News

Rob Sand: Protecting Iowa Public Schools and Tax Dollars

Iowa News August 17, 2026

As State Auditor, I’ve been sounding the alarm on the unaccountable private school voucher program for years. Politicians who like to lie say it’s because I’m against private schools. That’s not true at all. What I am against is waste, fraud, and abuse of Iowa tax dollars, and the private school voucher program has been the second biggest invitation to all three since it was enacted. As it stands, the private school voucher system requires no accountability over how tax money is being spent. There are no audits to check. There are no limits on raising ...

Abandoned house acquired by city

Local News August 17, 2026

(photo by Robert E. Oliver) The home at 1111 Third Street, Webster City, most recently owned by Justin Culver, has not had utilities provided for over six months, and is abandoned. It was recently acquired by the city and will be demolished at taxpayer expense before the end of the year.

Candidate Zach Lahn says truth is in the ballot

Iowa News August 16, 2026

Zach Lahn told Iowa State fairgoers that “truth is on the ballot” in the 2026 gubernatorial election as he runs against Iowa Auditor Rob Sand. Lahn, a farmer, businessman and the GOP nominee for Iowa governor, delivered remarks Friday at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox. He said there’s been a “big difference” between the primary election where he won in an upset victory against U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, the 4th District representative endorsed by President Donald Trump, and the general election where he faces Sand. “In the primary, people cared about my ...

Zach Lahn: School Choice: A Fundamental Freedom

Iowa News August 16, 2026

As an educator who’s spent years building a foundation for children, I believe that school choice is a foundational freedom that Iowans should have. Parents should be able to have more say over where their kids go to school and more say over where their tax dollars are spent. The Democrats like to frame this issue as though parental tax dollars belong to the Government–that any attempt by parents to take their kids to a better school is somehow robbing public schools. That’s false. Our goal as Iowans should always be to promote excellence in education, whether that’s at a ...

Iowa State University opens cyber resiliency initiative to Iowa towns, counties, schools

Iowa News August 14, 2026

After a year of information gathering and piloting programs, Iowa State University is expanding its state-supported and federally funded cyber resilience program to political subdivisions across Iowa. The Ames university leads the Iowa Cyber Resilience Initiative through its Center for Cybersecurity Innovation and Outreach, center director Doug Jacobson said, supported by portions of $3 million in FEMA funding allocated to the state. This ensures that the cities, counties, school districts and other communities don’t have to pay for cyber resilience services that “can be quite ...

G'day

Local News August 14, 2026

Depot museum opens at Wilson Brewer Park The museum in the Illinois Central Depot will be open Friday and Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. The museum is located in the Wilson Brewer Park, located at 220 Ohio St. Artifacts from the Webster City and Hamilton County area, school memorabilia and inventions created by local residents are all part of the diverse exhibits. Day Okay Jazz Project to entertain at Garden Party tonight At 7 p.m. tonight, the Day Okay Jazz Project will again set the stage for a relaxing community event in the 700 block of 2nd St. in Webster City. The The event ...