To the Editor:Upper Des Moines Opportunity Inc. would like to extend our gratitude to Southfield Wellness Community and those who participated in their recent Annual Hog Roast.The monetary donation in the amount of $1,000 will help UDMO keep the food pantry stocked during the summer. When ...
To the Editor:We all hold a Key to the Success of our children, our future leaders of this community. God's presence was with us as we prepared for this wonderful event for St. Thomas Aquinas School. He graced us with dedicated and talented people to help plan the event.Thank you to our parish, ...
Jam of the Week: "Bizness" by Tune-YardsEvery day, there are many things worth of our attention in Hamilton County. However, people across the state don't often catch news that comes from our section of Iowa. That wasn't the case last week when Governor Terry Branstad signaled his support for a ...
OK, class listen up. If you like clean water, raise your hand. Unless, you're "The Toxic Avenger," a B-movie superhero created by toxic waste, you probably want clean water. It tastes better, is better for you and makes for better fishing, hunting, boating and swimming than water filled with ...
Tomatoes are one of the most popular garden plants grown over 85 percent of all gardens include tomatoes. When selecting tomato plants at your local greenhouse, there are several points to consider for healthy plants.Larger tomato plants are available, some with blossoms and may even have ...
Dear Graduate:It doesn't seem fair, does it? You put in 13 years of hard time and before they spring you have to wear a long, hot gown and a funny square hat with strings hanging from it. Then you have to listen to someone tell you how much promise you have and how you can truly change the ...
If there's a holiday that's more of a Hallmark moment than Mother's Day, I sure don't know what it is.Now, I don't believe that Mother's Day is wrong, mostly because we all need to be reminded every now and again to stop and take the time to thank our moms for all they do and for all they are. ...
I'm learning more and more about this whole grandparenting thing. Every time I see my three little kiddos, I discover something that I hadn't known before.We picked up the two oldest grandchildren last weekend. Their mom and dad needed a little down time. They got some much needed rest and time ...
Memorial Day is quickly approaching, and there will be many events and programs in the area for the public to attend and honor our veterans. This holiday is a time of reflection and remembrance. Learning more about the different wars and engagements the United States has been a part of can ...
Jam of the Week: "Fade White" by BathsWhile my cooking escapades have produced many great lunch and dinner dishes, my breakfasts have still been pretty basic. I'm still rolling out of bed in the morning to pour a bowl of cereal. It's not necessarily the worst thing in the world to wake up with ...
Back in February, we may remember that month as the one with some snow and tornado like winds. People's favorite expression then was "I can't remember when we have had a winter like this." In my case, "I don't want to hear about it" when children or friends called and told us how much they were ...
To the Editor:We're all going to need a digital video recorder for the upcoming election to record our TV programs and fast forward through the untruthful, misleading political ads from PACs (political action committees). This is due to earlier and recent Supreme Court decisions allowing ...
To the Editor:The Fort Dodge Choral Society presented "Creation of the World" on Sunday afternoon at the St. Olaf Lutheran Church. If you missed it, you missed a concert full of "goose bump" moments. The story, the quality of the musicians and the presentation were beyond description. Many ...
When driving around town this spring, you may have noticed many evergreens with brown needles, brown needle tips or branches. One would naturally assume this to be winter injury due to the cold temperatures, but most likely the browning was caused by another type of winter injury ...
Children go through a stage when they can ask questions non-stop for hours. Where do babies come from, Daddy? Why is that man so fat? How do cows make milk? What's my belly button for? If men don't get breasts why do boys have these things?It's a wonderful time in the life of children but after ...
One of my tasks in my other life on the job is to serve breakfast to the students in middle school. Just imagine how cheerful most of them are at 7:30 a.m. Actually, there aren't lots of them who come in, and it's a rather low-key time of day without much rushing. That could be why I know ...
So how are those New Year's Resolutions going? A few of my acquaintances have followed through but most people have long forgotten those vows from Jan. 1.I really didn't make any serious resolutions this year. Oh, I guess you always have some things in the back of your mind - weight loss, ...
What a busy April we had - Open House at Stein, Money Smart Week, Disney Institute, Home Based Business growth - and May looks to be just as much fun.New Chamber members this month are: Webster City Links, Shay's Country Creations, Promotions Plus, Seamonds Insurance, Central Iowa Dirt, Lion's ...
To the Editor:A few weeks ago, the United States House Judiciary Committee held an important hearing to address the question of online sales tax collection. It came on the heels of the Senate's passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act last year by a wide (and bipartisan) 69-27 margin. Now, as a ...
Jam of the Week: "Beep Street" by SquarepusherLast week, I wrote that I was rushing to make chili as the weather was likely to make a good turn soon. The cold, rainy weather this week is a nice reminder that optimism and midwestern weather patterns don't mix. However, two things that do mix ...