- Protected: House fire chases Northern Iowa family to their roof, claims lives of cats
- Protected: Northern Iowa man’s apartment raided by cops, who locate illicit substance
- Protected: Wanted Mason City man arrested after report of fight at apartments
News Headlines for July 27, 2026

Korean War veteran and longtime farmer Anton Trca dies at 92
GARNER — Anton C. Trca, a Korean War veteran, longtime dairy farmer and familiar figure in the Garner and Duncan communities, passed away peacefully Saturday, July 25, 2026, at his home. He was 92.
A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 30, at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Duncan, with Father Nicholas Radloff officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery with military rites conducted by the Garner Veterans Ceremonial Unit.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, at Cataldo Funeral Chapel, 160 E. Fourth St. in Garner. A Catholic Workman, now FCSLA, rosary will begin at 3:15 p.m., followed by a Scriptural wake service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to a charity of the donor’s choice.

Marine veteran and family man Jim Wardlaw dies at 89
MASON CITY — Jim Wardlaw, a 21-year Marine Corps veteran, former Cedar Falls business owner and devoted family man, passed away Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Good Shepherd Health Center in Mason City. He was 89 and was surrounded by his family.
Cremation has taken place according to Jim’s wishes. No services are planned at this time. Memorials may be directed to his family.

Osage man faces weapon-related domestic assault, OWI and two child-endangerment charges
OSAGE — An Osage man faces four criminal charges after police arrested him early Saturday morning in connection with an alleged domestic assault involving a weapon.

Mason City woman accused of driving drunk, crashing into mailbox with child in SUV
MASON CITY — A 21-year-old Mason City woman allegedly drove intoxicated with a young relative inside her vehicle before wandering off the roadway and striking a mailbox – and now faces serious charges.

Michael Loden, kindhearted Osage man who loved cars, racing and family, dies at 57
OSAGE — Michael Edwin Loden, 57, of Osage, passed away peacefully at his home on Friday, July 24, 2026, leaving family and friends with memories of his gentle nature, warm humor and willingness to help others.
A private family graveside service will be held at Oak Grove Cemetery in Mitchell, Iowa.

Man allegedly masturbated in truck as children played nearby at Mason City park
MASON CITY — A 61-year-old Mason City man was arrested after police say he was allegedly caught masturbating inside a truck parked at Georgia Hanford Park while children were playing nearby.

Trials delayed again for Clear Lake couple accused of possessing vile child sex images
CLEAR LAKE — Nearly nine months after a Clear Lake couple was hauled to jail on felony accusations involving sexually explicit images of children, neither suspect has gone to trial—and their cases have now been postponed yet again.
Vicki Sue Colombo, then 65, and John Joseph Colombo, then 68, were arrested by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office on October 23, 2025, after Clear Lake police investigated alleged offenses dating to November 2024.

Wrong-way pickup slams head-on into SUV on Highway 18 in Floyd count, two seriously injured
FLOYD COUNTY — Two Northern Iowa drivers suffered serious injuries when a pickup traveling the wrong way on U.S. Highway 18 slammed head-on into an SUV late Saturday night.
The crash happened at approximately 11:01 p.m. on July 25, 2026, near mile marker 206 in Floyd County.

Charles City woman nabbed for alleged second OWI in Osage
OSAGE — A Charles City woman previously convicted of drunk driving was nabbed by police in Osage earlier this month and now faces an aggravated-misdemeanor charge for allegedly operating while intoxicated for the second time.

All four Iowa GOP congressmen vote to crack down on congressional stock trading
WASHINGTON — All four of Iowa’s Republican congressmen voted Wednesday, July 22, 2026, to prohibit members of Congress and their immediate families from purchasing individual stocks, delivering unanimous Iowa support for a long-awaited crackdown on a practice widely viewed as a glaring conflict of interest.

Iowa man who left 11 starving dogs and puppies in feces-filled truck lands back in jail on felony drug charge
An Iowa man who admitted neglecting 11 emaciated dogs and puppies found trapped inside a filthy pickup truck earlier this year is back behind bars, now accused of felony drug possession and driving while barred.
Officers found two dogs and nine puppies living amid feces and urine throughout the truck’s cab. Every animal was emaciated, according to police.
Officers and Animal Control workers removed the animals and rushed them to an animal refuge for evaluation and treatment.
Veterinary personnel rated the animals a 2 on a body-condition scale ranging from 0 to 9, confirming they were severely underweight, malnourished and had not received proper care.

Northern Iowa youth charged as adult in fatal shotgun shooting of 16-year-old
A 16-year-old Northern Iowa suspect has been charged as an adult after he allegedly shot and killed another teenager with a shotgun inside a mobile home, according to police and court records.
Under Iowa law, certain serious felony cases involving defendants age 16 or older begin in adult district court, although the defendant may ask a judge to transfer the case back to juvenile court.

Iowa officer stabbed in face after shooting knife-wielding driver following pursuit
An Iowa law enforcement officer was stabbed in the face by a knife-wielding driver moments after the officer shot the man during a confrontation that followed an early-morning pursuit, state investigators said.
The deadly encounter unfolded at approximately 1:25 a.m. Sunday, July 26, 2026, after a Jefferson Police Department officer attempted to stop a vehicle for an undisclosed reason.

Charles City woman Donna Hulion, longtime foster grandparent and cook, dies at 96
CHARLES CITY — Donna Maxine Hulion, a lifelong Charles City native who spent more than 20 years helping children through the Foster Grandparent Program, died Friday, July 24, 2026, at the Ninth Street Chautauqua Guest Home in Charles City. She was 96.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 31, 2026, at Hauser Weishaar Funeral Home, 1205 South Main Street in Charles City.
A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 1, 2026, at Sunnyside Memory Gardens in rural Charles City.

Iowa inmate convicted of murdering roommate dies inside Anamosa prison
ANAMOSA — An Iowa inmate serving a 50-year prison sentence for shooting and killing his roommate died at 11:36 p.m. Wednesday, July 15, 2026, inside the Anamosa State Penitentiary.

Trump administration slaps illegal aliens with $84 billion in fines
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has issued more than 103,000 civil fines totaling approximately $84 billion against illegal aliens who have refused to leave the United States, the Department of Homeland Security announced.
The massive financial penalties are part of the administration’s escalating effort to enforce final removal orders and compel illegal aliens to leave the country voluntarily.
The fines can reach $998 for every day an illegal alien remains in the country after receiving a final order of removal.

Clear Lake woman on felony drug probation nabbed on major meth conspiracy charge after traffic stop
CLEAR LAKE — A Clear Lake woman who was still serving probation for a prior felony drug conviction has been jailed on a new methamphetamine conspiracy charge following an apparent traffic stop.

Drug-toting Minnesotan who led cops on 126 mph Northern Iowa chase lands in prison after several felony arrests
A Minnesota man loaded with illicit drugs who led Northern Iowa officers on a dangerous, multi-jurisdictional chase reaching 126 mph was later arrested in Waterloo on another felony drug case and ultimately sentenced to five years in prison.
Quaddre Phillip White, now 26, remains incarcerated at the North Central Correctional Facility in Rockwell City. Iowa corrections records list his scheduled release date as January 29, 2028.
The string of criminal cases began at approximately 6:58 p.m. on April 12, 2024, when the Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 report concerning a vehicle traveling south on U.S. Highway 63 from the Howard County line.
A responding deputy located a vehicle matching the caller’s description and allegedly clocked it traveling 96 mph in a 55 mph zone while following another vehicle too closely.

Iowa crops remain strong as heat and dry weather raise demand for rain
DES MOINES — Iowa farmers made substantial progress in their fields during a hot and unusually dry week, but agriculture officials say many areas could use rain as corn and soybeans move through critical stages of development.
Iowa averaged 6.7 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending Sunday, July 19, 2026, according to the latest Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report. That was 2.4 days more than the same period last year.
“Rainfall was sparse last week, and temperatures were 5-10 degrees above average across the state, with the warmest conditions in eastern Iowa,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said.

West Des Moines artist Rebecca Kemble opens solo exhibition at Mason City’s MacNider Art Museum
MASON CITY — A prize-winning Iowa fiber artist is bringing a colorful mix of fabric, painting and drawing to Mason City in a new solo exhibition at the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum.
“Rebecca Kemble: Artist” opened Friday, July 24, 2026, in the museum’s Center Space Gallery and will remain on display through Saturday, September 26.

Ionia matriarch Dorothy “Dot” Schmitz, devoted to family and community, dies at 83
IONIA — Dorothy Jean “Dot” Schmitz, a devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who worked at several longtime Ionia-area businesses, died July 24, 2026, at Whispering Willows Care Facility in Fredericksburg. She was 83.
Friends may greet the family from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, August 2, 2026, at Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory in New Hampton. Visitation will continue for one hour before the Mass on Monday at the funeral home.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, August 3, 2026, at Holy Family Parish in New Hampton, with the Rev. Chris Podhajsky celebrating the Mass.

Man shot dead in Fort Dodge, alleged shooter detained at scene
FORT DODGE — A man died after he was shot Friday afternoon in a Fort Dodge neighborhood, and police detained a second man identified as the alleged shooter at the scene.
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