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News Headlines for August 26, 2026

Obits

Connor John Burch, 4, of Estherville, remembered for infectious giggle, tender heart and love of anything with wheels

ESTHERVILLE — Connor John Burch, 4, of Estherville, died Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Avera Holy Family Hospital in Estherville.

A celebration of Connor’s life will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, August 27, at Forest City United Methodist Church, 305 South Clark Street.

Visitation will be held at the church from 9:30 a.m. until the service begins.

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Business

Long-planned Des Moines soccer stadium development skids to a halt after city walks away

DES MOINES — A massive economic development project years in the making has hit the rocks in Iowa’s capital city, with Des Moines officials pulling the plug on negotiations for a proposed professional soccer stadium and surrounding entertainment district after concluding the city could no longer afford the deal.

The City of Des Moines announced Wednesday, August 26, 2026, that it has ended seven years of negotiations with the Krause Group over redevelopment of the former DICO industrial site southwest of downtown (the area in Des Moines is pictured at top).

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Sports

Big Ten, SEC slam door on NFL players returning to college as eligibility chaos spreads nationwide

CHICAGO — The Big Ten and Southeastern Conference have drawn a firm line in the rapidly changing world of college athletics, adopting new rules designed to prevent players who have crossed into professional football from returning to college teams — a move that directly affects the Iowa Hawkeyes and could soon reach Iowa State and other major programs.

The Big Ten announced Tuesday that its schools unanimously adopted a conference eligibility rule prohibiting football players from competing at a Big Ten institution if they have signed a professional contract, appeared on a professional roster at any point or declared for the NFL Draft as an underclassman and failed to withdraw.

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Sports

UNI volleyball picked to win fifth straight MVC crown as four Panthers earn preseason honors

CEDAR FALLS — The UNI volleyball dynasty is expected to keep rolling in 2026, with Northern Iowa picked as the favorite to capture a fifth consecutive Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship and four Panthers earning preseason all-conference honors.

UNI received nine of 11 first-place votes and 119 total points in the MVC preseason coaches poll released Monday, putting the Panthers atop the league’s preseason rankings for the fourth consecutive year.

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Sports

UNI Panthers roll out new booze zone inside UNI-Dome as Americans increasingly put down the bottle

CEDAR FALLS — The University of Northern Iowa is expanding its alcohol marketing inside the UNI-Dome with a newly branded booze station for Panther football fans—even as fewer Americans say they are drinking.

UNI Athletics announced August 25, 2026, that fans attending home football games this fall will be able to visit the new NÜTRL Zone on the north concourse of the UNI-Dome.

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Obits

Mark L. Van Lent, 59, of Nora Springs, remembered as baseball standout, devoted family man of faith

NORA SPRINGS — Mark L. Van Lent, 59, of Nora Springs, a former Mason City and NIACC baseball standout, longtime technology professional and devoted husband, father and grandfather, died Monday, August 24, 2026, at his home while surrounded by family.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, August 29, at Faith Baptist Church, 1807 South Kentucky Avenue in Mason City, with Pastor Tim Moore officiating.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, August 28, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 North Pennsylvania Avenue in Mason City.

Mark will be laid to rest at Park Cemetery in Nora Springs following Saturday’s service.

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Crime

Forest City man who faced two child sex abuse charges sent to prison after plea deal

FOREST CITY — A Forest City man who originally faced two Class B felony sexual abuse charges is headed to state prison after reaching a plea agreement and receiving a 10-year sentence Tuesday.

James Allan Schaumberg, 60, was sentenced August 25, 2026, in Iowa District Court following his conviction for lascivious acts with a child — fondle or touch child, a Class C felony.

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Business

Massive 724-acre data center proposal headed for Hancock County zoning hearing

GARNER — A proposal that could bring a sprawling data center development to Hancock County is moving into the public zoning process, with more than 724 acres of agricultural land targeted for possible conversion to industrial use.

The Hancock County Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing Wednesday, September 9, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Hancock County Public Safety Center, 875 State Street in Garner.

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Top Stories

What Does “California Sober” Mean, and Does It Actually Work?

The term “California sober” usually refers to people who have quit drinking alcohol and doing hard drugs. In most versions they continue using marijuana, sometimes with psychedelics added to the mix. Another interpretation reverses this, permitting alcohol but excluding cannabis and psychedelics. Finally, the term can also apply to people who cut down on alcohol consumption instead of quitting it entirely.

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Top Stories

Florida truckers fail to avoid collision with each other on remote Iowa highway

Two Florida truckers were hurt Wednesday afternoon when their semi trucks collided on a remote stretch of Highway 63 in southeast Iowa, including one driver who had recently been stopped and cited for a traffic violation in Northern Iowa’s Worth County.

The crash happened after one of the semis stopped to make a left turn and the second truck struck it from behind.

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Politics

Republicans crush Democrats in Iowa State Fair straw poll as Lahn routs Sand

DES MOINES — Republicans dominated the Iowa State Fair’s unofficial political straw poll, sweeping every major race tested as GOP gubernatorial nominee Zach Lahn delivered a particularly lopsided victory over Democrat Rob Sand.

Final results released by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate showed Lahn and running mate Derek Wulf receiving 1,757 votes, or 63.68 percent, compared with 1,002 votes, or 36.32 percent, for Sand and running mate Dave Muhlbauer.

That gave the Republican ticket a whopping 27.36-point advantage among fairgoers who participated in the voluntary poll.

And Lahn was hardly alone.

Republicans finished on top in the U.S. Senate race and all four U.S. House contests included in the poll… SEE RESULTS…

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