Founded in 2010
News & Entertainment for Mason City, Clear Lake & the Entire North Iowa Region
by Matt Marquardt – MASON CITY – As the City of Mason City continues to downsize its staff and handle fewer maintenance jobs around the city than in past years, dollars are
Sent to NorthIowaToday.com by “Observer” – MASON CITY – Before Christmas, and ever since, a Snow Owl has been out and about downtown upsetting the resident crows during the night. One day
AMSTERDAM — The Dutch mobile euthanasia clinics that began offering assisted death in people’s homes last week received nearly 60 requests within their two first days of operation, Dutch daily De Volkskrant
By Maeve Reston and Robin Abcarian, Los Angeles Times – SEATTLE — In the last 10 days, voters learned that Mitt Romney’s wife drives two Cadillacs, and that while Romney does not follow
By Jerry Zgoda, Star Tribune (Minneapolis) – PORTLAND, Ore. — Ending a four-game Western trip that’s only the beginning of their manic March travels, the Minnesota Timberwolves, led by Kevin Love in his
By Jack Daly, McClatchy Newspapers – DURHAM, N.C. — Ever since it beat North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Feb. 8, Duke has played Austin Rivers’ dramatic game-winning shot on its video board
COLUMBIA, Mo. – After nearly pinning his opponent in the championship match, Iowa State heavyweight Matt Gibson earned the 2012 Big 12 Championship heavyweight title Saturday at the Hearnes Center. Gibson defeated
WACO, Texas – For 25 minutes Saturday, Iowa State (18-11, 9-9 Big 12) held No. 1 Baylor (31-0, 18-0 Big 12) at bay before a big second half run allowed the Lady
ROCHESTER, Minn. – NIACC softball started its season off with a split at the Yellowjacket Classic on Saturday, losing to the Gustavus Adolphus JV 5-3 in eight innings, and beating Madison Area
MASON CITY – Mason City police responded to a report of a burglary in progress at a residence in the 0 block of 5th Street NW at 4:32 a.m. Sunday morning. When
Historic Park Inn Hotel to open eatery; how nice. The long awaited restaurant is finally scheduled to open. The city has been rife with rumors concerning that empty space that borders the
By Lesley Sheridan, Naturalist Intern, Lime Creek Nature Center – The Lime Creek Nature Center recently updated its gift shop inventory to include several new items. We are especially excited to offer
MCT FORUM, By Sen. Bernie Sanders – The United States is in the midst of a major dental crisis. There are 130 million Americans who have no dental insurance. One-fourth of adults age
(Des Moines, IA) – One lucky person, Irish or not, will have a St. Patrick’s Day to remember when they win the Dinner and Drafts promotion from the Iowa Wine and Beer Promotion
Governor Branstad has declared March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in Iowa. The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) urges residents to learn more about colorectal cancer, the third leading cause of
Adam Harringa, Austin Daily Herald, Minn. – This story is originally appeared in Progress 2012, which published Sunday, Feb. 26. From the time Jeff Ettinger started at Hormel Foods Corp. 21 years ago, living
By David Pierson, Los Angeles Times – BEIJING — China, the largest foreign holder of U.S. government debt, reduced its holdings of federal securities last year, according to revised data released Wednesday by
By Brent Snavely, Detroit Free Press – DETROIT — General Motors Co. has told 1,300 employees at its Detroit Hamtramck plant that they will be temporarily laid off for five weeks as the
By John Boudreau, San Jose Mercury News – SAN JOSE, Calif. — Apple, which relies on Asian contractors to manufacture its iPhones and iPads, said in a report released Friday that it has
By Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — It started as normal Hollywood friction — an actress who wanted better lines and a writer annoyed by her suggestions. But the squabble
By Joseph A. Slobodzian, The Philadelphia Inquirer – PHILADELPHIA — A Darby, Pa., teen who took up a Facebook solicitation to kill a Philadelphia woman’s boyfriend — but was unable to fulfill the
By Carol Rosenberg, McClatchy Newspapers – MIAMI — The Navy has chosen a Key West, Fla.-based admiral, a helicopter pilot who ran Hurricane Katrina air relief operations, to take over as the next
By Rene Rodriguez, McClatchy Newspapers – FRIENDS WITH KIDS (R): Writer-director Jennifer Westfeld (“Kissing Jessica Stein”) returns with this comedy about two best friends who decide to have a child together but keep
By Maura Dolan, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — California cities may not ban medical marijuana dispensaries, but the operations may sell only weed that is grown on site, an appeals court
The Mason City High School gymnasium will be transformed to a Renaissance theme for a spectacular event that includes food and entertainment for what proves to be a magical evening. The Renaissance
By Carol J. Williams, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — Ani Chopourian lost track of how many complaints she filed during the two years she worked as a physician assistant at Sacramento’s
Statement by Senator Herman Quirmbach of Ames, Senate Education Committee Chair “Senate Democrats remain committed to working with Governor Branstad and Republican legislators on our shared goals of raising academic standards, increasing
NEWARK, N.J. — Massive conspiracies to import hundreds of millions of dollars in counterfeit goods from China and illegal drugs from Taiwan to the U.S. have been disrupted. The case was investigated
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A federal grand jury returned indictments against 31 Texas residents for their involvement in a conspiracy to harbor and transport illegal aliens. The indictments were announced by U.S.
BALTIMORE – A federal grand jury has indicted Bodog Entertainment Group S.A., d/b/a/ Bodog.com, its owner and three operators for conducting an illegal sports gambling business and conspiring to commit money laundering,
ORLANDO, Fla. — More than 2,500 counterfeit items were confiscated as the result of a joint operation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations(HSI), the Orlando Police Department and the
The Lime Creek Nature Center has scheduled a special program for students during spring break week. The Zoomobile from the Minnesota Zoo will provide their presentation All Things Connected on Monday, March
John Mangalonzo, The Hawk Eye, Burlington, Iowa – KEOKUK – A Thursday morning raid of a home in connection with the investigation into the making and delivery of meth and marijuana in the
MASON CITY, Iowa – NIACC soccer’s starting goalkeeper this past season Patrick Kinsella will sign with Ashford University for next season. Kinsella, a sophomore out of Frimley, England, had 177 saves and
Over The Hill 2/28/12 (4 person team) High Scratch Game 1. Mike Roberts 250 2. Bob Govern 229 3. Gary Booke 198 1. Marlene Moore 213 2. Joyce Konigsmark 197 3. Karen
CHARLESTON, Ill. – The NIACC track and field team had three fifth place finishes in the second day of the NJCAA National Indoor Championships on Saturday. Trey Taylor (Fr., Bloomfield, CT) was
MASON CITY, Iowa – Marshalltown’s Courtney Sullivan hit a running jumper with 1.5 seconds left to lift the Tigers to a 70-68 win over NIACC during both team’s regular season finales on
By Renee Schoof, McClatchy Newspapers – WASHINGTON — The Prairie State power plant, set amid farm fields and woods in southwestern Illinois, will start producing power soon, beginning a life of burning local
By Thomas Fitzgerald, The Philadelphia Inquirer – CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — The ads fall like hammer blows on television and radio: Rick Santorum is a “Washington insider” who bragged about all the earmark money
By John Hoeffel and David Zucchino, Los Angeles Times – HENRYVILLE, Ind. — “See, they told us yesterday morning to get out,” Beverly Evans said Saturday, stifling sobs as she gazed at the