Founded on Oct. 1, 2010
News & Entertainment for Mason City, Clear Lake & the Entire North Iowa Region
AMES — Iowa State Cyclone soccer turned up the pressure after a sluggish start Thursday night and blanked Missouri State 2-0 to close out a four-game homestand with another shutout victory.
The Cyclones improved to 4-2-1 on the season and recorded their fifth clean sheet in seven matches.
The Crimson Tide knocked off Iowa 25-22, 21-25, 25-20, 25-18 inside the Newell-Grissom Building, dropping the Hawkeyes to 3-2 on the season.
VERMILLION, SD — Northern Iowa spread the damage across its lineup Friday afternoon, pounding out 46 kills and stuffing Utah Valley at the net as the Panthers rolled to a straight-set victory over the defending Western Athletic Conference champions.
UNI defeated the Wolverines 25-20, 25-21 and 25-17 in its second match of the 2026 South Dakota Classic at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
IOWA CITY — Fourth-ranked Iowa Hawkeye field hockey overwhelmed Lehigh from start to finish Friday, rolling to a 9-0 shutout in its home opener while head coach Lisa Cellucci celebrated the 150th victory of her career.
Iowa completely smothered Lehigh’s attack, outshooting the Mountain Hawks 45-0 while getting goals from six different Hawkeyes.
NEW HAMPTON — James LeRoy “Jim” Boos, 93, of New Hampton, passed away peacefully Thursday, September 3, 2026, at Whispering Willow Assisted Living in Fredericksburg.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, September 9, at Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home and Crematory in New Hampton. Burial will follow at New Hampton City Cemetery.
Friends may greet the family from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 8, at the funeral home. Visitation will continue for one hour before Wednesday’s service.
MILFORD — Mark “Jack” Zweibahmer, 71, of Milford, died peacefully at his home on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, September 8, at Downtown Church, 2105 N Avenue in Milford. Interment will follow at Milford Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday, September 7, at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Milford.
IOWA CITY — The University of Iowa women’s soccer team battled Kansas State to a 1-1 draw Thursday night at the Iowa Soccer Complex, with the Hawkeyes overcoming an early deficit and applying heavy pressure throughout the second half.
The draw moved Iowa to 4-1-1 on the season, while Kansas State remained unbeaten at 4-0-2.
A Northern Iowa man has been arrested on an OWI charge nearly two months after authorities were called to a trail where a man was found lying on the ground next to a golf cart.
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NEWTON — Chemical fumes from a roofing project triggered an emergency response at an Iowa prison this week, sending staff and incarcerated individuals for medical evaluation before officials ultimately declared the facility safe.
The Iowa Department of Corrections said Thursday that the September 2 incident at the Newton Correctional Facility was traced to fumes from a chemical adhesive being used by a third-party contractor during routine roofing construction.
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MASON CITY — Cerro Gordo County supervisors formally accepted completed site work at the Rockwell Secondary Roads Maintenance Facility, set a September public hearing on a proposed rural road vacation and approved nearly $398,000 in county claims during their Monday, August 31 meeting.
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VERMILLION, SOUTH DAKOTA — Northern Iowa Panther volleyball shook off a narrow opening-set loss Thursday and powered past Air Force in four sets to open the 2026 South Dakota Classic.
UNI defeated the Falcons 23-25, 25-20, 25-17, 25-22 at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center, improving to 2-2 on the young season.
STACYVILLE — James Vern “Jim” Cowell, 63, of Stacyville, died September 2, 2026, following a bicycle accident near Preston, Minnesota.
Visitation will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, September 12, at Hoff Celebrations’ Champion Chapel, 702 State Street in Osage. A celebration of life will follow from 3 to 4 p.m. at Osage VFW Post 7920, 3693 U.S. Highway 218. Those attending are encouraged to dress casually and bring stories to share. Burial will take place at a later date.
MASON CITY — The Charles H. MacNider Art Museum has once again earned the highest national recognition available to an American museum, keeping the Mason City institution among a select group meeting the country’s most demanding professional standards.
The museum received reaccreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, an honor signifying excellence, accountability, responsible stewardship of artwork and continued institutional improvement.
AMES — Cyclone football returns Saturday with a new head coach, a new quarterback and one of the most dramatically rebuilt rosters in the country.
Iowa State will open its 2026 season against Southeast Missouri State at MidAmerican Energy Field at Jack Trice Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for noon, with the game streaming on ESPN+.
The Cyclone Radio Network will also carry the game, with John Walters handling play-by-play, Eric Heft providing analysis and Ryan Harklau reporting from the sideline.
Saturday will launch the 135th season of Iowa State football and the program’s 52nd season at Jack Trice Stadium. More importantly, it will give fans their first real look at the Jimmy Rogers era.
DES MOINES — Iowa should begin searching for possible nuclear reactor sites, prepare communities to host nuclear facilities, expand worker training and consider state incentives capable of attracting billions of dollars in nuclear investment, according to a sweeping new report delivered to Gov. Kim Reynolds.
NEW HAMPTON — Darlene Martin Weaver Shirk, 53, passed away peacefully Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at her home in New Hampton.
A funeral service was held at 9:30 a.m. Friday, September 4, at the New Haven Mennonite Community Center in New Haven. Burial followed at Living Hope Mennonite Church Cemetery in rural Charles City. Visitation was held Thursday evening at Living Hope Mennonite Church.
MASON CITY — Herminia “Minnie” Loera Flores, 94, of Mason City, passed away Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at her home surrounded by her family.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, September 8, at Epiphany Parish – Holy Family Catholic Church, 722 N. Adams Ave. in Mason City.
The family will greet relatives and friends from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., one hour before the service at the church.
Inurnment will take place at a later date at Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery in Mason City.
ELMA — Charlotte Rose Platte, 89, of Elma, passed away Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at her home surrounded by her loving family.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, September 11, at St. Peter Lutheran Church, 107 Wood Street in Elma, with the Rev. Bruce Miller officiating. Interment will follow at Howard Cemetery in Elma.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, September 10, at Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory in Elma and will continue for one hour before the service Friday at the church.
BRITT — Authorities have identified the truck driver killed in a fiery Hancock County crash after his tractor-trailer left the roadway, tore through a fence and slammed into a tree.
The Iowa State Patrol now identifies the victim as Dennis Scott Doocy, 59, of Lone Rock.
CEDAR FALLS — Northern Iowa will open its 2026 football season more than 1,500 miles from home Saturday as the Panthers head to Cheney, Washington, looking to accomplish something the program has never done — win a game in the state of Washington.
UNI will face Eastern Washington at 6 p.m. Central time September 5 at Roos Field. The game will be available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network.
The Panthers are 0-2 all-time in Washington, with both losses coming at Eastern Washington.
DES MOINES — Iowa farmers closed out August with corn and soybean conditions holding strong as warmer weather accelerated crop development across much of the state.
The latest Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report shows both corn and soybeans rated 77 percent good to excellent for the week ending August 30.
Farmers had 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the week, slightly below the 6.3 days available during the same period last year.
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HAMPTON — Hallard “Hal” Bumgarner, 72, of Hampton, died peacefully on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
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DES MOINES — Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand has lost a major battle over his ability to dig into secret government discussions involving nearly $2 million in taxpayer-funded settlements, prompting the Democratic candidate for governor to accuse Iowa political leaders of enabling “corruption and secrecy.”
The Iowa Supreme Court ruled that Sand’s office cannot force the City of Davenport to surrender communications protected by attorney-client privilege as part of an investigation into $1.9 million in settlements involving harassment claims by three city employees.
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McINTIRE — Michael Thomas Cummings, 76, of McIntire, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, August 21, 2026, after a life marked by more than two decades of military service, devotion to family and a love for cars, motorcycles and time spent with friends.
A graveside service with military honors will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Riverside Cemetery in Riceville. Hindt-Hudek Funeral Homes in Riceville is assisting the family.
DES MOINES — President Donald Trump has approved a major federal disaster declaration and $5 million in disaster assistance for Iowa following destructive storms and flooding, drawing praise from Gov. Kim Reynolds…
CEDAR RAPIDS — A repeat Northern Iowa child sex offender who has already served federal prison time is headed toward another stiff sentence after a Mason City police investigation uncovered dozens of videos and images of children being sexually abused on his phone.
MASON CITY — Wendy Sue Johnson, 57, passed away peacefully Sunday, August 30, 2026.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, September 8, at Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel, 126 Third Street NE in Mason City. Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until the service. Wendy’s final resting place will be Memorial Park Cemetery in Mason City.
LAKE PARK — Marcia Mae Schumacher, 86, of Lake Park, died peacefully shortly after midnight on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, following a brief battle with cancer.
A private family service will be held. A public visitation is scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, September 12, at First Presbyterian Church in Lake Park.
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