Founded in 2010
News & Entertainment for Mason City, Clear Lake & the Entire North Iowa Region
Doug Belden, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn. – The original Vikings stadium bill will get a vote on the floor of the Minnesota House on Monday, Speaker Kurt Zellers said Thursday, May
The Philadelphia Inquirer – ACT OF VALOR 1 1/2 stars. This action film’s claim to fame is that it stars active-duty Navy SEALs. The problem is that these stoic warriors infect Act
By Jan Raath – HARARE, Zimbabwe — Three sex workers accused of raping 17 men in Zimbabwe were freed on Thursday after a magistrate found no evidence against them. The women, all
By Annie Sweeney, Chicago Tribune – CHICAGO — Five years after his arrest for mailing two inoperable pipe bombs and letters laced with violent threats to investment firms, John Tomkins testified Thursday
Chicago Tribune – CHICAGO — Sen. Mark Kirk has been released from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, where he had been recovering from a stroke, according to a statement from his family.
By Brian Bennett, Tribune Washington Bureau – WASHINGTON — Osama bin Laden ordered terrorist teams in mid-2010 to blow up the planes of President Barack Obama and Gen. David H. Petraeus, then
By Melissa Jenco, Chicago Tribune – CHICAGO — The U.S. Marshals Service will oversee care of Rita Crundwell’s champion halter horses as the former Dixon, Ill., comptroller answers to charges she pilfered
by Jody Spear and Kelly Meyer – CLEAR LAKE – Brian Thomsen, a typical Iowa farmer, was busy last week. After getting his chores done, early Thursday morning, he began loading his
By Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times – ANAHEIM, Calif. — A season that started so disappointingly for the Los Angeles Angels was quickly forgotten among the roaring crowd of 27,288 at Angel
By Landon Hall, The Orange County Register – ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Minnesota Twins have the worst record in baseball, with the worst pitching staff. And they got steamrolled by one of
Editorial by Matt Marquardt – I have just become aware of a new Facebook group called “Fed^ North Iowa.” I learned about it after State Representative Sharon Steckman “recommended” a Globe Gazette
As state treasurer, I have always advocated for saving for college. Since the 1998 launch of College Savings Iowa, Iowa’s 529 plan, my efforts in raising awareness about this important topic have
I try to read the blogs to get a feel for the pulse of those writing them. In order to do this effectively you must be able to discern those who are
James Q. Lynch, CR Gazette- DES MOINES — The only official action by the Iowa Legislature on Wednesday was approval of a resolution honoring the 1937 Melrose High School boys’ basketball state
By Jay Weaver, McClatchy Newspapers – MIAMI — If you thought Medicare fraud had faded as a crime, think again. Consider these robust numbers: On Wednesday, federal authorities charged 107 suspects with submitting
The North Iowa Transition Center (NITC) is a non-profit organization located in Mason City, dedicated to improving the quality of life of persons with mental illness, their families, and the community.
By Kim Murphy, Los Angeles Times – SEATTLE — The U.S. Justice Department’s decision to open a civil rights investigation into the handling of sexual assault cases in Missoula, Mont., follows months of
By Don Lee, Tribune Washington Bureau – WASHINGTON — The picture of the U.S. job market got a little brighter Thursday. After three straight weeks of elevated readings, first-time jobless claims fell
By Wendy Lee, Star Tribune (Minneapolis) – MINNEAPOLIS — Sure, you can “like” a store on Facebook, but you can’t easily tell all your friends you “want” that new pair of jeans, “love”
From U.S. Rep. Tom Latham – America’s family farms won a great victory over misguided government regulation last week when the U.S. Department of Labor abandoned plans to pursue mindless regulations that
The timing is just about perfect. It’s early May and the big crappie bite hasn’t happened yet. If the weather forecast holds, this could be the week crappies begin to spawn and
James Q. Lynch, CR Gazette – A roundup of legislative and Capitol news items of interest for Wednesday, May 2, 2012: STATE MAP GOES QR: In addition to showing roadways, rivers, rail
By Kate Thomas – ABUJA, Nigeria — At least 34 people were reported to have died after gunmen armed with explosives set fire to a cattle market in northeastern Nigeria, according to
By Steve Alexander, Star Tribune (Minneapolis) – MINNEAPOLIS — Bil MacLeslie can’t get his own company’s Internet service at home anymore. In March, MacLeslie got a notice from telephone company CenturyLink. It said
Patrick Hogan, CR Gazette – CEDAR FALLS — If there’s one phrase the anti-bullying experts gathered at the University of Northern Iowa on Tuesday said they are tired of hearing, it’s “kids
Jeremy Fowler, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn. – Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joe Webb is embracing his role as a full-time quarterback after serving as a hybrid quarterback/receiver/wildcat option for two seasons. Coach Leslie
Gov. Branstad today signed the following legislation into law: House File 563: An Act creating the transparency in private attorney contracts act. House File 2464: An Act relating to Department of Public
Jeremy Fowler, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn. – Wide receiver Jerome Simpson was looking for a team that believed in him. After extensive research and a lunch with Minnesota Vikings coach Leslie Frazier,
By Jessica Guynn, Los Angeles Times – SAN FRANCISCO — Google Inc. and other big tech firms may operate thousands of miles from the nation’s capital but they’re not beyond the reach of
The Bemidji Pioneer, Minn. – WALKER – A 23-year-old Akeley man pleaded guilty here after setting fire to the parents’ home of an ex-girlfriend while nine people were inside. Brandon Todd Sannan
Jeremy Fowler, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn. – In his first public comments at the team facility since October, embattled Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook acknowledged that his participation in the team’s offseason
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration has granted the Des Moines International Airport $450,000 to rehabilitate a portion of the
By Daniel Malloy, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution – ARLINGTON, Va. — Even as he finally acknowledged the end of his presidential ambitions, Newt Gingrich was still thinking big. An American moon colony, major investments
By Anne Blythe, McClatchy Newspapers – GREENSBORO, N.C. — Elizabeth Edwards was worried in the summer of 2007 that her husband was continuing to have an extramarital affair after he had told her
By Seema Mehta and Maeve Reston, Los Angeles Times – PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — When Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire joined Mitt Romney for a tour of fishing boats this week, she was
By Denise-Marie Balona, Dave Weber and Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel – ORLANDO, Fla. — Prosecutors have filed charges against 13 people accused of taking part in the beating death of Florida A&M
By Dalina Castellanos, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — Five people were found shot to death, including a toddler, at a house in the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert on Wednesday afternoon. Police
By Eryn Brown, Los Angeles Times – In a long-awaited study that helped prompt a contentious debate over the wisdom of conducting research that has the potential to help as well as harm,