Scooter, e-bike rules now on the books, but 10 mph sidewalk limit fails

Riders of bicycles, electric scooters and e-bikes in Estherville now have a clear set of rules to follow, and police have the tools to enforce them. The Estherville City Council on Monday, Sept. …

Little Flags, Big Hearts

On Saturday mornings this fall, the Estherville Lincoln Central High School practice fields just south of the Regional Wellness Center fill with small athletes chasing a football. There are no …

Water + cancer = streams crossed through party lines

A statewide coalition launched a campaign this month linking Iowa’s water quality to its rising cancer rates, and new polling suggests the issue has more traction with Republican and Independent …
Local News
The Emmet County Board of Supervisors at its Tuesday, Sept. 22 meeting approved a resolution extending a moratorium on utility-scale solar projects in the county. The moratorium, passed earlier, …
In what was probably its shortest council meeting ever, the Armstrong City Council at a Wednesday, Sept. 16 special meeting approved a resolution to appoint a new council member to replace Tylor …
The Iowa Lakes Community College Board of Trustees at their Tuesday, Sept. 15 meeting heard how the college music program is making a big hit with students, and far beyond. Vice President of …
The Iowa Lakes Community College Board of Trustees at their Tuesday, Sept. 15 meeting heard how the college music program is making a big hit with students, and far beyond. Vice President of …
Obituaries
Paul Jerome Brinkman passed away on September 16, 2026. He was born July 27, 1967, to Therese (Tindall) Brinkman and Jerome Brinkman in Estherville, Iowa. Paul grew up on the family farm in …
Robert “Bob” Leroy Twito passed away on July 9, 2026, in Anchorage, Alaska. Bob was born in Estherville, Iowa September 24, 1952, the son of Parnell and Algeta Twito. He was baptized and …
Leonard Elmer Suess, 79, passed away peacefully on Sept. 7, 2026, surrounded by family in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where he currently resided. He was born March 30, 1947 and raised in Springfield, …
Funeral services for Carol Konradi, 74 of Dolliver, will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday,Sept. 24, 2026 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Armstrong. Interment will be held at a later date at Good …
Local Sports
Kaiya Brechwald had 14 kills in ELC’s win over Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire.

ELC earns pair of wins during busy week

The Estherville Lincoln Central volleyball team picked up a couple of wins during its busiest week of the season thus far last week. ELC opened the week with a non-conference triangular, falling …

Jaguars start fast, top Midgets

GOWRIE — Southeast Valley jumped to a 21-0 lead after one quarter and went on to defeat Estherville Lincoln Central 35-7 in the teams’ first Class 2A District 2 game Friday. The Jaguars scored …

ELC runs well at Emmetsburg

The Estherville Lincoln Central varsity cross country teams brought home three medals from the Emmetsburg Invitational on Tuesday, Sept. 15. In the girls’ race, Hayden Armstead placed 10th in 22 …
North Union’s Maisey Bierstedt goes up for the block during last week’s match against Estherville Lincoln Central.

No. 15 Warriors play well during 4-1 week

The North Union volleyball team continued its strong start to the season last week, going 4-1 and moving into the Class 1A rankings at No. 15. The Warriors swept Estherville Lincoln Central and …
From the opinion pages

Iowa voters must elect candidates who prioritize of property rights

To the Editor: Five years ago, Summit Carbon Solutions rolled out its plan for the Midwest Carbon Express, a 2,000-mile pipeline designed to transport carbon dioxide collected from ethanol plants in …

Advocating for a 10 MPH speed limit on sidewalks

To the Editor: Our city council recently passed the first of three required readings to set a 10 MPH speed limit on wheeled vehicles on our city sidewalks. The ordinance, if passed, would apply to …

CO2 pipeline easements are forever

To the Editor: Last week, Summit Carbon Solutions received yet another setback for its proposed CO2 pipeline when a North Dakota judge revoked its permit for the sequestration site, declaring it …

Local columns

Boundless a treasure trove of Native art and literature

For eons, Native art has held the fascination of all cultures. Lisa A. Crossman and Heid E. Erdrich have compiled a stunning volume of indigenous work in the book Boundless, based on an exhibition by …

Book recalls lives of servicemen before ultimate sacrifice

Anyone who has seen the film We Were Soldiers starring Mel Gibson has seen how war impacts the personal lives of not just those who went to war but also the families who stayed behind and prayed for …

A modern day version of ‘Pride and Prejudice’

  Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” focused on manners and goodness, two virtues sometimes forgotten today. Shortly before the novel was published, our Founding …