Founded in 2010
News & Entertainment for Mason City, Clear Lake & the Entire North Iowa Region
By Brent Snavely and Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press – DETROIT — Democrats and their union allies are squarely focused on derailing one Republican in Michigan’s Tuesday presidential primary: Mitt Romney. In new
By Hannan Adely, Patricia Alex and Nick Clunn, The Record (Hackensack N.J.) – HACKENSACK, N.J. — Muslim leaders condemned the New York Police Department’s broad surveillance of their communities and institutions at a
By Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times – SAN DIEGO — A California attorney who once was prominent in adoption circles was sentenced Friday to five months in federal custody and nine months of
By Ali Safi and Jonathan S. Landay, McClatchy Newspapers – KABUL, Afghanistan — The commander of the U.S.-led international force in Afghanistan on Saturday withdrew all NATO personnel from government ministries in and
By Andria Cheng, MarketWatch – NEW YORK — As crude oil prices reached a nine-month high on concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, Saudi Arabia has increased its crude exports, and the U.S. is
By David Lightman, McClatchy Newspapers – TROY, Mich. — Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum on Saturday took their down-to-the-wire Michigan Republican primary duel to an influential group of conservative activists, a bloc each
By Saeed Shah, McClatchy Newspapers – ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistani authorities late Saturday began demolishing the house where Osama bin Laden had lived in a town in the north of the country, local
McClatchy-Tribune News Service The following editorial appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Last week the Obama administration got the first shove in what eventually could be heavy pushback against the goal of
MASON CITY – Charges have been dismissed against a Mason City man after he was absent from BeJe Clark’s residential facility and was captured in the same day. 39-year-old Jamie Alan Roggeman
By Randy Covitz, McClatchy Newspapers – DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A day after crashing into the wall, Danica Patrick cracked the glass ceiling of NASCAR on Friday. (PHOTO: Danica Patrick signs autographs in the infield
DAVENPORT, Iowa (February 21, 2012) – Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (NYSE: LEE has received notification that it has returned to compliance with the New York Stock Exchange’s share price standard. In a letter
(DES MOINES) – Gov. Terry Branstad Friday addressed the Urban Institute Education Panel in Washington, D.C. Gov. Branstad, who is in Washington, D.C. for National Governors Association meetings, discussed his ambitious education
Over The Hill 2/21/12 (4 person team) High Scratch Game 1. Lynn Christensen 206 2. Robert Schmidt 205 3. Don Wickwire 203 1. Michele Olson 202 2. Nancy Nielsen 194 3. Marlene
By Michael Hamersly, McClatchy Newspapers – MIAMI — His name might not scream “rock superstar” to the uninitiated, but Lenny Kravitz has quietly amassed a fairly formidable musical resume over the past couple
Marc Morehouse, CR Gazette – IOWA CITY — Fran McCaffery’s next toughest deal here might be tethering his team to terra firma. The Hawkeyes (15-13, 7-8 Big Ten) have beaten ranked teams
Trish Mehaffey, CR Gazette – A Cedar Rapids man and his company, Virtual Vision Inc., will pay more than $1 million in restitution to 11 individuals and a civil penalty for fraudulently
McClatchy-Tribune News Service – Q: I prefer reading by audio book. Does Social Security have audio publications? A: Yes, we do. You can find them at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs. Some of the publications available
DES MOINES — Six school districts have been selected to receive up to $38,000 in reimbursement as a match for a new school bus to replace the oldest school buses still in
By Alan J. Heavens, The Philadelphia Inquirer – PHILADELPHIA — Americans are graduating from college today with mountains of debt that will take years to dig out from under. Two-thirds of 2011
President Obama visited Miami this week to talk about why rising gas prices are yet another painful reminder of why developing new energy sources is so critical to our future. As he
MCT FORUM, By Gar Alperovitz – Cities are financially strapped today, but many are adopting innovative strategies that offer much promise. From Lowell, Mass., to Berkeley, Calif., cities have discovered they can make
MCT FORUM, By Marc Scribner – House Speaker John Boehner recently noted, “In the past, highways bills represented what was wrong with Washington: earmarks, endless layers of bureaucracy, wasted tax dollars and misplaced
By Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune – Each new Oscars season binds us all together as one, in a collective, sputtering state of exasperation. How could they fail to nominate so-and-so? Are you telling
By Curtis Tate, McClatchy Newspapers – WASHINGTON — Though same-sex marriage is racking up victories in state legislatures and federal courts, and gaining public support, especially among younger people, it could be years
By Chuck Myers, McClatchy-Tribune News Service – A Qualified Tuition Plan, commonly known as a 529 college savings plan, can help families to put money away for a child’s future college education. A
Sunday Night Mixed League Rose Bowl 02/19/12 Team High Series Norwex Enviro Products 1663 Team High Game Norwex Enviro Products 607 Individual High Series Male Duane Hermen 597 Individual High Series Female
by Matt Marquardt – DES MOINES – The Mohawk girl bowling team placed 8th at the state bowling meet. Ottumwa was crowned the champion, followed by Cedar Rapids Jefferson and Muscatine. See
by Jody Spear – MASON CITY – It seems as though the economic times are making the criminal more desperate. The Fareway and NIVC redemption collection of pop cans, located in theFareway parking lot, became victim of a
ROCHESTER, Minn. – Freshman 184-pounder Basil Minto (Fr., Cape Coral, FL) is the lone Trojan remaining in the championship bracket, while two other Trojans are in the hunt for a podium spot
by Matt Marquardt – MASON CITY – Authorities were called to Alley Katz, 1341 North Federal Avenue, early Saturday morning for a fight involving a large group of people. It was said that
by Jody Spear – HAMPTON – Hampton-Dumont High School sent letters out with the students, Tuesday, February 21, with the understanding that they would give it to their parents. The purpose of
By Scott Collins, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — Steven Tyler, please put your clothes back on. Thursday’s “American Idol” delivered some of the show’s lowest-ever numbers, although Fox blamed basketball more
By Rebecca Keegan, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES—Before the final touches to the hair and makeup and the red carpet wave comes another crucial rite of Oscar weekend — rehearsal. Dozens of
By Carrie Rickey, The Philadelphia Inquirer – PHILADELPHIA — Thomas Langmann was elated. The French film producer had a script he loved. It was about a Hollywood heartthrob, his faithful dog, and a
MASON CITY, Iowa – Nineteen NIACC track and field athletes will make the trip to the NJCAA Indoor National Championships in Charleston, IL on March 2. The women’s team had nine athletes
A man who robbed a downtown Cedar Rapids bank while on federal supervised release for a 1990 bank robbery was sentenced today to serve 24 years in federal prison. Robert Michael Rutan,
By Richard Winton, Howard Blume and Sam Allen, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — Since authorities charged a teacher nearly a month ago with committing lewd acts in his classroom, the Los
By Maureen O’Hagan, The Seattle Times – PORT ORCHARD, Wash. — The pale 9-year-old walked into the Kitsap County Juvenile Court on Thursday, looking dazed in his orange jumpsuit. There was a television
By Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — A judge ruled Friday that the doctor convicted in Michael Jackson’s death must remain behind bars while lawyers appeal his case. Dr. Conrad
By Susan Jacobson, The Orlando Sentinel – ORLANDO, Fla. — The launch of an expensive new basketball shoe — timed to Orlando’s hosting of the NBA All-Star Game — triggered a melee Thursday