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Founded on Oct. 1, 2010

News & Entertainment for Mason City, Clear Lake & the Entire North Iowa Region
News Archives

Author: Matt Marquardt

Erwin Loyd Moritz, 94, of Mason City, remembered as proud Marine, family man and tireless tinkerer

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

MASON CITY, IOWA – Erwin Loyd Moritz, 94, of Mason City, passed away peacefully Friday, August 28, 2026, at Heritage Care Center, leaving behind a life marked by military service, hard work, faith and devotion to family.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 PM Friday, September 11, at Hogan Bremer Moore Colonial Chapel, 126 Third Street NE in Mason City.

A funeral service will begin at 10:30 AM Saturday, September 12, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 419 North Delaware Avenue in Mason City. Reverend Karl Bollhagen will officiate. Interment will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery.

# Waldren “Wally” Herbert Charlson, 87, Kensett, remembered for family, farming and a love of tractors

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

KENSETT — Waldren “Wally” Herbert Charlson, 87, of Kensett, died peacefully September 1, 2026, at Apple Valley Care Center in Clear Lake.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, September 8, at Bethany Lutheran Church, 600 5th St., Kensett, with Pastor Linda Johnson Prestholt officiating. Visitation will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. at the church before the service. Wally’s final resting place will be Kensett Cemetery.

Arvin R. Juhl, 94, of Estherville, remembered for service, farming and devotion to family

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

ESTHERVILLE — Arvin Ray Juhl, 94, of Estherville, passed away August 31, 2026, leaving behind a life shaped by military service, farming, faith and a deep commitment to his family.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Thursday, September 3, 2026, at Henry-Olson Funeral Chapel in Estherville.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, September 4, 2026, at Estherville Lutheran Church.

Arvin’s final resting place will be East Side Memorial Cemetery in Estherville.

Lori Jo Mark, 70, of Osage remembered for music, community devotion and boundless pride in her family

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

OSAGE — Lori Jo Mark, a musician, local history enthusiast and devoted mother who recently welcomed her first grandchild, died Sunday, August 30, 2026, at her home in Osage. She was 70.

A rosary will begin at 3:30 p.m. Friday, September 4, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Osage. Visitation will follow from 4 to 6 p.m.

Funeral services will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, September 5, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, with visitation beginning one hour before the service. Burial will follow at Sacred Heart Cemetery, with a luncheon afterward.

Clear Lake remembers Gloria “June” Brasser, 102, a Navy veteran who never lost her adventurous spirit

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

CLEAR LAKE — Gloria J. “June” Brasser, a World War II Navy veteran, dedicated community volunteer and adventurous Clear Lake woman who celebrated milestone birthdays by skydiving and ziplining, died peacefully Sunday, August 30, 2026, at her home surrounded by family. She was 102.

A funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. Monday, September 14, at Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, 310 First Avenue North in Clear Lake, with Deacon Matt Berry officiating. Visitation will be held for one hour before the service.

Burial will follow at Clear Lake Cemetery, where members of Clear Lake VFW Post 4868 will provide full military honors.

Gas-station kratom products associated with 45 Iowa deaths as poison calls soar

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

DES MOINES — A psychoactive substance sold openly at Iowa gas stations and convenience stores has been associated with 45 deaths since 2024 as poison-control calls involving the products continue to soar.

Gov. Kim Reynolds, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services and the Iowa Department of Public Safety issued a statewide warning Tuesday about kratom and newly emerging products containing highly concentrated or synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine, commonly called 7-OH.

“Kratom is not a supplement, it is not a medicine, and it is not safe,” Reynolds said.

Rhonda “Tootie” Marr, 74, Estherville native, remembered for devotion to family and a memorable sense of humor

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

ESTHERVILLE — Rhonda “Tootie” Renea Marr, 74, passed away Monday, August 31, 2026, at her daughter’s home in Correctionville.

A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at Henry-Olson Funeral Chapel, 401 N. Seventh St., Estherville. Visitation will be held at the funeral chapel from 1 to 2 p.m. before the service. Rhonda will be laid to rest at East Side Cemetery in Estherville.

Alan Frank Atwell, 92, Clear Lake, remembered for a lifetime of service to his country and community

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

CLEAR LAKE — Alan Frank Atwell, 92, of Clear Lake, passed away peacefully Sunday, August 30, 2026, at MercyOne hospital in Mason City and entered the presence of his Lord and Savior.

In accordance with Alan’s wishes, cremation has taken place. A private memorial service will be held at a future date. His remains will be laid to rest beside his son, Alan Jr., at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Des Moines.

Ronald E. Haugen, 85, of Forest City, remembered as pioneering Winnebago leader and devoted family man

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

FOREST CITY — Ronald E. Haugen, 85, of Forest City, died Friday, August 28, 2026, after a courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was surrounded by his family and caregivers at his home in Surprise, Arizona.

A celebration of Ron’s life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Forest City United Methodist Church, 305 South Clark Street, with Pastor Les Green officiating.

A gathering of family and friends will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, September 11, at Schott Funeral Home, 505 North Clark Street in Forest City.

The celebration of life will be livestreamed through Ron’s tribute page on the Schott Funeral Homes website.

Janet Sheffner, 84, of Floyd remembered for lifelong friendships and love of the Hawkeyes

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

FLOYD — Janet Sheffner, 84, a lifelong Floyd resident, died Saturday, August 29, 2026, at home with her children beside her following a long battle with cancer.

A funeral service was scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday, September 5, at Hauser Weishaar Funeral Home in Charles City, with Jan Tjaden officiating. Burial was planned at Sunnyside Memory Gardens. The family suggested memorials to St. Croix Hospice instead of flowers.

Ella Olson, 83, of Spirit Lake, remembered for a life of faith, hospitality and service

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

SPIRIT LAKE, IOWA – Ella Rauter Olson, 83, passed away August 29, 2026, following a courageous battle with lymphoma.

A celebration of Ella’s life will be held at 11:00 AM Friday, September 11, at First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake. The service will also be livestreamed at fpcspiritlake.org/stream. Ella and her late husband, Gary, will be laid to rest October 24 at South Beef River Lutheran Cemetery.

Northern Iowa truck crashes through fence, slams into tree and erupts in flames, killing driver

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

BRITT — A truck driver was killed Monday afternoon after a tractor-trailer left a rural Hancock County road, crossed a field entrance, crashed through a fence and struck a tree before catching fire.

The fatal crash happened at approximately 1:55 p.m. August 31 on James Avenue north of 290th Street.

According to the Iowa State Patrol, a 2024 Western Star tractor-trailer was traveling northbound on James Avenue when it left the roadway to the right.

Cerro Gordo slammer dweller battled cops, lost nearly $28K, now awaits sex-crime sentencing

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

MASON CITY — A Cerro Gordo County slammer dweller who battled law enforcement, drove drunk, tried to outrun police and escaped a Class B felony burglary conviction through a plea deal has paid nearly $28,000 for his mounting legal troubles—and he is not finished yet.

Keith James Ingersoll (pictured at top), 37, is back in the Cerro Gordo County Jail as he awaits sentencing for assault with intent to commit sexual abuse.

Clarence H. Ermer, 96, of Rockwell remembered as a devoted farmer, Navy veteran and family man

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

ROCKWELL — Clarence H. Ermer, a lifelong farmer, Korean War-era Navy veteran and active member of the Rockwell community, died Saturday, August 29, 2026, at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City. He was 96.

A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, September 3, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 305 E. Elm St. in Rockwell, with the Rev. David O’Connor presiding.

Visitation will be held at the church from 9 a.m. until the beginning of the Mass. Clarence will be laid to rest at Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery in Rockwell.

Iowa State Cyclones blank Northern Iowa Panthers in 5-0 soccer rout

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

AMES — Iowa State erupted for five goals from five different players Sunday night, overwhelming Northern Iowa 5-0 at the Cyclone Sports Complex and handing the struggling Panthers another lopsided defeat.

The Cyclones entered the match having gone scoreless in their previous three outings, but that drought ended decisively against UNI.

Iowa State improved to 3-2-1 on the season while Northern Iowa fell to 0-5-1.

Iowa Supreme Court considers major changes to how lawyers remove jurors from trials

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

DES MOINES — Iowa’s highest court is considering a significant change to the way attorneys remove prospective jurors from criminal and civil trials, including new restrictions intended to prevent race or ethnicity — even unconscious bias — from influencing who ultimately sits on a jury.

Chief Justice Susan Christensen signed an order August 26 opening a two-month public comment period on proposed amendments to Iowa’s Rules of Civil Procedure and Rules of Criminal Procedure.

The proposal comes from the Iowa Supreme Court’s Fairness in Jury Selection Task Force, which spent months studying how attorneys use strikes during jury selection.

Larry “The Sign Guy” Sorensen, 86, of Fenton, remembered for painting signs across America and serving his hometown

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

FENTON — Larry Dean “The Sign Guy” Sorensen, 86, passed away Saturday, August 29, 2026, at the Good Samaritan Home in Estherville.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, September 12, 2026, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 600 Ash St., Fenton. Visitation will be held at the church from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. before the service.

Trump administration targets 270 CDL schools in massive crackdown on fraudulent truck-driver training

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is moving to boot roughly 270 commercial driver training schools from the federal system after investigators uncovered missing testing records, unlicensed instructors, inadequate driving ranges and even a purported “classroom” located inside a school bus parked in the back of a trailer.

The sweeping enforcement action announced Monday by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice and other federal agencies expands a crackdown that has already reached Iowa highways.

Ila Jeane Hebel, 97, Manly, remembered for family, friendship and a life well lived

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

MANLY, IOWA — Ila Jeane (Liljedahl) Hebel, 97, of Manly, passed away peacefully Saturday, August 29, 2026, at Manly Specialty Care.

A graveside service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, September 12, at Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery, 410 N. Broadway St. in Manly.

A celebration of life gathering will follow from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Manly Junction Railroad Museum, 3725 Orchid Ave. in Manly.

Iowa predator who hid cameras in porta-potties at kids’ events gets 20 years in federal prison

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

An Iowa man who secretly planted miniature cameras inside portable toilets at youth sporting events and other public gatherings has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after admitting to child exploitation crimes.

Federal prosecutors revealed that Tyler Pavlick had placed miniature video cameras in the tanks of porta-potties at three separate events…

Tanna E. Quisley, 29, Northwood, remembered for kindness, perseverance and making others feel special

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

NORTHWOOD, IOWA — Tanna Elizabeth Quisley, 29, a Northwood native who built a life around friendship, service and caring for others, passed away Friday, August 28, 2026, in Coralville.

A celebration of Tanna’s life will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, September 4, at First Lutheran Church, 309 9th St. N. in Northwood. Family members will greet friends and relatives following the service during a time of fellowship and sharing memories.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, September 3, at First Lutheran Church.

Tanna will be laid to rest at North Shell Rock Cemetery at a later date.

Richard “Dick” Snyder, 74, formerly of Estherville, remembered for a life on the rails, the farm and open road

Posted on by Matt Marquardt

ESTHERVILLE — Richard “Dick” Allen Snyder, 74, of Custer, South Dakota, and formerly of Estherville, passed away unexpectedly April 17, 2026, near Hill City, South Dakota.

Visitation will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, September 5, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 903 Central Avenue in Estherville. A Celebration of Life service will follow at 11 a.m. at the church.