(Spirit Lake)--The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office has announced that County Road M-56 is scheduled to be closed to all traffic starting today(Monday) from 15685 250th Avenue to 15691 250th Avenue for culvert work. Officials say the closure will last for approximately 3 days. Then a Road Closure to all traffic will be moved to the east side of 15715 250th Avenue to 160th Street for a culvert replacement.

A detour route will be in place for access to properties outside these areas. After the culverts are replaced, normal traffic will resume.

(Spencer)--The City of Spencer has issued a news release in response to a social media post that contained inaccuracies and mischaracterizes the city’s policies on cats and lost pets.

The release says the City of Spencer does not operate, and is not proposing, a "Trap-and-Kill" policy. To correct the false narrative that the city disposes of scared or unowned cats, city officials are releasing official impound fugures covering the last three and a half years.

During this period, 386 cats came through the city’s impound system. 80-percent of those cats were successfully transferred to People for Pets for adoption, 7-percent were successfully claimed by their owners and 7 percent were identified as feral. The city worked directly with People for Pets to have these cats spayed/neutered and safely released back into the community. Six percent of the cats were humanely euthanized strictly for medically necessary reasons—specifically traumatic injuries, severe untreatable illnesses, or severe respiratory distress that did not respond to veterinary treatment.

Officials say none of the cats were euthanized for being "wild," scared, or simply unowned. Spencer currently boasts a 94% live-release rate for impounded cats, a standard that reflects a highly humane and modernized approach to animal control.

(Estherville)--Work continues on phase one of the improvement project at the Estherville Lincoln Central football stadium. ELC Superintendent Andy Armstead says phase one is moving closer to completion.

Armstead says they are working on plans to get people in and out of the stadium while construction is underway.

He says planning continues for phase two of the project which includes new bleachers and a press box.

Armstead says the third phase of project is a new scoreboard.

He also gave an update on fundraising for phases two and three of the project.

Armstead made his comments on the ELC Superintendent Spotlight program which can be heard every Saturday at 8:45 am on KILR FM 95.9.

(Milford)– Former Mayor Steve Anderson has been selected as the Grand Marshal for this year’s Milford Pioneer Days Parade.

Anderson served as the city’s Mayor from 2017 until 2025 and also served on the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Anderson is a retired veteran with over 22 years of service with the Iowa and South Dakota National Guard. He has served as Superintendent of the Iowa Great Lakes Sanitary District since 2012. Anderson, an Estherville native, also previously served as Coordinator of the Dickinson County Cleanwater Alliance. He is a past commander of the Milford American Legion. He currently serves on the Dickinson County Conservation Board.

Pioneer Days in Milford will be held July 24th-26th.

(Armstrong)--A suspicious vehicle report in Armstrong Wednesday led to the arrest of a Lakota teen on multiple charges.

18-year-old Jayden Hagedorn is charged in Emmet County District Court with possession of marijuana-1^st offense, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of tobacco under the age of 21 and possession of alcohol under the age of 21.

According to a criminal complaint filed by the Emmet County Sheriff’s Office, shortly after 6:40 pm Wednesday, a deputy investigating a suspicious vehicle report in the 800 block of 4^th Avenue in Armstrong noticed an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The complaint says a probable cause search was performed and during the search, nicotine vapes, multiple THC vapes, plant based marijuana, a grinder, two glass smoking pipes and alcoholic beverages were located. The complaint says Hagedorn admitted to possessing one of the THC vapes and some of the alcoholic beverages.

Hagedorn was booked into the Emmet County Jail and posted bond the following day.

Hagedorn has a preliminary hearing scheduled for July 20^th.

(Okoboji)--The Resource Enhancement and Protection Program or REAP is the focus of 19 meetings across the state this summer, where Iowans can share ideas and visions for their county and communities. The REAP meeting in northwest Iowa will be held on July 23^rd at Maser Monarch Lodge in Okoboji beginning at 1 pm. Amy Heibult is Community Relations Coordinator for Dickinson County Conservation.

Heibult outlines what to expect at the meeting.

She says those attending will also elect five delegates to REAP Congress held on August 29^th at the state capital.

More information about the REAP program is available on the Iowa DNR website.

(Estherville)--The City of Estherville is applying for a grant to help fund the demolition of two homes damaged by flooding in 2024. The Estherville City Council this week approved  a contract with the Northwest Iowa and Planning and Development for assistance in writing the  application for a state grant, according to Estherville City Administrator Penny Clayton.

The houses to be demolished are located at 117 West 2^nd St. North and 222 West 1^st St. North. After the houses are removed the properties will be converted into green space.

(Spencer)--For its efforts to optimize stroke care and reduce gaps in rural health outcomes, Spencer Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Rural Recognition Silver award. This recognition goes to rural hospitals for their commitment to acute stroke care excellence, demonstrated through performance on guideline-directed measures. Spencer Hospital President Brenda Tiefenthaler.

(Spencer)--For its efforts to optimize stroke care and reduce gaps in rural health outcomes, Spencer Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Rural Recognition Silver award. This recognition goes to rural hospitals for their commitment to acute stroke care excellence, demonstrated through performance on guideline-directed measures. Spencer Hospital President Brenda Tiefenthaler.

Stroke is the 4^th leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S, according to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report.

Stroke is the 4^th leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S, according to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report.

(Des Moines)--The latest water summary update shows drought conditions remain in portions of northwest Iowa.

Statewide precipitation for June averaged 5.22 inches, which is 0.04 inches below normal. However, this average does not demonstrate that the localized monthly totals varied from a deficit-heavy 0.92 inches in Cherokee to an isolated high of 14.75 inches in Russell. Overall, June 2026 ranks as the 96th driest June in 154 years of statewide records.

In this area, almost all of Kossuth County, the southeast corner of Emmet County and the eastern third of Palo Alto County are in the D-1 or moderate drought category. The remainder of northwest Iowa is in the D-0 or abnormally dry category. Last month, all of northwest Iowa was in the moderate drought category.

(Fairmont, MN)--Officials are conducting an investigation after a citizen found bones and teeth Tuesday at Sylvania Park in Fairmont.

According to KEYC-TV, Fairmont Police sent the remains to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office on Wednesday and they were confirmed to be human. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was also contacted.

Authorities say, due to the perceived age of the remains and the park’s Native American significance, the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council was informed of the findings. Council representatives assessed the site on Thursday and will work with the Minnesota Office of the State Archaeologist, forensic anthropologists, and other experts to determine whether the area is an unrecorded cemetery.

At the Minnesota Indians Affairs Council request, a portion of the park’s southwest corner is closed to the public for the foreseeable future. The public is asked to respect the closure.

Fairmont police say there are no known investigations related to the discovery and no threat to public safety at this time.

(Emmetsburg)--An Estherville man is facing sexual exploitation charges in Palo Alto County.

On Tuesday, the Palo Alto County Sheriff's Office arrested 43-year-old Jessie Kinney of Estherville on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, a class B felony; enticing a minor, a  class D felony; and grooming, also a class D felony.

Kinney was transported, without incident, to the Palo Alto County Sheriff's Office and was booked into jail to await his initial appearance before a magistrate.

The Palo Alto County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Emmetsburg Police Department.

(Spencer)--The city of Spencer is still waiting for FEMA to buy out flood-damaged homes after historic flooding two years ago. Eighty percent of the properties in Spencer sustained at least some damage after two rivers crested at record levels. Spencer City Manager Kevin Robinson originally requested five-point-six million dollars to purchase 40 homes, but FEMA is only going to fund 25 properties, so he says the city will pay for the rest.

Homes purchased with federal funding will be demolished and replaced with green space or pocket parks. Robinson says the city has developed a flood response plan to protect residents from future disasters. One man was killed during the flooding when his pickup was swept into the river. While the federal funding will cover 25 properties, Robinson says 15 other houses will be covered through a local program.

Robinson expects FEMA funding to come within the next two weeks. Last month, FEMA awarded nearly five-point-five million dollars to Spencer and the local school district to repair parks, wastewater lift stations and an elementary school. Last week, the federal agency committed 22-million dollars to Rock Valley to buy and demolish 123 flood-damaged properties.

(from Radio Iowa)

(Spirit Lake)--The annual Bike Around Spirit Lake or BRASL will be held this Saturday in the Iowa Great Lakes area. Krista Smith with the Spirit Lake Chamber of Commerce says bicyclists can chose from a 15 mile, 25 mile or 50 mile ride.

Smith says the 15 and 25 mile rides will begin at 7:15 and the 50 mile ride will begin at 9 am. She says there will be a lunch after the ride.

Smith says there’s a lot of interest in this year’s ride.

She says there’s still time to register for the event.

You can register online at spiritlakecc.com.

(Ruthven)--The 34th annual Bully Bullhead Celebration in Ruthven gets underway today and runs through Sunday. Jon Josephson with the Bully Bullhead Committee says today’s activities start with a tractor ride, followed by a burger luncheon and library book sale. Josephson says more events will be held this evening.

Josephson says events begin bright and early on Saturday with the annual fishing tournament at 7 am.

He says city wide garage sales will begin at 7:30.

He says the big parade will start at 1:30 pm followed by a bags tournament. The day will end with a street dance from 9 am to 1 pm featuring the Tank Anthony Band. Josephson says several more events are planned for Sunday.

The dedication ceremony will be held at 11 am. For a complete schedule of events visit the Lost Island Betterment Association Facebook page.

(Armstrong)--The State Auditor’s Office has released a procedures report for the City Armstrong. The report included 18 findings and recommendations. Fourteen of the findings were reported from the previous year and there were four new findings. The report covers the period from July 1^st, 2024 to June 30^th, 2025.

The findings include lake of segregation of duties, lack of utility reconciliations, disbursements exceeding budgeted amounts, deficit fund balances and transfers not approved by resolution.

(Graettinger)--The Graettinger-Terril and Ruthven-Ayrshire school boards last month hired an outside firm to conduct an audit concerning discrepancies identified during an internal review of shared-service financial records. GTRA Superintendent Marshall Lewis says the audit report by Trust Point has not been completed.

Lewis says he thinks some members of the public may have misunderstood how long the report would take.

When the audit is complete, Lewis says another joint meeting of the school boards will be held to present the information to the public.

Lewis made his comments on the GTRA Superintendent Spotlight program which can be heard every Wednesday at 5:45 pm on KILR FM 95.9.

(Mason City)--A Spirit Lake man was found dead early Wednesday morning at a park in Mason City.

According to the Mason City Police Department, officers were called just before 1:10 a.m. Wednesday, for a report of an unresponsive adult male on the ground inside Lester Milligan Park, located at 1180 15th Street Southwest. 

When officers arrived, they found a deceased man near a vehicle in the park’s gravel parking lot. Mason City Fire medics and an investigator with the Cerro Gordo County Medical Examiner’s Office also responded to the scene. 

Police identified the man as 47-year-old Bradley Johnson of Spirit Lake. Authorities said his family has been notified. 

Police said there is no indication of any threat to the public, and no additional people are believed to be involved. 

The State Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy as part of the investigation.

Police said the case remains under investigation and no further information will be released at this time.

(Trimont, MN)--The annual Trimont Fun Fest gets underway today and runs through Sunday in Trimont, Minnesota. Fun Fest Committee member and Trimont City Clerk Kelly Harder says the celebration will kick off this afternoon with a new event, a magic show from 4 to 5 pm at Triumph Hall. Harder says Friday will start with a tractor ride at 8 am.

Harder says Saturday begins with a pancake feed from 8 to 10 am at the Trimont Fire Department followed by the annual parade at 10.  She says the rest of the day’s activities will be held at Anderson Park.

She says a kids pedal tractor pull will be held at 4 pm.

Harder says there will be a few more events on Sunday.

For a complete schedule of events visit the Trimont Fun Fest Facebook page.

(Okoboji)--The Dickinson County Conservation Board invites the public to celebrate the official opening of Sherwood Forest Park during a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Monday, July 20th at 10:00 a.m.

The ceremony will take place at Sherwood Forest Park located at 3301 Lake Shore Drive in Okoboji. The event will include a brief welcome and an official ribbon cutting to commemorate the park's opening.

Following the ceremony, community members are invited to explore the park and experience its many new recreational opportunities.

The park features a bike pump track with three skill levels, allowing riders to progress from beginner to advanced tracks. Families can enjoy a large playground complete with four oversized slides and natural climbing structures inspired by the surrounding landscape.

Additional amenities include modern restrooms, shaded seating areas, limestone seating oases surrounded by native landscaping, natural promenades, planted native fields,  an off-road mountain bike trail with technical obstacles, and approximately two miles of biking and  walking trails that wind throughout the park.

(Adel)—Funeral arrangements have been set for an Algona native who was killed in the crash of a military plane last month.

35-year-old Air Force Major Brad Hovey was part of the crew involved in a B-52 plane crash at Edwards Air Force Base in California on June 15th. The aircraft went down shortly after takeoff during a test mission, killing all eight people on board.

According to Major Hovey’s obituary, a public visitation will be held on Thursday, July 16, at New Hope Church in Adel, Iowa. A funeral service for friends and family is scheduled for the following day.

At this time, the cause of the crash remains under investigation by the U.S. Air Force.

(Algona)--The 27^th annual Founders’ Day celebration gets underway Thursday in Algona. Avery Pederson, Executive Director of the Algona Area Chamber of Commerce, says there are some new events for this year’s celebration.

Museum tours will be held each day. Pederson says Friday begins at 9:30 am with the weekly Chamber Coffee with the Kossuth County Historical Society at the Wells Fargo Building on Dodge Street, celebrating Kossuth’s 175th Birthday and America’s 250th Birthday.

Pederson says Saturday begins with Yoga on the Lawn at The Mansion beginning at 8:30 am.

The day will end with an Absolute Pro Wrestling Live Show on State Street beginning at 8 pm. Pederson says the celebration will wrap-up on Sunday.

A complete schedule of events can be found online at algona.org or on the Algona Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.

(Algona)--Funeral arrangements have been set for long-time Algona Mayor Lynn Kueck, who passed away this past weekend at the age of 81.

Kueck was born and raised in Algona and returned to his hometown after college to begin a teaching career that spanned 35 years. He was first elected Mayor in 1997 and served until 2008. He was elected again in 2010 and served through 2019.

Kueck also spent 33 years on the Iowa Lakes Community College Board of Trustees. The Algona Campus of Iowa Lakes bears his name. The industrial park east of Algona is also named in his honor, as is the Lynn and Sherry Kueck Algona Betterment Fund, which was established in 2017 through the Kossuth County Community Foundation.

Lynn Kueck’s funeral will be held Saturday at 10:30 am at First Presbyterian Church in Algona. Visitation will be held on Friday from 4 to 6 pm at the First Presbyterian Church.

(Arnolds Park)--Arnolds Park/Okoboji Fire and Rescue had a busy 4th of July holiday weekend.  AP-O Fire Chief Chris Yungbluth says the department responded to 15 medical calls and came in contact with 22 patients and had four Fire Boat responses for water medical emergencies. Youngbuth says they were also on stand-by for four events including three concerts at Arnolds Park and an EMS crew on a Personal Water Craft for the Lake Affect concert.

In addition, Yungbluth says AP-O Fire and Rescue responded to two residential fire alarms, two fireworks debris fire calls, and three dumpster fires for improper disposal of fireworks debris. Yungbluth says one of those calls is suspicious. They also responded to the plane crash Saturday near the Dickinson County Nature Center. 

Yungbluth says he would like to thank those volunteers who responded to calls, stood by at events, or hung out at the station to ensure a rapid response to emergencies over the holiday weekend.

(Spirit Lake)--A growing number of algae blooms are being reported in the Iowa Great Lakes. Andrew Carlson, Fisheries Biologist with the DNR Office in Spirit Lake, says the algae blooms are common this time of year.

Carlson offers some advice for those planning to swim in the lakes.

In addition to warm weather, Carlson says wind can also have an impact on algae blooms.

Carlson says algae blooms will be an off and on concern for the remainder of the summer.

(Des Moines)--Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has issued a disaster proclamation for Osceola County in response to severe weather that occurred on June 29th and continuing.

Reynolds’ proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of these storms and activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program and the Disaster Case Advocacy Program. The proclamation is effective immediately and will remain in effect for 30 days unless terminated or extended.