Pocahontas
Pocahontas marks 150 years, looks toward future CELEBRATING HISTORY
By BRET HAYWORTH
POCAHONTAS
— The year 2025 in Pocahontas was a notable one, with a huge sesquicentennial celebration, plus pool, housing and hospital updating continued.
Looking at the year ahead, there is a new grant in 2026 that will link a school initiative with businesses.
“There are a lot of projects going on,” City Administrator Laura Holmes said of the town of 1,650 people. “The mood is very positive. We are hearing from the residents that they want upgrades to the pool.”
There was one unique aspect to the sesquicentennial. Since Pocahontas was founded in 1870, the 150-year celebration was all planned for summer 2020.
However, the international coronavirus pandemic squashed that, and city leaders initially pushed back the date later into 2020. But the planners saw that wasn’t in the cards, since vaccines were not yet available.
The celebration finally happened July 18-20, 2025, as an expanded version of the annual summer Heritage Days and also overlapping with the Pocahontas County Fair.
There was an All School Reunion, and Holmes said people really enjoyed the fireworks and food stands.
“We had the biggest turnout ever,” she said.
The annual summer parade lasts about 20 minutes, while the sesquicentennial version took 90 minutes, and many of the people in the entries ran out of candy to throw along the route.
Concerning the Pocahontas city pool, Holmes said a well-functioning pool is an important community asset, as it is desired by young families.
Some of the pool upgrades in 2026 will be a new heater at a cost of $90,000, while the sides of the swimming area and shower house floor may be sandblasted and repainted for another $100,000. City officials are looking to add a high diving board, and are applying for grants to do more.
The large statue of the indigenous woman for whom the town is named was built in 1952. That Pocahontas princess statue was showing its age, so it was modernized in 2024.
More than a year later, Holmes said she sees scads of travelers pulling over to pose for pictures by the statue, including last month in spite of a snowy day.
In another highly visual ele-
ment, in the last couple years, the Pocahontas County Economic Development group began the quest of adding large, spinning, colorful kaleidoscopes in all the county towns.
Pocahontas got its kaleidoscope in late 2024, and in 2025 the final three units were placed in the final three towns.
Holmes said those kaleidoscopes are already drawing people, but to take that to a higher level, county officials will use a $10,000 grant to do marketing over a wider swath.
Additionally, the School To Work program in the Pocahontas Area Community (PAC) School District will become more robust by fall 2026.
PAC was among 30 Iowa school districts that received state grants for the fields of STEM, or Science Technology Engineering and Math, with $50,000 to PAC.
The grants came from the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council at the Iowa Department of Education. The school districts can use the money for existing or new programs related to science and math.
PAC teacher Kristyn Olson led writing the grant proposal. She said a career fair will be added, and through the School To Work program, many more high school
students will be paired with Pocahontas businesses to get a first-hand glimpse of careers in which they are interested. Holmes said students via School To Work will have good opportunities to get job experiences.
In other areas, the Pocahontas Community Hospital “is moving up and is booming with specialty services,” Holmes said.
A helipad for emergency helicopter shuttling was added in 2025, while in 2024 a former nursing home was bought and this space has enabled the addition of a community clinic affiliated with UnityPoint Health. There are also plans for an additional rehab-services location, just north on the same property. All those things are important in an area with an elderly, rural population, Holmes said.
She said the second phase of the Prairie Estates Addition on the northeast side of Pocahontas was getting infrastructure completed in 2024. Fifteen of the 24 lots were sold last year.
With a recent inquiry on four of the lots, Holmes fully expects all 23 lots will be sold by the end of 2026.
“I have people asking all the time about it,” she said, adding that getting two completed phases of Prairie Estates Addition in short order is a big success story.
-Submitted photos
ABOVE: The initiative to place colorful kaleidoscopes in all the towns of Pocahontas County continues to be successful. They are a tribute to the late Leonard Olson, whose Main Street shop where he made toy kaleidoscopes became a tourist attraction.
ABOVE: The sesquicentennial parade in Pocahontas was a large event in July 2025. MIDDLE PHOTO: The Pocahontas statue on the east side of the city on Iowa Highway 3 draws people to stop for photos — even in the winter.
LET THE WATER FLOW
Water pipeline connects Fort Dodge, Manson
By BILL SHEA bshea@messengernews.net
Sometime this year, water from Fort Dodge will begin flowing to Manson.
Construction of a large water main connecting the two communities took place last year, with the goal of having the new water service functioning in the spring of this year. The completed project will pipe Fort Dodge water to Manson, giving that Calhoun County community a reliable supply after several years of drilling wells produced no usable water source.
Two companies worked to build the water line. One worked from Fort Dodge, the other from Manson.
The Fort Dodge portion of the line starts at the ag industrial park called Iowa’s Crossroads of Global Innovation, according to City Engineer Austin Morrow. He said it extends from the industrial park about two miles to Fairbanks Avenue.
Gehrke Inc., of Eldora, built the Fort Dodge portion of the line.
The Manson part of the line extends from that city to Fairbanks Avenue, where it will link up with the part constructed by Fort Dodge near Iowa Highway 7.
But a lot of work was done within Manson also.
Mayor Dave Anderson said a new 10-inch diameter water
main has been built from the east side of town to the west side. He said all of the city’s existing water mains will be tied into that, plus all the residences along 12th Avenue will be connected to it.
He said a new water pressure booster station will be constructed on the east side of
Manson.
Graff Excavating, of Toledo, is the contractor for the Manson part of the line.
In early 2021, an engineering report recommended that Manson connect to Fort Dodge to get adequate water. In August of that year, the two communities entered a memoran-
Two stacks of pipe positioned alongside Iowa Highway 7 last summer are now part of a water main connecting Fort Dodge and Manson.
dum of understanding for construction of the water line.
According to information presented to the Fort Dodge City Council, Manson has an average daily water demand of 225,000 gallons, with a peak demand of 385,000 gallons.
Design of the water line began in 2022.
MANSON FIRE STATION WORK PROGRESSES
By BILL SHEA bshea@messengernews.net
MANSON — Work on an addition that nearly triples the size of the fire station in Manson continues.
The addition is up, with all four walls and the roof complete. The concrete floor inside is also complete.
Doyle Construction, of Fort Dodge, was the general contractor for the first phase of the project.
Fire Chief John Colshan said getting bids for spray foam insulation and wiring will be the next step.
The building addition will be completed in stages over the course of two or three city government fiscal years. Doing it that way enables the city to use tax revenue to pay for it instead of borrowing money through a bond issue, according to Colshan.
The current fire station was built in about 1975. It has four truck bays, which house five trucks.
Colshan said today’s fire trucks are 32 to 36 feet long.
“We just ran out of room,” he said. When the new addition is completed, each truck will have its own garage bay.
One of the bays in the new building will house an ambulance. Colshan said Calhoun County Emergency Medical Service keeps an ambulance in Manson from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. He said it usually sits outside the fire station and the crew uses the Fire Department’s
-Messenger file photos by Bill Shea
ABOVE: The crew from Gehrke Inc., of Eldora, installs a water main on the south side of Iowa Highway 7 near Franklin Avenue in August 2025. The completed pipeline will move water from Fort Dodge to Manson.
LEFT:
photo by Deanna Meyer
Brushy Creek state reCreation area
SLOWLY BUT SURELY
Brushy Creek campground updates proceed slower than expected
By BILL SHEA
bshea@messengernews.net
LEHIGH — Work on an ambitious series of upgrades to the campgrounds at Brushy Creek State Recreation Area continues to inch forward.
But because the projects are advancing at a slower rate than expected, it will be awhile before any campers can make reservations.
Campers hoping to go to the sprawling park in southeastern Webster County are urged to visit the Iowa Department of Natural Resources campsite reservation page and sign up for email alerts that will inform them when reservations are being accepted for Brushy Creek.
Work on the project, which was originally envisioned to be done by the end of last year, started late, according to Park Manager Amber O’Neill.
Most of the planned water line work at the North Equestrian Campground has been completed, she said. The water lines that were there dated to the 1980s and needed to be replaced.
The North Equestrian Campground is the site of the most work. O’Neill said almost every inch of ground there will be disturbed for the project.
In addition to the new water lines, these additional upgrades are planned at that campground:
n An electrical upgrade to 50-amp service for 87 campsites.
n Additional gravel pads for parking areas.
n A 15-foot wide, one-way road bisecting the west grass
feet of new wa-
lines. n Upgraded layout of the north cul-de-sac with new camp pads having both 50-amp electrical and water hookups.
-Messenger file photo
TOP LEFT: Park Manager Amber O’Neill points out some of the planned renovations at Brushy Creek State Recreation Area to Gene and Linda Timmons. The retired Webster City couple are frequent campers and came out to hear about the plans at an open house in April 2024.
BOTTOM LEFT: Fishing is a favorite pastime for visitors to Brushy Creek State Recreation Area.
n Upgrading 25 sites to full hookups.
At the Beach Campground, the plan is to expand parking by adding a 40-space parking area east of the campground entrance and upgrading 20 sites to full hookups.
Lastly, at the South Equestrian Campground, the plan is to construct a 15-foot-wide, one-way road bisecting the east grass loop and to install approximately 12 pull-through campsites with full hookups.
The contractor on the job has until May 15 to finish. If the work goes beyond that date, the company will face financial penalties.
O’Neill said in a worst-case scenario, the campgrounds may be closed until mid-July.
loop. n New grills and picnic tables.
n 5,000
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
Humboldt completes nature trail project, forms strategic plan
By BRET HAYWORTH
HUMBOLDT
—
After a few years of substantial projects that modernized the city of Humboldt, 2026 is setting up as a year to take stock, and give thought to how the next group of projects could be brainstormed and then carried out.
As 2026 began, the Humboldt City Council members passed a strategic plan with six broad elements to be pinpointed in the upcoming months. The council also appears poised to create a multiyear Capital Improvement Projects plan, which was where so many projects came from dating back over the last half-decade.
Humboldt City Administrator Cole Bockelmann said that sort of intentionality led to the notable projects on main thoroughfares, recreational pieces and for business expansion.
“That was super crucial to our success over the last few decades. … Now that we are sort of done (with the recent batch of projects), we are restarting our planning,” Bockelmann said.
Summarizing the scope of the town of 4,700 people, he added: “We have a really good, strong, vibrant identity. We have some distinctive things for a town of our size. We really stand out with a strong, high-quality way of life.”
Summarizing some of those 2024 (which involved $10
AlgonA
million in CIP spending) and 2025 projects, the one finished at the end of last year was the $2.2 million Eagle Ridge Nature Trail. That endeavor extended Cottonwood Trail and added an eye-popping pedestrian bridge across the West Fork of the Des Moines River.
“It turned out even better than I thought, both the bridge and the trail,” Bockelmann said.
Eagle Ridge Nature Trail was in part paid for with a $950,000 grant. Bockelmann said people were anticipatory about that trail addition, but the final look exceeded expectations for many people.
“Most of the reactions are generally positive. They like having another outdoor amenity,” Bockelmann said.
He praised the serene feel to the trail, which moves through
a wooded area and has elevation changes.
While the Eagle Ridge Nature Trail work is done for now, future years could see the addition of a new trailhead. Additionally, some people want to hook Sheldon Park, which is one of a dozen city parks, to the trail, although the land between those two areas is currently not city-owned land.
Bockelmann, who has been in the city administrator position for four years, said Humboldt now has a much more modern wastewater treatment plant, after a $3.7 million makeover. He said that infrastructure improvement was needed after some 2019 damage to a lift station, plus much of the other equipment had reached the end of its useful life.
Of the $3.7 million cost,
$2.6 million for the wastewater plant improvements carried out in 2025 came from grants.
Back in 2024, Sumner Avenue, a primary street through Humboldt, was resurfaced over its entire length and more decorative lighting pieces were added, at a cost of $1.7 million. As two more reminders of the 2024 work, which each cost $3 million, there was an overlay rehabilitation of the entire runway at the Humboldt Municipal Airport, while a project was carried out at Three Rivers Industrial Park.
In Phase One of a public-private partnership of the city with the Partnership for Economic Growth of Humboldt County, infrastructure was placed on four commercial lots in Three Rivers Industrial Park where businesses can locate with ease.
Returning to the planning that lies ahead for pinpointing even more projects, Bockelmann said the City Council and other leaders recognize the value of “positioning us for a growth mentality.”
He said the strategic plan adopted in January sets six goal areas. Those are community identity and image, organizational capacity, infrastructure and maintenance, housing, recreation and economic vitality. When it comes to infrastructure within that strategic plan, which is titled, “A small community at its best,” more specificity will come in the future. Bockelmann said one area of focus will be where Iowa Highway 3 and U.S. Highway 169 converge.
“We are going to be focusing on the highway corridor,” he said.
New features to debut at POW Museum
By MARK ADKINS
ALGONA — Camp Algona, despite being gone nearly a century, continues to tell stories.
The camp, which housed World War II German prisoners from April 1944 to February 1946, was located northwest of the city, generally where Algona Municipal Airport is today.
While it was open, about 10,000 prisoners passed through its gates.
The history of that camp is contained in a museum that opened in 2004.
The Camp Algona POW Museum, located near downtown Algona, also houses information on a good share of the 2,641 men and 100 women who served during World War II from Kossuth County.
“We’re in year 22 and always are looking for new avenues to tell those stories,” museum committee President Brian Connick said. “A recent expansion is giving us even more opportunities.”
When the public begins visiting in April, they’ll be able to view the background of the museum with a 13-minute show. A gift shop will also greet them as they enter, next to the viewing room, of-
fering eight to 10 book titles and three to five T-shirt designs.
“We’re excited to show off these expansion areas,” Connick said.
Connick has been involved with the facility since year one.
“Typically, we do an open house as part of a new year,” he said. “We’re having a board retreat soon to finalize all of that information. That event is in conjunction with our Veteran of Year display being released.
“It’s not just area and regional people who come to the museum,” he added. “We also have bus tours come through.”
The museum’s regular hours are 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from April to June. Those hours are increased to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 1 to 4 p.m. weekends from June into December.
“We generally use December to April to do any renovations and display changes,” Connick said. “There is a chance to do special tours if any organizations would like to walk through. Our volunteer staff is looking forward to showing off so many wonderful things, including the veterans interactive area, which houses many photos.”
THE $2.2 MILLION Eagle Ridge Nature Trail project was completed in 2025 in Humboldt.
-Submitted photo
THE NEW VIEWING AREA at the Camp Algona POW Museum is ready for visitors when the museum reopens in April.
Cole Bockelmann
Rockwell city
150 YEARS ... AND COUNTING
Rockwell City prepares for sesquicentennial
By BRET HAYWORTH
ROCKWELL CITY — Back in 1876, some enterprising people thought Calhoun County would be a beneficial place to create a new town. Now, in 2026 a celebration is at hand to commemorate Rockwell City reaching 150 years as a community.
The Rockwell City sesquicentennial will be held on a long weekend from July 31 to Aug. 2. Rockwell City Mayor Jeff Fistler said preparations got rolling last year, and he expects a good mix of events that people will enjoy.
“The committee we got together is amazing,” he said. “Everybody in town is working together,”
Like other towns, the Rockwell City sesquicentennial will have a beard growing contest and lots of opportunities for people to come together, including live music with Cory Waller & The Wicked Things. Other options will be a trackless train, inflatables, hair tinseling, balloon artists and food vendors.
Fistler is a longtime city councilman who was appointed mayor in late 2024, following the death of Phil Heinlen, who had been mayor for more than 20 years. As 2025 went on and Fistler could see he was getting his legs as mayor, he decided to run for a four-year term in the November election.
He won, and said listening is the most important trait that well serves any mayor.
Fistler said community members had a solid year in 2025, making use of a tight city budget as needed, and raising money for other things.
He pointed to how a lot of people continued a push to modernize the city swimming pool, residents continued shopping for groceries and more at the Fareway store in its first few years of operation, while infrastructure was also added.
A city pool is important to Iowa towns, Fistler said, so it was pleasing that planned repairs to the Rockwell City pool were carried out on time. The former heating unit was inoperable, so more than $200,000 was raised and spent for a new one.
Sac city Sac City adds housing, considers trail links
That piece was installed early in the summer vacation season, so users could enjoy swimming for a few months. The inside of the pool was repainted, and other colorful updates on the grounds were added, Fistler said.
“It is quite a bit better,” the mayor said of the pool, which had last been substantially updated in 1989.
Additionally, he said there had been unease in Rockwell City when the former nursing home facility, Sunny Knoll, closed in November 2024. Fistler said that large building is getting a new life, although it likely won’t be a nursing home or assisted living facility.
Fistler said it is a big relief to see plans that the site will be remodeled into housing, with the
exact format to be determined.
“A building that size, you don’t want to have empty,” he said.
Rockwell City, which has the motto of The Golden Buckle on The Corn Belt, is a town of 2,200 people. One continuing need is more housing to keep the town growing, so the new residential Heinlen Addition on the west edge was added with six lots.
Two lots were sold in the first year in 2024, but none were sold last year, so Fistler said, “We are hoping to get more interest.”
The Heinlen Addition was paid for in part with $600,000 left over after the water treatment plant project was completed.
A few years ago, the grocery
-Photo
ABOVE: Rockwell City's sesquicentennial acitivities will include a beard-growing contest, as symbolized by the logo above.
LEFT: The city pool in Rockwell City got a major refurbishing in 2025 with a new water heating unit and extensive painting.
store in Rockwell City closed, so city officials ramped up ways to attract a new one. After working with Fareway officials on programs like tax abatement, Fareway chose to build the store, while creating some in select smaller towns.
“That has been amazing. We are drawing from a lot of other cities,” Fistler said, including those in the counties of Calhoun, Sac and Webster.
Having people come to Rockwell City for groceries brings more users to other businesses in town for an economic spillover, he added.
One other city project in 2025 included adding water lines, since some were past their useful lives.
INVITING PEOPLE TO LIVE AND PLAY
By BRET HAYWORTH
SAC CITY — In the quest to stem the population loss that is rampant in many Iowa towns, officials in Sac City are leaning into expanding recreational options to make a distinctive place for people to live and play.
Sac City Administrator Jamie Lawrence said the town of 2,000 people had a good 2025 and is headed in that same direction for 2026.
“We have really increased amenities and we have a good quality of life,” Lawrence said. “My personal goal is to stop population loss, or reverse it to population growth by the next Census (2030).”
He said lots of towns have an aging housing stock and few available homes for people moving in. A Sac City Housing Committee was created to address that, and in the last two years, five houses were built with city participation on two sides of town. Ten more lots are available.
Many people who work at Evapco in nearby Lake View want homes and are willing to live in Sac City, Lawrence said, so it is good to see “we’re hopefully turning the corner to give people more places to live.”
He also referenced Lake View when it comes to why expanding recreation can be a boon. The Sauk Rail Trail was built over 25 miles from Carroll north to Lake View by 2000, and that has been a boon in bringing people to that town. Lawrence also cited Madrid as seeing tourism by being located near the picturesque High Trestle Trail by the Boone River.
“The economic impact is pretty substantial for your restaurants and bars. … They bring people in. We want to be part of that as well,” he said.
Lawrence is part of the Sac County Trails group that is looking into ways to extend to Lake View. Other possibilities being discussed are trail links to Early, and perhaps east to Auburn near Iowa Highway 175. Additionally, the Sac County Trails members are in discussion with officials from four other counties, including Buena Vista and Clay counties, to extend the Iowa Great Lakes Trail south from Dickinson County and Spencer.
Lawrence said $60,000 has been raised, and some paving of a trail west should happen in 2026. That likely will parallel Old Highway 20, then later head south toward Lake View and the Sauk Trail.
“Once you tie into Lake View, that could really get us rolling,” he said.
Some city sidewalks may also be widened to hook into that new western segment trail paving.
Lawrence said people outside Sac City may not realize the town has two trail segments of about two miles each on the east edge near the Raccoon River, with very rustic views.
One goal is to link those two segments with a future bridge over the Raccoon River. Yet another project underway is adding more places to put kayaks in along the river, to increase the already steady kayaking that is done there.
“There is a lot of potential here for a lot of people to use
the natural resources of our city,” Lawrence said. The town also has many city parks, including Criss Park and Chautauqua Park, which hosts the annual Chautauqua Days over three days right before the Fourth of July. The notable Chautauqua Park centerpiece building that dates to 1911 was showing its age, so there was some remodeling done two years ago.
Another annual event held in Sac City is the downtown PorktoberFest, which draws many people each October. The Sac County Museum famously houses The World’s Largest Popcorn Ball, as noted on a U.S. Highway 20 sign that draws people to the tune of about 10,000 visitors per year. Lawrence said all these pieces are helped by having an active Chamber of Commerce “to
-Submitted photos
ABOVE: Sac City officials are proud of the variety of parks, such as Criss Park, and are working to add more recreation options.
LEFT: The annual PorktoberFest draws many people to Sac City each October.
bring more people and businesses to town.”
Other recent pieces include $250,000 in renovations to the Aquatic Center that was originally built for about $1 million in 2001, while the Loring Hospital added a wing for a clinic. Lance Wilhelm is a hometown boy who moved away, then about a decade ago he returned. He is gratified to be among those working on the trails, museum and other pieces to boost the Sac City area. “We are pretty collaborative here in Sac City,” Wilhelm said.
courtesy City of Rockwell City
Webster City
CERTIFIABLY COMPETITIVE
Webster City creates certified sites for prospective businesses
By ROBERT E. OLIVER
WEBSTER CITY — Webster City and Hamilton County’s economic development work has ramped up in the last two years since joining the Ames Regional Economic Alliance.
With new workforce housing set to break ground in 2026, redevelopment of the former Doc’s Stop site moving forward, upgraded children’s day care facilities and programming, new Webster City High School facilities on the horizon and Ace Hardware moving into downtown, the excitement is palpable.
All of these projects mean better days ahead for Webster City. A case can be made, however, that the most important effort of all is the one that has potential to bring new employment, and with it, a growing tax base. That project is certification of land in the industrial park.
A year ago, Webster City’s then 37-acre industrial park was being expanded to 600 acres. Joining the Ames Regional Economic Alliance in 2024 meant the community now had the strength of its 18-strong staff to help move the industrial park project forward. Long-time consultant to the city, Snyder & Associates, of Ankeny, was selected to manage the site certification.
In mid-February 2025, the City Council of Webster City showed support for the project by voting for a $220,000 funding package to pay for certification of most of the land in the industrial park. Of that total, $100,000 came as a grant from the state; the remaining $120,000 from the city.
What exactly is certification? Essentially, it’s reducing risk and uncertainty for a company seeking to relocate to Webster City by inspecting and testing the land in the industrial park.
Snyder & Associates produced a 12-page plan for certifying Webster City’s industrial park. Project Manager John Haldeman told The Daily Freeman Journal, “every task in certification is mandated by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA).”
One of the standards for certification includes confirming any land a company might wish to buy in the industrial park must be available a minimum of 48 months after completion of certification. This affords a
-Submitted image
four-year window in which to make the many decisions required to build a new facility in a new location.
Next, Snyder & Associates must research and guarantee that there are no leases or easements on any of the land that would stop a project from proceeding.
Following that, the land must be carefully surveyed to set boundaries and calculate exactly the size of parcels available for development. This is crucial as the size of the parcel determines the final cost of the land.
A Phase I environmental assessment meeting the requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is next. Among other things, this requires a look at how land in the industrial park has been used since Hamilton County was settled in the 1850s.
A wetland and stream delineation report is next on the certification agenda. This follows regulations of the 1987 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual. The report identifies any streams in the industrial park, tracing where they originate and which direction they flow. Soil samples are taken to identify which types of soil are found in the area, a vital determination before building foundations can confidently be put in.
In addition, a jurisdictional determination must be completed to rule out any known, or foreseen, need for the land by the U.S. government, which has effectively unlimited eminent domain power when land is needed for national defense, and a few other needs.
Then, a threatened and endangered species evaluation can be done jointly by the Io-
wa Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. This survey of the land shows which state and federally listed endangered species might be present, are known to be present, or have potential habitat at, or near, the project sites.
In addition, a Cultural Resources Identification Study is completed to identify, delineate and describe archaeological resources that might qualify for the National Register of Histor-
consider a zoning change should a firm considering a move to the industrial park find it necessary for their project.
A detailed description of access to the park, both highway and railroad, will be done next. The park is presently accessible by highways 20 and 17, and via Union Pacific Railroad. As well, there must be a clear statement of utilities available in the park: electrical, natural gas, wastewater and telecommunications.
“It gives us a competitive advantage by demonstrating to interested businesses the site is development-ready and vetted.”
— John Harrenstein City manager for Webster City
ic Places. At a cost of $79,000, this is one of the most thorough and expensive of all certification tasks. Once complete, Snyder must officially notify the Iowa State Preservation Office of completion of and any findings of this study.
Light detection and ranging technology will then be used to create a topographical map of the industrial park. This will be done in two phases: first, for land east of Iowa Highway 17, then for land west of the highway.
Next, a zoning map of the industrial park will be drawn-up. Snyder & Associates will create this using zoning regulations currently in effect in Webster City. The city will be asked to
Since 1949
As a final step, Snyder & Associates will draft a master development plan, summarizing all the foregoing tests in a concise document that can be used in marketing land in the industrial park to potential buyers.
Between 450 to 475 out of the total 600 acres available in the industrial park, should soon be certified and ready for marketing.
When certification of Webster City’s industrial park was first suggested, Brenda Dryer, senior vice president of the Ames Regional Economic Alliance, said: “When this work is done, Webster City will have the largest certified site in the Alliance’s three-county region. That will give us a preferen-
tial marketing position with the state of Iowa. We’ll be in a very strong position.”
Certification of industrial land is a relatively new idea. North Carolina was the first state to realize it could gain an advantage in the very competitive arena of industrial development by “guaranteeing” its land was free of any encumbrances to development. It certified its first land in 2001. Today, Louisiana leads with more certified acres than any state. Missouri and Tennessee have also been aggressive in recruiting new companies with certified sites.
Iowa got on board with its first certified sites in 2012.
The importance of certification has been key to moving forward with the industrial park, said City Manager John Harrenstein.
“Participating in the certified site program through IEDA accomplishes three goals associated with Webster City’s future,” he said. “It gives us a competitive advantage by demonstrating to interested businesses the site is development-ready and vetted. This reduces uncertainty and shortens the timeline a business needs to make a decision to invest in the site.”
“Second, it raises the profile of Webster City as a destination for business,” he added. “Without the designation and without partnering with the State of Iowa to market the property we would be at a disadvantage. Finally, the certified site is one leg of a threelegged stool for our economic development strategy: commercial and industrial development, housing and quality of life.”
John Harrenstein
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Webster County towns advance quality of life, infrastructure projects
By MARK ADKINS
Community center improvements to bike trail extensions spotlighted 2025 progress in the smaller towns of Webster County.
Badger
Badger City Clerk Glenda Rasmussen shared news of a trail extension to the city on the county trail system.
“It comes to town and is getting a lot of usage from bikers and walkers,” she said. “It comes here from Fort Dodge to give us much-needed access. We’re now the northernmost point with plans to link up with the Three Rivers route at some point.”
The trail stretches about six miles between 170th Street on the north side of Fort Dodge to Second Avenue Southeast on the south side of Badger. It was completed in the fall of 2024.
In 2025, the volunteer fire department in Badger received a new truck capable of handling three key missions in one compact rig.
The truck can extinguish grass and field fires with a remote control nozzle mounted on its front.
It carries medical gear so that the firefighters can provide care before an ambulance from Fort Dodge arrives.
And it carries hydraulic rescue tools to free people from wrecked vehicles.
A federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant paid 95 percent of the roughly $367,000 cost of the truck. The remaining 5 percent of the cost will come from the budget approved by the local fire board, fundraisers and donations.
Barnum
Barnum Mayor Cassie Dillon discussed the repaving of Elm Street as well as replacing the fence and putting in a generator for the lift station at the lagoon.
“As I go into my third year of service, I’d like to see more community events,” she added. “We’re also looking in the future to repainting the water tower.”
Clare
Clare Mayor Barb Passow pointed to working on the purchase of a new snow plow as well as improving their water area with pavement and rearrang-
ing piping so semi trucks can get closer to it.
“We’ve even put new street signs up around town,” she said.
dayton
“We finished the Oak Park Events Center,” Dayton Mayor John Gallentine said. “Through state and county grants, the city now has a great venue for community events and more at the golf course. As we look toward the future, we would like to expand the center even more.”
Gallentine also noted the county-wide bike trail now goes from Oak Park to Dayton’s uptown area. He also stated there is still engineering work to be done on the bridge upgrade at Fourth Avenue Southeast.
dunComBe
Duncombe City Clerk Lynda Law described sanitary sewer lagoon rehabilitation.
“We received a Community Development Block Grant for the project,” she said. “The contractors are waiting for the right weather conditions to move forward, as they will remove sludge and update valves and piping, too.”
Law added the city is looking to potential grants for redoing the park and playground as well as updating the community center in the future.
“In regards to 2025, we also installed backup generators in the center and fire department for our tornado shelter, which is open to town members when weather strikes,” Law said. “We want to make sure we can accommodate as many people as we can.”
HarCourt
Harcourt City Clerk Rebecca Morford spoke about the nearly-completed pickleball court at the city park.
“It will house both pickleball and basketball,” she said. “We also received a new warning siren so we are tied into the county 911.”
Morford said that the Lost Grove Community Center is hosting many events, while internal repairs were made to the water tower.
“Looking towards 2026, there’s been discussion about continuing street and building repairs in regards to city-owned properties,” she said.
Barb Passow
Cassie Dillon
Gowrie trail opens for recreational use ON THE FREEDOM TRAIL
By KELLI BLOOMQUIST
GOWRIE — About 20 years ago, Andrea Kuhn dreamed of a way to pay it forward to those in the Gowrie community who had shown kindness to her family as her sister battled Lou Gehrig’s disease.
“I thought a trail would be an asset to people with a lot of different needs,” Kuhn told more than 40 people who gathered in Laurel Park on a June afternoon. “Thank you to everyone that helped to make this a reality for my personal pay it forward goal.”
Kuhn, along with a committee of Webster County Supervisors, Webster County Conservation Director Matt Cosgrove, Snyder & Associates of Ankeny, Howrey Construction of Rockwell City, the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance and community members all helped to shape that dream into 1.75 miles of trail within the Gowrie city limits.
The trail, which begins at Laurel Park, was formally named the Freedom Trail and was dedicated in June. According to Kuhn, the first record of a Fourth of July celebration in
Gowrie with a parade and fireworks was in 1882, and the trail committee wanted to honor the local tradition of patriotism for nearly 150 years.
“I love it,” said Kuhn. “Thank you everyone.”
The trail project is part of an $11 million Webster County quality-of-life project which also includes trails in Badger and Dayton, as well as the newly built Matt Cosgrove River’s Edge Discovery Center.
“This is awesome to see this all come together,” said Webster County Supervisor Nathan Montgomery.
“It’s great for a small community like Gowrie. I’ve seen the trail getting good use, and it’s great to see it come to fruition.”
Work on the trail began in 2021 with former Supervisor Mark Campbell and Cosgrove meeting with the Gowrie City Council and mayor to discuss quality-of-life projects in rural areas. A committee including Kuhn, Cosgrove, Campbell, Phil DeCastro, Chad Loseke, Austin Promes, Lynn Rittgers, Mindy Swieter, and architects at Snyder & Associates met to create a master plan that looped the trail around Gowrie. The
original plan was to be completed in six phases with construction beginning on July 17, 2024.
According to Kuhn, the original trail plan was to end Phase 1 at Mulligans and have the trailhead kiosk there. However, as construction materials increased in price, the plan had to be scaled back with the kiosk moved to Laurel Park near the Gowrie Swimming Pool and Southeast Valley High School football field and track.
Kuhn, along with Spencer Wignall, project manager at Snyder & Associates, showed attendees at the dedication the graphics of the trail system, rules for utilizing the trail, and Gowrie photos that will all be placed on the kiosk.
“Doesn’t it just look great?” asked Kuhn.
While the Gowrie Trail may now be open for running, biking, and skating, Kuhn and the trail committee are hoping that residents will continue to sup-
port the project.
“We wish for an organization to choose the trail as their service project,” said Kuhn.
“Perhaps a cement pad for a maintenance-free aluminum solar-lighted flag pole with a flag and extra flags for replacement of weathered flags. Perhaps donations for installation of a cement pad to mount a Gowrie Freedom Trail Rock to be painted by local artists with shrubbery approved by the Gowrie Parks Board.”
-Messenger file photo
MEMBERS OF THE GOWRIE TRAIL COMMITTEE, Gowrie City Council, Webster County supervisors, Snyder & Associates, and Gowrie residents all gathered in Laurel Park in June to formally open the new trail system.