News

Free seed event at Kendall Young Library meets mission of Nine Square Feet

Local News January 23, 2026

Kendall Young Library is giving away seeds, provided by another Iowa non-profit organization. Next Saturday, January 31, the library will have individually packaged seeds for new gardeners and experienced gardeners, to plant and start a garden. They are not just any seeds, they are seeds from an organization called Nine Square Feet, based out of West Des Moines. Their mission is to share seeds, plants and food in the Des Moines metro area and central Iowa. They are sending out free seeds to 55 libraries across the state of Iowa this year. They hope that younger people will ...

Hamilton County Conservation cabins at Briggs Woods provide nature experiences year-round

Local News January 23, 2026

Some are tucked away in the back of Briggs Woods, nestled in the midst of nature, some overlook the lake and rivers, but all the cabins of Briggs Woods are treasures just waiting to be discovered. Briggs Woods is known for a lot of things, the golf course, the lake, most recently the ...

Iowa BBB boosts customer service with new multilingual live chat support

Local News January 22, 2026

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 ...

Ecumenical Human Needs Committee donations exceed $30,000 due to generous community

Local News January 22, 2026

During the holidays, the Ecumenical Human Needs committee, a committee of the Webster City Ministerial Association, raised the alarm, as their efforts to raise funds to assist families by ringing bells at the grocery stores and hardware store were dampened with dangerous weather conditions. At the end of the 2025 season, the bellringing had only brought in $2,700. During the 2024 bell ringing season, they collected over $10,000. The community responded to the call for help. By the end of the year, there were many additional donations to the Ministerial Association and the Ecumenical ...

Registration open for 2026 Farm Transitions Conference

Local News January 22, 2026

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 ...

It’s a done deal

Local News January 22, 2026

It’s good news that many had hoped for as the Bernau Capital Management Company announces they are bringing Ace Hardware to Webster City. Kim Drautz, who is the Operations Manager-Ace Hardware is part of the Bernau Capital Management company. She contacted the Daily Freeman Journal ...