How to contact me: beth.dalbey@patch.com
Beth Dalbey, a longtime award-winning community journalist, is Patch’s national editor. She has been with Patch since 2011 when she launched sites in Iowa and provided national Iowa Caucus and swing-state general election coverage. She worked as a regional manager before moving to the national desk in 2017. Throughout her time at Patch, she has reported and written about local topics of national interest and is currently focusing on exclusive Patch content, including Block Talk, an only-on-Patch neighborhood etiquette column for which readers supply advice.
Dalbey and the newspapers she has edited have earned numerous awards for news, feature and government coverage, editorial and column writing, and overall general excellence from the Iowa Newspaper Association, the National Newspaper Association and the Associated Press Media Editors. In 1992 in Iowa, she led the weekly Dallas County News to win the INA's prestigious Newspaper of the Year award, competing against metro newspapers many times its size. She was the youngest recipient ever of the INA’s Distinguished Service Award in 1994. At Patch, she received the Todd Richissin Award for Excellence in Reporting and Writing for the “Menace of Bullies” project.
In Iowa, Dalbey’s byline has also appeared in the Fairfield Daily Ledger, where she was editor for five years; and in the Des Moines Business Record, Cityview, dsm magazine and other publications under the umbrella of Business Publications Corp., where she was the editorial director for several years. Dalbey also freelanced for the Des Moines Register and other print and digital publications
Dalbey grew up in Missouri and majored in journalism at Northwest Missouri State University. Except for a three-year stint as communications editor for a scientific institute doing ape language research, she has spent her entire career in community journalism. At the former Great Ape Trust of Iowa, she wrote about the world-famous resident bonobos Kanzi and Panbanisha.
Readers drew sharp ethical lines between stealing food out of hunger, taking luxury goods and targeting homes, local shops or chain stores.
![Stealing Is Wrong, But Food Theft Isn’t As Clear-Cut [The Question]](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/shutterstock/790386/20260716/104757/styles/patch_image/public/shutterstock-1220942950___16223759832.jpg)
Parks are for all, but loud workouts, crowded paths, off-leash dogs and sprawling activities can test the unwritten rules of sharing space.
Kidnapped kitten dragged into crime; poison-resistant mice continue evolutionary arms race; couple found a spent shell casing in an avocado.
Parents are delaying purchases, switching brands and cutting technology spending as laptop prices rise and household budgets tighten.
In a survey for National Ice Cream Day, the best answers aren’t about flavors but Sunday drives to iconic shops and heart-melting memories.
Supporters favor more evening daylight and an end to clock changes, but critics warn of darker, potentially more dangerous winter mornings.
Solar wind measurements, which can suddenly color a night sky with vivid colors, are among the forecasting tools NOAA has recently updated.
Sources of cyclospora surges can be tricky to pin down. State health officials report 1,700 have been sickened in nearly 30 states.
Millions of eye drops have been recalled; name-brand dog food poses a choking hazard; stop using these grills; and check cars for recalls.
Patch readers share small but lasting moments of kindness, ranging from a tied shoelace to strangers offering comfort and aid after a crash.
Stealing seems ethically clear-cut, unless it involves food, a coworker, or personal risk.
![What To Do After Witnessing Someone Stealing [The Question]](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/shutterstock/790386/20260708/062118/styles/patch_image/public/shutterstock-1760790557___08182035831.jpg)
National Ice Cream Day is coming up. Give us the scoop on your favorite flavors, freezer-aisle loyalties and strongest ice cream opinions.
Pediatricians emphasize essential prevention measures: swimming lessons, constant supervision, pool fencing, life jackets, and CPR training.
Most Americans see kindness and respect in daily life, according to a recent poll. We want to hear your stories.
Joe Snitch wants to help; “UFO clouds” drift into California; e-bikes menace the grocery aisles; and the M&M’s don’t have the blues.
Readers debate the ethics of white lies and brutal truths, and the line between fibs sparing feelings and falsehoods causing real harm.
![Kindness Has Limits When It Comes To Lying, Readers Say [The Question]](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/shutterstock/790386/20260701/084908/styles/patch_image/public/shutterstock-252136366___01204632320.jpg)
With a mix of pride, concern, and hope, readers described America as a land of liberty and opportunity with promises not yet fully realized.
Health officials are focusing their investigation of a multi-state outbreak of the foodborne cyclosporiasis outbreak on clusters of cases.
With excessive heat forecast for the country’s semiquincentennial, following these food safety tips can keep guests out of the hospital.
The Perseids headline a busy summer skywatching season that includes solar and lunar eclipses and a lingering chance of seeing the aurora.
