries ago William Shakespeare wrote, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” This line from Romeo and Juliet is valid for today’s column, even if used out of context. We are largely who we are regardless of our name. I’ve been an Arvid for more than 78 years but if my parents had named me Ralph or Elmer I’d probably still be the same loud, outspoken story teller I am today. At some point of development we recognize and accept our name and then become protective of it. Some folks may choose to use their middle name or even change their name. Whatever we ...

Blizzard impacted paper delivery, but subscribers could still read the news

Winter wasn’t done with us yet. After we were teased with some beautiful sunny 60 degree days Mother Nature sent a blizzard our way. The snow fall totals weren’t that substantial but just a few inches of snow combined with sustained winds of 30 miles per hour and gusts in the 50 plus mile range made travel after dark nearly impossible. Many of you woke up the next morning to find the sun out and little snow on the ground and thought, “what was all the fuss about”. There were blizzard warnings and programming interruptions by your favorite weatherman telling you how bad ...

The challenge of small cars and ceiling fans

Several years ago a Facebook friend who is a past schoolmate from the mid-1950s sent me some copies of yearbook photos from that era. The photos included one of his class, the class a year behind him and my class, which was two years behind his. The first-grade photo (my class) brought back a lot of memories. Surprisingly, I remembered all but one of my first-grade classmates. Even more surprisingly, I had forgotten how large I was. Smack dab in the middle of the photo, in the middle of the second row, there was this boy obviously much larger than all his classmates. An old school ...

A force of nature has come to a halt

For some people, it takes a force of nature to get motivated. For others, like Bob Erickson, it took a force of nature to slow him down. This past week, it apparently was time for Bob to come to a full halt. It was a shock to learn that Bob had died last Saturday. Almost everyone in Webster City knew Bob in some capacity. He not only owned Foster Funeral Home, and helped families struggle through the loss of loved ones, but it seemed he was everywhere, working on projects, encouraging new people, taking care of flowers and property and serving as a volunteer for many different ...

Annual D/SAOC cake auction is about to begin

No one ever thinks it will happen to them. And then it does. Domestic abuse is talked about openly today, and one would hope that would make it go away. But it doesn’t. Abuse isn’t just about women any more. It includes husbands and children, infants and teens. Men and women alike now look for help when a situation changes so quickly they can’t see it coming. Or they have come to the end of their rope. Today the numbers continue to stagger. If you go to the Domestic Sexual Abuse and Outreach Center — D/SAOC — website, there is no question about the need. The ...

Enjoying a non-irritating retirement

Compared with a lot of men, I’m a rather boring guy. I have no major hobbies. Many men enjoy golfing. I tried it; even took golf lessons. Those little round holes on the golf course are safe with me. Fishing? Naw. I’m too impatient. Hunting? Nope. Nearly 65 years ago I bought a shotgun from my Uncle Frank. Only one animal, a slow-moving rabbit ever died because of my hunting prowess (or lack of same.) Years ago I remodeled part of our basement; Better Homes & Gardens never took photos. To save money, I have tried servicing my cars but it always costs more to have a ...