Local News

Ida County’s proposed data center ordinance is getting a legal overhaul before it can move forward — and county supervisors say protecting residents remains their top priority. After months of public meetings and workshops, the Ida County Board of Supervisors is awaiting a revised draft ordinance from Des Moines attorney Maria Brownell of the Ahlers & Cooney law firm. Board

Storm Lake police had a busier October, with more calls for service, traffic stops and burglaries than the previous month — and even sharper increases in some categories compared to a year ago. The Storm Lake Police Department handled 2,711 service calls in October, up 72 from September and 477 from October 2025. That’s a year-over-year increase of more than

Community leaders, business owners and residents across northwest Iowa will have an opportunity next week to explore ways to strengthen their downtown business districts and encourage economic growth. Hometown Pride communities are partnering with the Iowa Economic Development Authority to host a free presentation titled Ten Essentials for Downtowns at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Sioux Rapids American

A rural Newell man is behind bars, facing 13 criminal charges stemming from a series of alleged assaults, threats and violations of court orders — including a burglary and handgun-related allegations dating back more than two years. Thirty-nine-year-old Matthew Michael Sievers is being held in the Buena Vista County Jail without bond, with charges filed against him in four separate

For the third consecutive year, Sac County voters have rejected a bond measure to build a new jail, despite a majority supporting the project in Tuesday’s general election. According to unofficial election results, the $10 million bond received 2,377 votes in favor and 1,820 against, representing approximately 56.6% approval. That’s about 3.4 percentage points short of the 60% supermajority required

Storm Lake is putting more than $100,000 in annual community funding on hold as city leaders brace for difficult budget decisions. The Storm Lake City Council voted unanimously Monday evening to suspend its outside agency funding program for fiscal year 2027-28, eliminating a traditional source of financial support for local nonprofit organizations for the next budget year. The city has

Could free library programs eventually come with a price tag in Storm Lake? City leaders are asking some difficult questions as they search for ways to balance the budget. The Storm Lake City Council met jointly with the Storm Lake Public Library Board of Trustees Monday evening to discuss the library’s finances, operations and possible cost-saving measures as the city

Buena Vista County stayed red yesterday (Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026), even as Iowa voters delivered some major victories for Democrats statewide. Unofficial election results show Republicans winning every contested partisan race in Buena Vista County, including a closely watched county supervisor contest, while Democrats captured Iowa’s governor’s office and an open U.S. Senate seat. In the race for Buena Vista