In the late fall of 1979, the Iowa Department of Transportation learned that there is nothing simple about installing a 150-foot ditch. It happened in Highview. Karen Strunk didn't mind losing a little business this fall to road construction. She didn’t even raise her voice when traffic ...

Perfectly in line with a personal belief that any DIY plumbing repair attempt requires at least two trips to the hardware store, a recent one of mine did just that. Thank goodness there are resources right here in Webster City. Having at least one source for household fix-it supplies was ...

A few decades ago singer Ray Stevens wrote and made famous a comical number called “The Haircut Song.” “When you get a haircut,” Stevens sang, “be sure to go back home. When you get a haircut, get a barber you have known.” He goes on to tell of the harrowing experiences he ...

Anna Woodward gave me a ride after the open house at Community & Family Resources Wednesday and there in the passenger seat of her SUV was a giant roll of ribbon. It’s no secret that the pace of ribbon cuttings has ramped up recently. And with good reason. Webster City has long ...

When I was a teenager I tried to be a “far out groovy cat.” My ‘55 Chevy was “cherry,” my school was “cool,” and my friends were “outta sight.” When I agreed with them, I would say, “right on, man.” Every generation has its own slang vocabulary and in the ‘60s we had a ...

One of the many ways in which my parents blessed their six children was introducing us to their aunts and uncles. Our mother was particularly close to her Aunt Annie, one of her father’s older sisters. We knew Aunt Annie by her German title: Tante Antje. We visited Tante Antje frequently ...