News

‘Excessively wet’ conditions reported as harvest begins in Iowa

Iowa News September 15, 2026

As most of Iowa saw heavy rainfall over the past week, about 2% of Iowa’s corn acres have been harvested, according to the latest crop progress and condition report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The report for the Sept. 7-13 reporting period noted 38% of Iowa’s corn acres had reached maturity, which is on par with the five-year average for the state, but 7 percentage points behind the 2025 crop. Slightly less than 90% of corn acres have reached the dent stage, according to the report which rated Iowa corn as 76% good to excellent for the period. While about 1% ...

G'day

Local News September 14, 2026

Retail committee to meet at 9 a.m. at library The Retail committee of the Webster City Chamber of Commerce will meet at 9 a.m. at the Kendall Young Library. The library is located at 1200 Willson Avenue. Access will be through the north door. First Congregational UCC Thrift Sale this weekend The semi-annual Thrift sale begins Friday Morning at 10 a.m. at the First Congregational UCC located at 1000 Willson Ave. The sale continues until 6 p.m. Friday, and opens again at 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday. The cost is $7 per bag of items, unless otherwise marked. Proceeds from this sale help ...

Stratford mourns death of former fire chief

Local News September 14, 2026

STRATFORD — They are the unsung heroes of every community. Across rural Iowa, where small towns are like islands in a massive sea of corn and soybeans, where the roads stretch out long and hard from any hospital or emergency room, volunteer fire and rescue departments are a life-line for ...

Van Diest Supply Company celebrates with open house.

Local News September 14, 2026

(Freeman Journal photo by Trevor Christeson) The family owned business of Van Diest Supply was recognized by the City of Webster City for their 70 years of business in Hamilton County Friday during their 70th anniversary celebration. Representing the City of Webster City and the Van Diest Company are in the back row, from left to right, Zach Chizek, Webster City City Attorney; Jake Van Diest, Van Diest Supply Company President; Webster City City Manager John Harrenstein; Mayor of Webster City, John Hawkins; Van Diest Supply Company Sales Manager, Jack Van Diest and Van Diest Supply ...

Webster City remembers 9/11

Local News September 14, 2026

On Friday, two commemorative exercises were held in Webster City to mark 25 years since four airliners were commandeered on September 11, 2001 and flown into the World Trade Center, Pentagon and another target which was thought to be the U.S. Capitol or White House. Public officials, ...

How 9/11 changed the way America surveils its citizens

National News September 14, 2026

Twenty-five years after 9/11, the surveillance infrastructure built and expanded in its aftermath has become part of a far larger digital ecosystem — producing tools that can collect and analyze information on a scale unimaginable in 2001. The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, did more than reshape the nation’s approach to terrorism. They changed the architecture of American intelligence and policing. They expanded how government agencies collect, share and analyze information, and brought national security tools deeper into ordinary law enforcement. The infrastructure built in ...