WASHINGTON – Senators Chuck Grassley and Al Franken have introduced legislation that would reverse a Supreme Court ruling (Hall v. United States) that is leaving family farmers in Chapter 12 bankruptcy proceedings…
Category: Watercooler
Breaking news. News of interest. Bulletins. Editorials. The word on the street.
Spencer picks up Vision Iowa funds for riverfront and trails project
(Des Moines) – The Vision Iowa Board awarded $321,000 in grants to a historic depot renovation in Osceola, white water feature in Elkader and riverfront development in Spencer. The grants were approved…
Grassley: Happy Anniversary, U.S. Constitution
From Senator Charles Grassley: It’s something we use every day yet rarely take the time to celebrate. It’s as solid as the ground beneath our feet and still extremely flexible. It provides…
Prison Inmate Escape – John Bennett Unit, Fort Madison
Steven Adcock, a minimum outs worker from John Bennett Unit at Fort Madison escaped from a work detail on Keokuk, Iowa. He was last seen by his Keokuk city work supervisor at…
UPDATED: Sources say MCHS homecoming dance went bad
by Matt Marquardt – Sources are now following up today with NIT with reports that the Mason City High School homecoming dance went bad. NIT is told by several sources that as…
Car fire threatens ditch and field Sunday afternoon
by Jody Spear and Kelly Meyer – MASON CITY – The Mason City Fire Department and Mason City Police were dispatched to South California Avenue Sunday afternoon for a car fire. It…
Mason City man arrested after assault at local bar
MASON CITY – A Mason City man was arrested after an alleged assault at a local bar. Luke Andrew Chodur, 39, fled the scene after he allegedly assaulted a Mason City woman…
West Park trails under repair
MASON CITY – Trails south of West Park tennis courts are currently under repair. The Mason City Council at their September 4th meeting selected Heartland Asphalt to do the work. Their bid…
Authorities extinguish grass fire Saturday in Mason City
by Jody Spear and Kelly Meyer – MASON CITY – A lady and her three sons, riding their bikes along the north/south railroad tracks by the Ray Rorick Skate Park near Big…
Latest from Steve King
Congressman Steve King (R-IA) spoke at the Values Voter Summit 2012 on September 14, 2012. — Sept. 14th, 2012: King Introduces “No Hungry Kids Act” Washington, DC- Congressman Steve King (R-IA) released…
Actor gives us an Urban take on Judge Dredd
By Roger Moore, McClatchy-Tribune News Service – ORLANDO, Fla. — The British comic book “Judge Dredd” made its debut in the mid-1970s, starring a helmeted lawman who was judge, jury and executioner in…
St. John urges community to say ‘God Bless the Comets’ during homecoming week in Charles City
CHARLES CITY (IOWA) – It is Homecoming Week in the Charles City school system and a local church wants to make sure the whole student body knows the whole Charles City community…
Mason City man held on violating no-contact order
MASON CITY – A Mason City man is being held in the Cerro Gordo County Jail on charges that he violated a civil no-contact order. Jeremy Joe Barragan, 22, is charged with…
Obama and Romney on Global warming
Graphic comparing and contrasting Mitt Romney and Barack Obama on the key issue of global warming.
‘American Idol’ makes huge power play, signs Minaj, Urban
By Scott Collins, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — After weeks of speculation, Fox made it official: Pop star Nicki Minaj and country crooner Keith Urban will join Mariah Carey and Randy…
Kathy Bates wins Emmy at Creative Arts awards
By Scott Collins, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — Charlie Harper is worth more dead than alive — at least to Emmy voters. Kathy Bates, who did a guest role as the…
Israel’s Iranian dilemma
By Danny Danon, Los Angeles Times – JERUSALEM — As the war of words heats up regarding a possible Israeli military strike on Iran, now is the time to look at one of…
French court to hear arguments over topless photos of Princess Kate
By Ian Llewellyn – PARIS — A French court on Monday will consider issuing an injunction against the French magazine Closer over its publication of topless photographs of the Duchess of Cambridge….
UPDATE: Missing teen home safely
MASON CITY – UPDATE: A Mason City teen who was missing for about a day has come home safely Sunday just before 5:30 PM. Dakota Nicholson, 16, was seen walking and returned…
Update on East State Street Utility and Street Improvements
MASON CITY – The East State Street rehabilitation project continues as sanitary manholes are being replaced. Curb sawing and removal will also begin between Carolina and Kentucky Avenues. Beginning Monday, September 17th…
19-year-old Austin, MN man convicted of sexual assault on girls 13 and younger
Matt Peterson, Austin Daily Herald – An Austin man was found guilty Friday in Mower County Court for persuading girls 13 and younger to perform sexual acts. Brayden William Woodworth, 19, was…
Mason City School Board to meet Monday
MASON CITY – The Mason City School board will be meeting on Monday, September 17th, 2012. The following is the agenda for that meeting: AGENDA Mason City Community School District Board of…
Upmeyer: Iowa Strong for a more prosperous Iowa economy
From Rep. Linda Upmeyer – Last month I wrote about a new initiative that my caucus, along with Governor Branstad and Senate Republicans, launched called Iowa Strong. This initiative presents our plan…
MCHS Principal Notes
Dear Parents/Guardians: We have had an amazing start to the school year. The students have done a great job of adapting to the new environment. We hope that we can continue the…
Plurality of Iowans support retaining Supreme Court justices, poll shows
James Q. Lynch, CR Gazette – Four Iowa Supreme Court justices up for a retention vote in the Nov. 6 election have a path to keeping their seats on the state’s highest…
Anti-Obama film a box office hit, but critics question its claims
By Maria Recio, McClatchy Newspapers – WASHINGTON — Away from the frontlines of political theater, an under-the-radar, controversial documentary on President Barack Obama, “2016: Obama’s America,” has over the last eight weeks quietly…
Occupy movement at 1 year old still hasn’t produced a broad tangible result
By Andrew Tangel, Los Angeles Times – NEW YORK — They linked arms, sat and waited for arrest at Zuccotti Park. As police — well, activists playing the role — yanked them into…
Lime Creek Nature Center “Timber Trot” to be held
MASON CITY – The fourth annual Lime Creek Nature Center “Timber Trot” will be held on Saturday, October 6 at 9 a.m. at the Lime Creek Nature Center located just north of…
Focus on Iowa justices’ performance, not politics, roundtable participants say
Trish Mehaffey, CR Gazette – The key to this year’s judicial retention election may be educating voters that it’s about whether a judge is doing his/her job, not about politics and how…
“Floyd County Back to Work Boot Camp” Class to Be Offered
CHARLES CITY – Charles City Area Development Corporation and NIACC Adult Literacy are partnering to offer residents 17 and older in Floyd County an opportunity to increase their skills to become more…
Irish tabloid prints Princess Kate topless photos, with Italian magazine to follow
By Alvise Armellini – LONDON — The Irish Daily Star printed the topless pictures of the Duchess of Cambridge, wife of Britain’s Prince William, in its Saturday edition, as an Italian magazine…
Three men charged in YMCA “sex offense” face arraignment this month
MASON CITY – An arraignment date was set on Friday by Judge Greg Rosenbladt for three men that were arrested and booked after an alleged “sex offense” incident at the Mason City…
Woman jailed for assault on police officer
MASON CITY – A Mason City police officer was dispatched to a possible assault shortly before 1am Friday morning. When the officer responded to 225 North West 1st Street the victim was…
Corrections board seeks more state money for prison staff, facilities
Rod Boshart, CR Gazette – State corrections officials vowed Friday to make another run at winning support for hiring more staff at state prisons and spending up to $30 million to get…
Two Car Accident with Injury Friday Night
by Jody Spear and Kelly Meyer – MASON CITY – Mason City Police officers and the Mason City Fire Department were called to a two car accident at the intersection of 15th…
Op-ed: Solution for Mercy and Forest Park (by Peter Children)
I have a solution for both the Mercy Hospital and the homeowners who will be effected by the new generator facility. The homeowners have to realize that the Mercy will get it’s…
Homecoming hijinks haunt parks and neighborhoods
MASON CITY – In what has become an annual tradition, teens celebrated a Mohawk homecoming football loss to Fort Dodge by taking to the parks and neighborhoods in Mason City Friday night,…
Mason City Garage Sales in Full Swing
by Jody Spear and Kelly Meyer – MASON CITY – Mason City, like many North Iowa towns, is having it’s Annual Fall City-Wide Garage Sale this weekend. Keng, along with her faithful…
Who’ll claim Oprah Winfrey’s daytime talk throne?
By Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times – LOS ANGELES — Daytime talk definitely isn’t cheap this fall. A year after Oprah Winfrey left as daytime’s queen to launch her own cable network, the…
Branstad, Reynolds announce “Volunteer Iowa: A Call to Service” Initiative
(DES MOINES) – Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds on Monday announced a new public-private partnership initiative titled “Volunteer Iowa: A Call to Service.” The goal of the “Call to…