MASON CITY — A Mason City man who already has a drunk-driving conviction on his record is facing another OWI prosecution after police allegedly found signs of alcohol use and an open container during a midnight traffic stop.
Mason City police say an officer stopped a 2000 Buick LeSabre at about 12:12 a.m. Friday, August 28, 2026, near South Jackson Avenue and South Crescent Place.
The reason for the stop was relatively minor: a license plate light that wasn’t working.
What allegedly followed was more serious.
Police said the driver, identified as 32-year-old Ethan Nelson Ackerman of Mason City, displayed behavior indicative of alcohol use. An officer also allegedly spotted at least one open container in the driver’s area of the vehicle.
Ackerman was the only person inside the Buick.
Police conducted a field sobriety investigation before placing Ackerman under arrest. His vehicle was impounded from the scene.
Ackerman was taken to the Cerro Gordo County Jail and booked at 1:14 a.m.
Police accused him of:
- Operating while under the influence, second offense
- Open container — driver
He was given a warning for the defective license plate light.
Jail records listed Ackerman on $2,000 cash or surety bond.
The new OWI allegation isn’t Ackerman’s first encounter with Iowa’s drunk-driving laws.
Hardin County court records show Ackerman was previously charged with first-offense OWI after an August 30, 2018 incident.
He entered a negotiated guilty plea on April 1, 2019.
A judge sentenced Ackerman to five days in jail and imposed a $1,250 fine. Court financial records show the case ultimately cost him $2,147.50 in fines, court costs and surcharges, all of which was paid.
Despite that earlier conviction and jail sentence, Ackerman is now accused of drunk driving again.
The new Cerro Gordo County prosecution charges Ackerman under Iowa Code section 321J.2(2)(b) with second-offense OWI, an aggravated misdemeanor.
The court case was formally filed August 28. Prosecutors later filed trial information and minutes of testimony, and Ackerman posted a surety bond.
An arraignment was scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday, September 14.
No disposition has yet been entered in the case.
The arrest comes amid a string of repeat drunk-driving cases handled by law enforcement in the Mason City area. NIT recently reported on a Cerro Gordo County suspect accused of second-offense OWI during an alleged high-speed eluding incident. NIT has also previously reported on a Mason City motorist accused of another OWI after police allegedly discovered an open container.
Ackerman is presumed innocent of the pending charge unless and until proven guilty in court.