Founded in 2010
News & Entertainment for Mason City, Clear Lake & the Entire North Iowa Region
by Jody Spear – HAMPTON – Hampton-Dumont High School sent letters out with the students, Tuesday, February 21, with the understanding that they would give it to their parents. The purpose of
By Scott Collins, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — Steven Tyler, please put your clothes back on. Thursday’s “American Idol” delivered some of the show’s lowest-ever numbers, although Fox blamed basketball more
By Rebecca Keegan, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES—Before the final touches to the hair and makeup and the red carpet wave comes another crucial rite of Oscar weekend — rehearsal. Dozens of
By Carrie Rickey, The Philadelphia Inquirer – PHILADELPHIA — Thomas Langmann was elated. The French film producer had a script he loved. It was about a Hollywood heartthrob, his faithful dog, and a
MASON CITY, Iowa – Nineteen NIACC track and field athletes will make the trip to the NJCAA Indoor National Championships in Charleston, IL on March 2. The women’s team had nine athletes
A man who robbed a downtown Cedar Rapids bank while on federal supervised release for a 1990 bank robbery was sentenced today to serve 24 years in federal prison. Robert Michael Rutan,
By Richard Winton, Howard Blume and Sam Allen, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — Since authorities charged a teacher nearly a month ago with committing lewd acts in his classroom, the Los
By Maureen O’Hagan, The Seattle Times – PORT ORCHARD, Wash. — The pale 9-year-old walked into the Kitsap County Juvenile Court on Thursday, looking dazed in his orange jumpsuit. There was a television
By Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — A judge ruled Friday that the doctor convicted in Michael Jackson’s death must remain behind bars while lawyers appeal his case. Dr. Conrad
By Susan Jacobson, The Orlando Sentinel – ORLANDO, Fla. — The launch of an expensive new basketball shoe — timed to Orlando’s hosting of the NBA All-Star Game — triggered a melee Thursday
By Andrew Blankstein, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — The FBI is probing an Internet breach in which hackers publicly posted private information belonging to more than 100 local law enforcement officers
By Melanie Mason, Tribune Washington Bureau – WASHINGTON — Comedian Bill Maher became the latest member of the seven-figure “super PAC” donors club Thursday night when he announced during a comedy special that
by Matt Marquardt – Many of you may be aware that local elected and appointed officials took a trip last week to Washington D.C. to lobby the Federal Government (see photo). The
By Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel – MIAMI — President Obama apologized earlier for his absence. Jeremy Lin? He was present but hardly his typical presence. Amid a playoff atmosphere at AmericanAirlines Arena, the
By Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – PHOENIX — Ryan Braun made major-league history Thursday, the kind that left the National League most valuable player as well as the Milwaukee Brewers ecstatic, but
By Steven Thomma, McClatchy Newspapers – MESA, Ariz. — Rick Santorum’s attempts this week to explain his voting record in the Senate help illustrate a key dynamic of presidential politics: Congress may be
How do we get to the promised land? You just need to get on the right bus. Let me warn you its not cheap. The fare runs into the thousands and you
Warning from U.S. Government: Did you know that your telephone bills may contain charges for products or services other than telephone service, much like charges on a credit card? Those who carry out
Hunters reported harvesting 121,407 deer in Iowa during the 2011-12 seasons, which is 4.5 percent lower than the 127,094 deer reported in 2010-11. To date, Iowa’s deer population has been reduced by
Rod Boshart, CR Gazette – A roundup of legislative and Capitol news items of interest for Thursday, Feb. 23: CHECKS IN THE MAIL: Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said Thursday that refund
AMES, Iowa – Feb. 24, 2012 – Aviation contractors hired by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) will be performing aerial seeding and fertilizing along the state’s highways as soon as weather
Photo of the day submitted by anonymous NorthIowaToday.com reader. It was taken outside a bar in Clear Lake, she said. Does anyone know what bar? To send a photo in for publication,
By Stuart Pfeifer, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — Santa Monica, Calif., precious metals dealer Goldline International Inc., one of the nation’s largest gold retailers, has resolved a criminal prosecution by agreeing
By Colin Covert, Star Tribune (Minneapolis) – “Rampart” is a character study of a very bad character. Woody Harrelson plays Dave Brown, a Vietnam vet and reprehensible cop in L.A.’s notoriously corrupt Rampart
By Rick Bentley, McClatchy Newspapers – It was only a matter of time before the popularity of reality TV would lead to reality movies. This scary new genre is not the same as
By Eryn Brown, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — The World Health Organization says the H5N1 bird flu kills nearly 60 percent of people who become infected, but a study released Thursday
By Jim Puzzanghera and Kathleen Hennessey, Los Angeles Times – WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s proposal to lower the corporate tax rate to 28 percent from 35 percent shows a growing consensus in
By Ian Duncan, Tribune Washington Bureau – WASHINGTON — A chance shake-up of Maryland House of Delegates seating assignments brought Republican Wade Kach face to face with gay couples who had come to
By Jay Weaver, McClatchy Newspapers – MIAMI — Five Floridians are accused of conspiring to extort money from relatives of Cuban migrants allegedly being held for ransom in Mexico while they were illegally
By Kathleen Hennessey, Tribune Washington Bureau – WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama tried to deflect criticism over rising gas prices on Thursday, as he accused Republicans of cheering the bad economic news and
By Kyle Jahner, McClatchy Newspapers – RALEIGH, N.C. — John Edwards couldn’t keep his mistress or the child they conceived from becoming public. His mistress has had better luck with their sex tape.
By Jonathan S. Landay, McClatchy Newspapers – WASHINGTON — As the city of Homs shuddered Thursday from another day of Syrian army bombardments, U.N. investigators held regime officials and military commanders “at the
By Paul West, Tribune Washington Bureau – NOVI, Mich. — With momentum shifting his way, presidential contender Mitt Romney pushed Thursday for critical primary wins using the formula that has kept him in
Diane Heldt, CR Gazette – University of Northern Iowa officials, pending state regents approval, plan to reduce general fund support to athletics and close the UNI Museum building June 30 as part of
By Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGLES — Adele’s momentum is showing no signs of slowing. After winning six Grammy Awards and taking the top prize at the Brit Awards, the
By Lisa Mascaro, Tribune Washington Bureau – WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is roundly criticized by Republicans for running up the nation’s debt. But if a Republican takes the White House, the debt
By Sergei L. Loiko, Los Angeles Times – MOSCOW — In a short but fiery presidential campaign speech, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday called on voters to prepare for battle to
Duane Nollen, The Oskaloosa Herald, Iowa – DES MOINES — Iowa Barnstormers wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos took some time Tuesday night to talk a little bit about the transition from college football to