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HAMPTON — The Franklin County Board of Supervisors approved utility permits, adopted a fiscal year 2026 budget amendment, discussed employee handbook questions involving FMLA and maternity leave, and approved courthouse statue repairs during its regular meeting on May 26, 2026.
OSAGE — The Mitchell County Board of Supervisors heard updates on jail certification, upcoming public safety details, road projects and the ongoing courthouse cupola issue during its regular meeting on May 26, 2026.
A tragic UTV crash in Iowa claimed the lives of a Wheatland man and a 4-year-old child over the Memorial Day weekend.
NORTHWOOD – Worth County supervisors approved a budget amendment, county claims, a change order for the Secondary Roads Maintenance Facility and several other items during their regular meeting on May 26, 2026.
MASON CITY – A North Iowa prosecutor is continuing her Democratic campaign for Cerro Gordo County Attorney as next Tuesday primary approaches.
MASON CITY – A Mason City man is facing a serious felony burglary charge after police say he violently forced his way into a local residence while armed with a handgun and threatened the people inside.
An Iowa man was killed Monday after his pickup was stopped in the traveled lanes of an Interstate highway and struck by a semi.
DES MOINES — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a major property tax relief bill into law on May 18, 2026, along with a slate of other bills affecting health care, education, transportation, radon mitigation, abortion regulations, prescription access and other issues.
The centerpiece of the bill-signing announcement was SF 2472, a property tax package Reynolds said will save Iowa homeowners $4.2 billion over six years.
A Guatemalan man living in Northern Iowa has pleaded guilty in federal court after authorities say he illegally reentered the United States, fled from law enforcement more than once and was later turned over to immigration authorities following an arrest.
According to federal prosecutors, law enforcement attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Morales-Ramos on April 1, 2026, for speeding. Authorities say he failed to stop and later fled on foot. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement allegedly found an open alcohol bottle in the center console, additional alcohol in the car and a fictitious international driver’s license.
MASON CITY — A Mason City woman was arrested Saturday evening after police say a traffic stop led to allegations of drunk driving, speeding and an open container violation.
Northern Iowa deputies arrested a Guatemalan man after an injured woman allegedly fled a domestic assault and tried to flag down vehicles along a rural Fayette County road.
A Northern Iowa man accused of pointing a laser at Iowa National Guard helicopters was later convicted in a criminal case that began with complaints from helicopter pilots and ended with a search of a rural Grundy County home, where authorities said they found illegal drugs and firearms.
MASON CITY – A Mason City man who was already serving probation in an OWI case was arrested after police responded to a reported disturbance at a local apartment complex.
MASON CITY – A Mason City man is facing 10 felony charges after authorities arrested him on a warrant tied to an Iowa criminal case involving alleged depictions of minors in sex acts.
MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota suspect accused in a multimillion-dollar Medicaid fraud scheme was captured Thursday after federal authorities say he jumped from a fourth-floor balcony to escape FBI agents trying to arrest him.
The suspect, Muhammad Abdulqadir Omar, is accused of working with Ibrahim Bashir Abdi, 25, of Minneapolis, in a fraud scheme involving Minnesota’s Housing Stabilization Services program, a Medicaid-funded program intended to help people with disabilities and other eligible residents find and keep housing.
WASHINGTON – The ringleader of the “Feeding Our Future” scam up in neighboring Minnesota that robbed taxpayers nationwide of countless millions with virtually zero return on investment will roam a tiny cell for probably the rest of her existence, federal authorities said on Friday.
Aimee Bock (pictured at top in a jail photo) has been sentenced to 500 months in prison for her lead role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
IOWA CITY — An early-morning house fire in Iowa City caused an estimated $100,000 in damage after flames spread from the front of a home into the attic and to a vehicle parked in the driveway.
A northern Iowa methamphetamine dealer who fled from law enforcement through part of a college campus before officers found more than 70 grams of meth in his car has been sentenced to more than 18 years in federal prison.
MASON CITY — A two-vehicle crash near Mason City left one driver with a minor injury and caused disabling damage to both vehicles, according to the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office.
An Iowa man is in custody at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility after authorities said a dog was abused, shot in the head and later died from its injuries.
Police said a black 2004 Mercury Mountaineer driven by Brooke Brainard, 35, of Charles City, was traveling eastbound on 4th Avenue and attempted to make a left turn to travel north on E Street.
A northern Iowa man was arrested after authorities searching for stolen property at a Bremer County residence allegedly found evidence tied to methamphetamine use.
DOUGHERTY – A Hampton woman was taken to the hospital with minor injuries Thursday morning after a two-vehicle crash in rural Cerro Gordo County.
FOREST CITY – Winnebago County supervisors approved county claims, discussed property issues in the northeast corner of the county and reviewed emergency paging concerns during meetings held May 19 and May 21, 2026.
CHARLES CITY — The Floyd County Board of Supervisors approved a new ambulance services contract, road maintenance work, a county road vacation, new stop signs and drainage district work during its regular meeting on May 19, 2026.
WATERLOO – A 22-year-old Cherokee woman has died after a two-vehicle crash Monday morning on Sergeant Road in Black Hawk County, according to the Iowa State Patrol.
WINNEBAGO COUNTY — The Winnebago County Board of Supervisors discussed property concerns, road matters, county safety issues, claims and emergency radio paging problems during meetings held May 19, 2026, and May 21, 2026.
MASON CITY – More than a decade after a beloved cookie shop closed its doors in Mason City, the familiar taste of Cookies, etc. is making a sweet return.
Cookies, etc. announced May 15, 2026, that it will be back in Mason City this summer, serving customers every Saturday at the Mason City Farmers Market.
ANKENY – Ankeny has been named one of the top places to live in the United States, earning the No. 4 national ranking in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-2027 Best Places to Live list, the city announced Tuesday.
ESTHERVILLE – A north Iowa man already facing a string of felony drug and weapon charges in Emmet County was arrested again this month in Dickinson County, where court records show he now faces three new charges after an apparent jail altercation.
NORTHWOOD – The Worth County Board of Supervisors approved an airport road closure request for Founder’s Day and set hearing dates tied to Drainage District #6 during its regular meeting on May 18, 2026.
A Chicago man who authorities say brought a gun into an Iowa home invasion involving victims and a minor child has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after again being caught illegally possessing a firearm.
DES MOINES – Iowa farmers made strong progress in the fields last week, even as severe storms brought hail, damaging winds and a tornado threat to parts of the state, according to the latest Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report.
The report, covering May 11-17, 2026, shows Iowa’s corn and soybean planting seasons are moving ahead of the five-year average, a positive sign for the state’s ag economy as farmers try to capitalize on timely fieldwork windows and favorable moisture.
MASON CITY – Northern Iowa motorists who travel U.S. 65 between Rockwell and Sheffield will need to use a detour starting Tuesday, May 26, 2026, as crews begin a bridge replacement project over the West Fork of the Cedar River.
WASHINGTON – The United States is escalating its economic campaign against Iran even as the threat of new military attacks continues to hang over the widening U.S.-Iran war.
On May 19, 2026, the U.S. State Department announced new sanctions against Iranian currency exchange houses, associated personnel, front companies and 19 vessels accused of helping Tehran evade international sanctions and move money from oil and petrochemical sales.
GARNER — The Hancock County Board of Supervisors approved a fiscal year 2025-2026 budget amendment, opioid-fund spending, maintenance garage purchases and more than $686,000 in county claims during its May 18, 2026, meeting.
MASON CITY — Cerro Gordo County supervisors approved two rural rezoning requests, payroll changes, road project plans and more than $1.26 million in county claims during their regular meeting on May 18, 2026.
An Iowa man has been charged with first-degree murder after authorities say the remains of a man reported missing nearly three years ago were found buried behind a remote rest area.
A major manufacturer of luxury kitchen appliances is planning a $196 million expansion in Iowa, a project state leaders say will bring hundreds of jobs and strengthen the state’s role in American manufacturing.
Sub-Zero Group, Inc. plans to expand its Cedar Rapids manufacturing facility with an approximately 225,000-square-foot building addition. The project is expected to create 312 jobs, including 115 jobs incented at a qualifying wage of $30.41 per hour.
The project also fits into a broader national push to grow manufacturing inside the United States. President Donald Trump has made reshoring and domestic production a centerpiece of his economic agenda, using tariffs, tax policy, investment incentives and “Made in America” messaging to encourage companies to build, expand and produce more goods on U.S. soil.
MASON CITY – Mason City Community Schools is entering into a five-year exclusive athletic apparel and equipment program agreement with Decker Sports, a Mason City-based sporting goods company that also has done business with Forest City schools.
The agreement, titled “Decker Sports – Exclusive All School Program,” is between Decker Sports and Mason City Community Schools. The term of the agreement begins July 1, 2026, and runs through June 30, 2031. It will be considered at Monday’s school board meeting.
The agreement includes financial benefits for the district. Mason City schools will receive $5,000 cash up front for the initial year of the term, followed by $5,000 each additional year.