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Iowa House speaker says no special session before new governor takes office

Local News

Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley said Friday he does not believe a special legislative session will be called before Gov.-elect Rob Sand takes office in January. Though Republicans maintained majority control over both chambers of the Iowa Legislature in the 2026 election, state lawmakers will no longer be working with a Republican governor. Sand, a Democrat, will take over when Gov. Kim Reynolds ends her term. In addition to losing the governorship, Republican majorities shrunk in both legislative chambers. Some Democrats and observers have questioned whether Republicans would use ...

G'day

Local News

No Daily Freeman Journal published on Wednesday In honor of the Veterans in our country, most banks and federal buildings will be closed on Wednesday. That includes the post office, therefore there will be no mail delivery or newspaper published on Wednesday either online or in print for that reason. Webster City School board meets tonight The Webster City School board of education will meet at 6 p.m. at the administration building located at 820 Des Moines St. The agenda includes a public forum, and public filing, hearing on the school infrastructure sales, services and use tax ...

Turning for November 9

Local News

Fine Arts Department has lesson on prominent Iowa authors and composers Mrs. W.A. Crandall and Miss Charlotte Crosley led the study of the fine arts department of the Women’s cub in Jane Young House last evening. Mrs. Crandall had for her subject, “An Iowan’s Contribution to Music,” and Miss Crosley, “Iowa’s Contribution to Literature.” Mrs. Crandall told of several Iowa composers, mentioning particularly Frederick Knight Logan as a typical Iowan. She closed her lesson with a delightful rendition of one of Logan’s Castilian suites. Miss Crosley said that her ...

Gratitude and best wishes

Local News

Throughout November the Webster City Ministerial Association offers reminders about gratitude. When children at Asbury Preschool were asked what they were thankful for, more than half of them listed family and friends. Pets too. Several specifically listed siblings. Do you think they are always happy with their siblings? It seems doubtful – likely they sometimes argue with their siblings. Yet those arguments don’t stop them from appreciating their siblings. When you find yourself annoyed by someone or something, consider also what positives they bring to your life. Amidst the ...

Storm sewer work to insure road beds are not compromised

Local News

The large excavation shown here,just north of Highway 20 near Superior Street and Fair Meadow Drive, is part of a long-term effort by the City of Webster City to improve the capacity of storm sewers to deal with high levels of rain and run-off as experienced this summer and fall. Excessive standing water at this location could have compromised the underlying roadbed of both Superior Street and U.S. Highway 20.

The military not only provides path to future, but ties that bind

Local News

Laurie Epps is a doer. While recently retired from a career in the banking industry, her first experiences after high school encompassed a passion, that spread quietly between siblings and children. Laurie met her husband when she was in the Air Force and that union set a path that wasn’t the most conventional. Born to Larry and Jan Olmstead, Laurie Olmstead graduated from Webster City High School in 1977, then Olmstead, now Epps had different interests than most of her female classmates. “When I was in high school, I took auto mechanics,” she said. “I was the only girl in ...