Founded in 2010
News & Entertainment for Mason City, Clear Lake & the Entire North Iowa Region
UPDATE: South Carolina Ave. near the 1200 block is now open. The rail crossing there had been closed overnight due to a train derailment. There were still 6-8 workers at the scene
By Jim Puzzanghera, Los Angeles Times – WASHINGTON — The new mortgage fee to fund the temporary extension of the payroll tax cut could damp the still-sluggish real estate market and complicate
By Don Lee, Tribune Washington Bureau – WASHINGTON — Despite the ballyhooed record retail sales over Thanksgiving, consumer spending for all of November turned out to be rather ho-hum. Personal spending overall edged
By Walter Hamilton, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — The Standard & Poor’s 500 will enjoy a merry Christmas after all. The broad blue-chip index turned positive on the year, thanks to
By David Barber WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Nineteen people were injured when two major earthquakes and a swarm of aftershocks hit New Zealand’s second-largest city, Christchurch, on Friday, news reports said. Most
By Alexandra Zavis, Los Angeles Times – BEIRUT — Two explosions targeting buildings used by government security forces rocked the Syrian capital of Damascus on Friday, killing at least 30 people, state-run media
By Carol J. Williams, Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES — A group of Southern Californians who insist President Barack Obama was born in Africa and should be ousted from the Oval Office had
By Tina Susman, Los Angeles Times – NEW YORK — Slips of paper are pasted to the broken door of the corner row house, violations for the garbage piled near the front steps.
By David Lightman, McClatchy Newspapers – WASHINGTON — Congress on Friday quickly and quietly approved a two-month extension of the Social Security payroll tax cut, ending a week of rancor and assuring that
By Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times – SAN DIEGO — A public embrace this week between two female sailors from California is being hailed as “the kiss heard ’round the world’” by activists
By Laura Figueroa, McClatchy Newspapers MIAMI — Hector Vichot died over $1.25. That’s what was in his back pocket when he was gunned down while walking to his nightshift job at Wal-Mart last
By Mitch Mitchell, McClatchy Newspapers – FORT WORTH, Texas — Police have arrested two men who are suspected of robbing people at gunpoint after luring them to a restaurant parking lot with fake
By Darren Barbee, McClatchy Newspapers FORT WORTH, Texas — A former correctional officer at Federal Medical Center Carswell was indicted this week on a federal count of sexual abuse of a ward —
By David Chanen, Star Tribune (Minneapolis) An enormous, thick sheet of ice broke from the shore of one of Minnesota’s most popular and largest ice fishing lakes Wednesday night, leaving at least 30
By Adam Beam, McClatchy Newspapers – COLUMBIA, S.C. — The U.S. Justice Department has rejected South Carolina’s controversial voter ID law. South Carolina officials can appeal the ruling, but until then the law
John Bohnenkamp, The Hawk Eye, Burlington, Iowa – IOWA CITY – Iowa’s women’s basketball team made a school-record 14 3-pointers in Thursday’s game against Mississippi Valley State. The Hawkeyes needed every one. Iowa
Jermaine Pigee, The Hawk Eye, Burlington, Iowa – A second Grimes Elementary School employee suspected of stealing thousands of dollars from the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization has been arrested. Dana Dee Hanson, 37, was
Scott Dochterman, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa – “We’ve said all along that the way to grow the brand is we need to capture people’s imagination.” — Iowa State Athletics Director Jamie Pollard
Trish Mehaffey, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa – UPDATE: The second man accused of slaying Andre Herron,who was found dead on 7th Street SW in November, was charged with first-degree murder Friday in
Dave DeWitte, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa The Babcock and Wilcox Co. has been awarded a $43 million contract to engineer and supply a major emissions control systems for Alliant Energy’s 743-megawatt Ottumwa
George C. Ford, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa – Driven by export demand, Iowa ethanol production hit a record 3.7 billion gallons this year, up 200 million gallons from 3.5 billion gallons in
Rod Boshart, C.R. Gazette – The head of Iowa’s corrections system projects his agency will need up to $8 million to keep the state’s prisons fully staffed through the current fiscal year
Jeff Raasch, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa – Two men face criminal charges after two small explosions late Wednesday night in northwest Cedar Rapids. Jacob W. Boots, 21, and Brett M. Moore, 27, were
Chelsea Davis, Ottumwa Courier, Iowa – OTTUMWA In her 10th Iowa county, Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann’s voice was fading, but her convictions were not. For awhile, Bachmann let her staff of
MASON CITY – Don Nelson was sworn in as a Mason City Park Board member on Monday, December 19th at 1:30 PM. Nelson won a seat on the Park Board as a
Monday Scratch: John Schachel 236-632 series Scott Radcliff 244-615 series Kevin Johnson 211,257,233-701 series Cody Brandau 267,182,265-714 series Devin Broerman 233,201,226-660 series 7-10 Trio league: Kevin Wolff 245, 276, 244- 765
An adult male mountain lion was shot and killed early Friday morning by local law enforcement officers in the Monona County city of Blencoe. The Blencoe police chief and a Monona County
DES MOINES —Iowans in small communities without proper wastewater treatment can stop by one of six upcoming open houses to learn more about sewer and septic system options. The open houses will
Recent norovirus outbreaks prompt health officials to urge caution An alarming number of outbreaks of stomach illness across the state should be a reminder to Iowans participating in gatherings where food is
Allamakee County (Waukon), Iowa – On Wednesday, December 21, 2011, 32 year old Joshua Burke, an Allamakee County resident near the town of New Albin, Iowa, was charged with one count of
A who obtained child pornography using the Internet was sentenced on December 21, 2011, to 15 years in federal prison. Justin Michael Hinz, age 26, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term
A Kansas City man was sentenced December 15, 2011, to ten years in federal prison for his illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. Michael Anthony Johnson, age 29, of Kansas City,
Scott Dochterman, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa – IOWA CITY — Devyn Marble has surprised many people with his play during the non-conference portion of Iowa’s schedule. In 13 games, including five starts,
Scott Dochterman, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa – IOWA CITY — Twice the Iowa men’s basketball team blew seven-point leads Thursday night against Boise State. Instead of buckling under pressure, the Hawkeyes
By Jim Puzzanghera, Los Angeles Times – WASHINGTON _ Just a few months ago, the economy seemed to be skidding toward another recession. Now, a continued drop in jobless claims, a rise
By David Lightman, McClatchy Newspapers – WASHINGTON — Republican leaders in the House of Representatives may have avoided steering their entire party toward political disaster in 2012 by giving up Thursday on
Over The Hill 12/20/11 (4 person team) High Scratch Game 1. Gene Roberts 234 2. Ed Gutzmer 215 3. Don Wickwire 203 1. Mary Miller 212 2. Veronica James 200 3. Marlene
Affordable housing income restrictions waived for flood-impacted residents of Fremont, Harrison, Mils, Monona and Pottawattamie counties (DES MOINES) – Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today announced that the Internal
City offices will be closed in Mason City and Clear Lake on Monday, December 26, 2011. Mason City transit buses will be operating on that day. No garbage or recyclables will be
WASHINGTON – Lieze Associates, dba Eagle Recycling, of New Jersey, was sentenced today in federal court in Utica, N.Y., following their guilty plea to conspiring to violate the Clean Water Act and