Founded in 2010
News & Entertainment for Mason City, Clear Lake & the Entire North Iowa Region
Mike Blair didn’t think he’d make it sober for one year. He’s made it for five. Blair, 55, of St. Paul, was recognized for five years of sobriety this week in Ramsey
Amanda Lillie, Austin Daily Herald – An Austin man pleaded guilty Tuesday to beating his 12-year-old daughter in the face and legs with a belt. Christopher Craig Siverly, 33, pleaded guilty to malicious
Sarah Stultz, Albert Lea Tribune – LAKE MILLS, Iowa — A 75-year-old Lake Mills woman reportedly died Friday morning after her daughter unknowingly ran her over in a Jeep. Authorities are still investigating. Iowa
HONOLULU, Hawaii — Heading into the new year, President Barack Obama will insist that Congress renew the payroll tax cut through the end of 2012, but will otherwise limit his dealings with
By David Lightman, Steven Thomma and William Douglas, McClatchy Newspapers – DES MOINES, Iowa — Republican presidential candidates spent the last day of 2011 making their closing arguments to curious, often uncertain, voters
Li Woke, Asia News Network Beijing (China Daily/ANN) – Tang Shan ran to her desk, screaming with delight when she saw the package containing her new dress had arrived. Tang, a 26-year-old graduate,
EVANSTON, Ill. – The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team crowned a champion in Matt McDonough at 125 pounds and had four runner-up finishes in rolling to its record 22nd Midlands Championships
By Ben Fritz and Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES — When the big-budget superhero movie “Green Lantern” opened in June to $53 million, executives at Warner Bros. were optimistic that, despite
By Seema Mehta and Robin Abcarian, Los Angeles Times – DES MOINES, Iowa — Two influential conservative talk radio hosts announced their picks for the Republican presidential nomination, and to no one’s surprise,
By Thomas Fitzgerald, The Philadelphia Inquirer – WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — An icy wind scoured the parking lot of the Hy-Vee supermarket, ruffling Mitt Romney’s perfect hair as he urged about 500
Case Keefer, Las Vegas Sun Conflicted is the best word to describe the mood after the UFC 141 main event. Conflicted as to whether the more pressing issue was putting a eulogy on
By Jerry Zgoda, Star Tribune – MINNEAPOLIS — Those fans who arrived to Target Center on Friday night wearing solemn black No. 6 LeBron James jerseys or fiesta-colored sombreros each got what they
By Peter Hermann, The Baltimore Sun – BALTIMORE — Two doctors who Maryland authorities say botched a teenager’s abortion last year in Elkton, Md., have been indicted on murder charges and are awaiting
By Tina Susman, Los Angeles Times NEW YORK — A Tennessee tourist who says she unwittingly broke New York’s weapons laws by visiting the 9/11 memorial with a loaded gun — legal in
By Jeannine Stein, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — Gearing up for a big night on New Year’s Eve? One that will involve some drinking? Then maybe you need a little primer
By Steve Lyttle, McClatchy Newspapers – CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Four Charlotte-area men, at least two of whom are members of the Occupy Charlotte group, were charged early Friday after they burned two U.S.
By Jeannine Stein, Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES — Silent strokes, small areas of dead brain tissue, may be responsible for memory loss in older people. A study, released recently in the journal
By Michael Sallah and Carol Marbin Miller, McClatchy Newspapers MIAMI — When Florida regulators found that a 71-year-old man with mental illness died from burns after he was left in a tub of
By Joel Rubin, Andrew Blankstein and Ari Bloomekatz, Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES — The first call came in 25 minutes after midnight. A car parked in an underground garage in West Hollywood
By Elisabeth Arriero and Steve Lyttle, McClatchy Newspapers CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An Occupy Charlotte member who was jailed after helping burn two U.S. flags told other members late Friday that while he’s sorry
By Tom Hussain, McClatchy Newspapers ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s powerful army wants President Asif Ali Zardari gone, but it has ruled out staging a coup, and instead is hoping for a legal ruling that
By Edmund Sanders, Los Angeles Times GIVAT ASSAF OUTPOST, West Bank — For months many Israelis shrugged off the mosque burnings, the uprooted Palestinian olive trees and even the death threats against Jewish
By Habiba Salihu and Kate Thomas ABUJA, Nigeria — At least five people were killed in a bomb explosion at a mosque in the northern Nigerian city of Maiduguri after Friday
Tulsa World, Okla. No country likes rattling its saber more than Iran, other than maybe North Korea. Therefore, its threat that it will block the Strait of Hormuz if the United State
Jeff Raasch, CR Gazette – Police arrested a Cedar Rapids man Thursday night after witnesses said he masturbated while he was watching them. Brian D. Zirtzman, 47, was arrested on suspicion of four
Marc Morehouse, CR Gazette – The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa TEMPE, Ariz. — Running back Marcus Coker wants to return to the University of Iowa, a source close to the situation told The
Marc Morehouse, CR Gazette – TEMPE, Ariz. — It was brushed off as happenstance, but Marvin McNutt did almost get hit by a camera from the sky. Yeah, that happened. It happened in the
By K.C. Johnson, Chicago Tribune LOS ANGELES — Some Clippers home openers have featured as much sizzle as lettuce. But even with Chauncey Billups sidelined with a strained groin, a buzz and star
By Dwain Price, McClatchy Newspapers DALLAS — The drought is finally over. For the first time since winning the NBA Finals last season, the Dallas Mavericks won a game. Playing with much energy
AMES, Iowa – Iowa State’s Chelsea Poppens notched her second-straight double-double (19 points/13 rebounds) and the Cyclones stifled Buffalo to just 14 second-half points en route to a 65-45 victory Friday night
Friday evening at 5:52 pm a fatal accident occurred at the 193 mile marker on Interstate 35. Frederick Langrock, age 74, of Toeterville, lost his life when the vehicle he was driving, a 2004 Chevy Astro
EAST PEORIA, Ill. – NIACC women’s basketball finished a three-game stint at the Illinois Central Christmas Tournament with a 64-44 loss to Kishwaukee College (IL) on Friday night. The Trojans (8-5) went
An arrest warrant has been issued for William Thomas Hester Jr. for escape. Hester had been sentenced to the BeJe Clark Residential Facility in Mason City in November 2011 for 180 days
MASON CITY, Iowa – Twelve NIACC soccer players were given Academic All-Region honors by the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC), with six of those players earning 1st-Team honors. Players who have
This morning while reading the morning paper my mind drifted to North Iowa Today, the newly launched Website by local entrepreneur Matt Marquardt, and how it has changed the landscape in this
MASON CITY – Law enforcement received a report of a man going through cars at the Cerro Gordo County Court House Thursday afternoon. As a result police arrested 19-year-old Anthony Dale Linderman
Meredith Hines-Dochterman, The CR Gazette – More than two months have passed since Gov. Terry Branstad released his blueprint for education, with changes he’s said will make Iowa’s students competitive on a global
By Michael Muskal, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — Break out the New Year’s bubbly because a new poll shows that almost two-thirds of Americans believe that 2012 will be a better