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.
Most people agree honesty matters, but life is full of awkward moments when the truth can feel needlessly cruel. When, if ever, is a lie OK?
![White Lies, Honesty And The Etiquette Of Telling The Truth [The Question]](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/shutterstock/790386/20260626/030730/styles/patch_image/public/shutterstock-633548768___26150646721.jpg)
A backyard pool can turn into a neighborhood free-for-all fast when one friendly invitation becomes an assumed free pass.
Mars is releasing all-natural colorings in a “Make America Healthy Again” makeover of its classic M&M’s candies, benching blue and brown.
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, we want to hear what being an American means to you.
Libby, a golden retriever startled by a loud noise 3 years ago, stays a step ahead of rescuers. But where there’s kindness, there’s hope.
Readers debate when it’s appropriate to correct bad manners, how to do it without shaming someone, and whether public civility is fading.
![How To Correct Bad Manners Without Shaming [The Question]](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/shutterstock/790386/20260618/102851/styles/patch_image/public/shutterstock-722419237___18102717853.jpg)
Bears are where they shouldn’t be. An emu is on the run. And a woman was buzzing down the highway when she discovered she wasn’t alone.
Letting the neighbor kid swim on a hot day may seem like a kind thing to do. But what if they bring more kids and come back again and again?
Readers share funny, tender Father’s Day memories of the dads who taught them how to laugh, work hard, save money and love deeply.
Tight cattle supplies and New World screwworm issues keep beef prices high, but strategic menu planning can keep summer grilling affordable.
Pools, beaches, boating excursions and road trips come with risks. Here’s what to know about summer safety hazards before heading out.
Pool toys may impale kids; cars in cold-weather states recalled due to rust; Alfredo sauce recalled in 41 states over salmonella concerns.
Americans want clearer rules for e-bikes and e-scooters, including age limits, speed restrictions, sidewalk bans and stronger enforcement.
AccuWeather expert meteorologists said the developing El Niño is unusual because it is expected to begin early and strengthen quickly.
Whether it was wise, funny, practical or completely goofy, we want to hear the thing your dad said that has stuck with you.
Is it ever OK to correct someone’s manners? And how do you do it without embarrassing them or sounding like the etiquette police?
![How To Correct Bad Manners Without Being Rude Yourself [The Question]](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/shutterstock/790386/20260610/071431/styles/patch_image/public/shutterstock-2727902257___10191034343.jpg)
A flesh-eating parasite once wiped out in the United States is back on the radar after new cases of New World screwworm were confirmed.
People are entering NYC sewers, and no one knows why. A man fell into a septic tank, but the stench kept a rescuer away. Animals run amok.
Fatal and serious e-scooter crashes raise fresh safety questions. How should your town balance safety and the convenience of e-scooters?
Rude questions, real boundaries: Patch readers debate whether personal questions deserve grace, deflection, humor or a hard stop.
![How To Respond To Nosiness Without Being Rude [The Question]](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/shutterstock/790386/20260604/063505/styles/patch_image/public/shutterstock-2723662743___04182525550.jpg)