News

News of Record: Nov. 4, 2026

News of record November 4, 2026

Magistrate Court WEBSTER COUNTY Tuesday Failure to appear for pre-trial hearing — Rodney D. Mrozek Jr., 45, 1644 Eighth Ave. N., further proceedings to be scheduled. Credit card fraud under $10,000, minor victim — Rodney D. Mrozek Jr., 45, 1644 Eighth Ave. N., preliminary hearing set for Nov. 13, no contact order issued. Driving while license suspended — Estevan Loera Orozco, 21, Lakeside, $250 plus surcharge, court costs. Adonais A. Villatoro Villatoro, 29, Grand island, Nebraska, $250 plus surcharge, court costs. Barbara A. Dudley, 44, 14 Johnson Place, ...

Pomeroy man sentenced for child sexual abuse

Local News November 4, 2026

ROCKWELL CITY — A Pomeroy man has been sentenced to up to 100 years in prison after a judge found he repeatedly sexually abused a child over a period of years, according to the Calhoun County Attorney’s Office. According to court documents, Jason Michael Peed, 39, must serve at least 70 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole or work release. Peed was convicted Oct. 30 in Calhoun County District Court of continuous sexual abuse of a child and two counts of second-degree sexual abuse. District Court Judge Kurt J. Stoebe imposed the maximum sentence on each count: up ...

Supervisors approve scaled-back rezoning in split vote

Local News November 4, 2026

Webster County Supervisors approved a scaled-back version of Kevin Stumpf’s rezoning request Tuesday on a 3-2 vote after a contentious meeting that pitted economic development goals against neighbors’ concerns and erupted into raised voices over wells and water usage. Supervisors Bob ...

Concerns raised over animal control response

Local News November 4, 2026

Questions about a 45-day lapse in animal control response drew scrutiny Tuesday at the Webster County Board of Supervisors meeting. Supervisor Niki Conrad pressed the county’s contracted provider for answers about missed calls and response time reports she said she had repeatedly requested after receiving multiple complaints from citizens. Conrad said the supervisors never received those reports. Blaine Hepp, owner of Total Animal Control, told supervisors that dispatch messages had gone to his spam folder, leaving him without calls or messages for animal control response from ...

Fields sailed the Atlantic, Pacific in the Navy

Local News November 4, 2026

Editor’s note: This story first appeared in November 2025. GOWRIE — Kenneth Fields enlisted in the Navy seeking some good technical training and some adventure. The Gowrie man got both of those things in a 10-year Navy career in which he sailed in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and the ...

Eldal leads in Webster County recorder’s race

Local News November 4, 2026

Tina Eldal appeared to be on the path to winning the Recorder’s Office in the one contested race in Webster County government Tuesday. With nine of 19 precincts reporting Eldal, a Republican, had a roughly 800 vote lead over Democratic incumbent Courtney Bender Balkenende. According to unofficial results posted late Tuesday night by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, Eldal had 4,740 votes. Balkenende had 3,956 votes at that point in the count. Balkenende, who had been deputy recorder, was appointed to the post by the Board of Supervisors after former Recorder Lindsey ...