Local News

Registration open for 2026 Farm Transitions Conference

AMES — The 2026 Farm Transitions Conference will be held Feb. 5–6 at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in Ankeny. The conference is hosted by the Beginning Farmer Center at Iowa State University. The two-day conference will bring together farmers, landowners and agricultural professionals seeking practical guidance on farm succession planning, options to transfer land and assets and long-term farm viability. Attendees will hear from experienced attorneys, farm management specialists, economists and transition experts who understand the unique challenges facing ...

Iowa BBB boosts customer service with new multilingual live chat support

The Better Business Bureau serving Greater Iowa announced a major enhancement to its customer service capabilities: the full rollout of multilingual online chat support on its website. This new feature ensures that consumers and businesses in Iowa can access live assistance and support in a consumer’s native language, in addition to English. This system-wide upgrade is a significant investment in accessibility and is designed to meet customers exactly where they are, especially during a time of need. "Our mission is to foster trust between businesses and consumers, and that trust ...

City, Mary Ann’s Specialty Foods receive awards

The City of Webster City and Mary Ann’s Specialty Foods of Webster City were both honored in early January when they each were recognized at the Ames Regional Economic Alliance Annual Awards program. Eight economic impact awards were presented in the four county region which makes up ...

Nearly 15 retail leaders start year with update from Chamber, city and Small Business Development Center

Council votes $1.2 million in TIF dollars to help redevelop Doc’s Stop

A Storm Lake-based convenience store chain, Royal Brew, LLC, asked the City Council of Webster City last night for $1,200,000 to aid its purchase and remodeling of the former Doc’s Stop convenience store at 407 Closz Drive in Webster City. The council agreed the project was a good use of ...

Council rules on zoning, overnight parking, East Twin Park shelter

It was a busy night at City Hall as the City Council of Webster City made decisions on a local zoning variation request, overnight parking regulations downtown and a new shelter for East Twin Park at its second meeting of 2026 last night. Kassandra Walker, owner of Arachnid Ink, a tattoo parlor at 1505 Lynx Ave., will not be granted a variance allowing her to continue operating in an R-3 zoned residential neighborhood on the city’s west side. She previously asked the council to consider what would essentially be a “spot variance,” explaining her plans to invest in both the ...