One of North Iowa’s longest-tenured mayors will not run for another term Mason City Mayor Bill Schickel announced Friday (05.02) that he will not be seeking election in the fall Schickel is Mason City’s longest serving mayor “It is certainly not an easy decision because I love this job and I’m more optimistic about the future of Mason City than I have been in my lifetime My initial thought was to run for reelection but upon further reflection I came to realize that our very talented and deep bench makes it an ideal time for transition We have great leaders on our city council with our city staff and among our community partners.”   Schickel said there’s also a lot of work to be done to make Mason City the best city of its size in the Midwest He also served three terms in the Iowa House of Representatives Community Conversations are sponsored by Floyd County Medical Center More Weather Details (ABC 6 News) – A Garner man was charged with 2nd-degree kidnapping–armed with dangerous weapon after an incident in an Aldi parking lot Wednesday Blair Justin Greiman was previously sentenced to life in prison for 1st-degree kidnapping after abducting a victim from a K-Mart parking lot was released on parole in 2017 and was a deacon at Peace Reformed Church The church confirmed May 1 that he no longer served as a deacon According to Greiman’s charging documents he allegedly approached a 20-year-old woman while she was loading groceries into her vehicle “The defendant pulled out a handgun and shoved it into the victim’s abdomen and told her she was being abducted and demanded (she) come with the defendant,” court documents read the woman fought Greiman off and ran to another bystander leaving an Air Soft handgun and handcuffs in a nearby dumpster He also faces one charge of violation of parole —–PREVIOUS STORY—– (ABC 6 News) — The Mason City Police Department responded to an attempted kidnapping at the Aldi grocery store at 520 Village Green Drive on Wednesday at approximately 1:17 p.m they learned a man wearing a disguise had attempted to abduct a woman while displaying a weapon Police say bystanders in the parking lot were able to help the victim during the attempted kidnapping and gave police key details to help locate the man the suspect and vehicle were located in Hancock County and the suspect was taken into custody without incident was placed under arrest and charged with 2nd-degree kidnapping Grant Lehmann was shopping at the same Aldi where Greiman committed his crime and was surprised to hear that such a shocking incident played out in broad daylight you never think about going to the grocery store as something dangerous,” Lehmann said Greiman is currently being held in the Cerro Gordo County Jail His initial court appearance has not been set This isn’t the first time Greiman committed this type of crime stabbed them and threw them into a ditch full of snow before he was arrested on similar charges on Wednesday Police say if you have any additional information on this case to please reach out to lieutenant Brett Hollander at (641) 421-3636 Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the FCC Public file should email news@kaaltv.com or call (507) 288-7555 The Pritchard Family Auto Stores Mason City Motor Speedway hosted an electrifying afternoon and evening of racing Sunday with the “May The Fourth Be With You” event featuring the K Sports Park Raceway kicked off its season Saturday night with the KS Engineering Iron Man USRA Stock Cars Series driven by Terminator Chassis highlighting action in the Summit USRA Weekly Racing Serie I-35 Speedway delivered high-octane racing Saturday night during Highway 36 Auto & Diesel Night featuring the Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series © Copyright 2025 United States Racing PHOTO COURTESY JIM NELSON/WATERLOO COURIER - Marshalltown’s Uweso Ferasi vies for the ball with Mason City’s Jose Obregon Jr (29) during Tuesday’s Iowa Alliance Conference soccer match in Mason City MASON CITY — Joel Ortiz scored two second-half goals to help the Marshalltown boys’ soccer team rally for a 3-1 victory over Mason City on Tuesday night The Bobcats trailed 1-0 at the intermission before two goals from Ortiz and another for Angel Gomez in the second half Rafael Ortiz assisted on a goal to help Marshalltown (6-4-1) improve to 2-1-0 in the Iowa Alliance Conference’s North Division MHS junior goalkeeper Jonathan Nunez made six saves in net while Mason City’s Trenton Schulze withstood a Bobcat barrage with 11 saves Eliott Ruiz scored on an assist from Noah Ruiz for Mason City (3-5-2 EDDYVILLE — The East Marshall boys’ track and field team took fourth place out of six teams at the Rocket .. INDIANAPOLIS — Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was so excited about Indiana’s improbable overtime rally that he .. LLC | https://www.timesrepublican.com | 135 West Main Street (ABC 6 News) – Mayor Bill Schickel of Mason City announced early on Friday morning that he would not run for reelection in the Fall Mayor Schickel is currently serving his fifth term which will end on December 31st of this year He was recently honored by the city council as Mason City’s longest serving mayor In a social media post explaining his decision Schickel said “My initial thought was to run for reelection But upon further reflection I came to realize that our very talented and deep bench makes it an ideal time for transition with our city staff and among our community partners.” Iowa educators started their day by stand together Teachers from Mason City held a walk-in before work Thursday morning in solidarity with public education workers nationwide a group of speakers included retired teacher and former Iowa Representative Sharon Steckman “I believe your job is right up there with being a parent Public education is known as a great equalizer You can make a kid’s day or you can ruin it,” Steckman said The Mason City Education Association represents teachers and nurses and is undergoing contract negotiations once again (ABC 6 News) – Mason City Police Department says officers responded to a reported fight with possible shots fired in East Park on Thursday night and officers found an adult man at the scene suffering from gunshot wounds the suspect fled the scene along with other involved parties and witnesses Officers recovered a firearm from the scene and say not all involved parties are cooperating with the investigation Those parties were reportedly known to one another and the incident was part of an ongoing feud Anyone with more information regarding the incident should call the Mason City Police Department at 641-421-3636 (ABC 6 News) – The Mason City Fire Department is investigating a house explosion that occurred on Friday night MCFD says it isn’t able to release any other details until the investigation is complete but expects to send out a press release with more information soon (ABC 6 News) — It used to house a menagerie and petting zoo; now just three deer remain The deer enclosure at East Park in Mason City currently houses three white-tailed deer City Parks Supervisor Matt Sberal says they are the last remnants of a privately-owned herd that was essentially donated to the city for exhibition at the enclosure we’re likely looking at the deer population in East Park coming to an end here at some point,” said Sberal Sberal cited rising costs of veterinary care and lack of a proper breeding program for the animals have led to the gradual phasing out of the enclosure Some residents will be sad to see the deer go “We love the deer,” said Waldeland “They put up signs saying ‘Dont Feed The Deer’ but of course “Don’t feed the deer,” said Sberal “We interact with them as little as possible previously convicted in a 1981 Mason City kidnapping rape and attempted murder case and who was granted parole eight years ago has been arrested on a new kidnapping charge after an incident at a Mason City grocery store The Mason City Police Department (MCPD) says they were called to Aldi’s at 520 Village Green Drive shortly after 1 pm Wednesday (04.30) afternoon wearing a disguise and displaying a weapon After obtaining preliminary information from the victim and witnesses a suspect and vehicle were located a short time later in Hancock County 60-year-old Blair Greiman of Garner was arrested and charged with second-degree kidnapping He’s being held without bond in the Cerro Gordo County Jail awaiting his initial court appearance MCPD Chief Jeff Brinkley thanks bystanders and witnesses who assisted the victim and were able to provide information to officers Anyone with additional information about this incident is asked to contact MCPD at 641-421-3636 Greiman was 16 when he attacked an 18-year-old female in the K-Mart parking lot in Mason City in 1981 with a jury convicting him of first-degree kidnapping second-degree sexual abuse and attempted murder but was granted parole in September 2017 after the U.S Supreme Court ruled in 2010 that life sentences without the opportunity for parole for juveniles was unconstitutional A Garner man convicted and sent to prison in a 1981 Mason City kidnapping rape and attempted murder case but later granted parole was arrested Wednesday afternoon following an abduction attempt at the Aldi grocery store in Mason City has been charged with kidnapping in the second degree He is being held in the Cerro Gordo County Jail awaiting an initial court appearance The Mason City Police Department responded to the incident at the store they learned that a male wearing a disguise had attempted to abduct a female while displaying a weapon according to a press release from the police department "Officers obtained preliminary information from the victim and witnesses and put out an attempt-to-locate on the suspect and his vehicle," the press release stated The suspect was taken into custody without incident." The police "would like to recognize the bystanders and witnesses who assisted the victim in this incident as it unfolded and also those who provided information to arriving officers," the press release stated "The quick work by everyone involved helped law enforcement to quickly track down and apprehend the suspect." Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Lieutenant Brett Hollander at the Mason City Police Department at (641) 421-3636 The MCPD was assisted by the Mason City Fire Department the Iowa State Patrol and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Greiman was 16 when he attacked an 18-year-old woman in the Kmart parking lot in Mason City in 1981 A jury convicted him the following year on charges of first-degree kidnapping Supreme Court in 2010 ruled that life without parole was unconstitutional for juveniles found guilty of non-homicide crimes Greiman was granted parole in September 2017 according to the Iowa Department of Corrections website MASON CITY | Former Cerro Gordo County Attorney Richard Tompkins believes a man serving a li… Email notifications are only sent once a day is charged with two counts of assault on persons in certain occupations one count of interference with offi… has been charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor A tracking device placed on a vehicle associated with John Vansice was released on parole in 2017 after being found guilty in a 1981 in a Mason City kidnapping Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Cape Coral City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn has appointed of Mark Mason to the position of assistant city manager Mason joins current Assistant City Manager Connie Barron in this key executive role “Mason brings a wealth of experience to this position having accumulated a decade of service as Cape Coral’s Finance Director,” the city said in a release from its communications office issued Friday morning Mason will assist the city manager in overseeing and enhancing the performance of several critical departments including Human Resources Financial Services City Clerk’s Office and the Cape Coral Charter School System Mason will provide leadership and strategic oversight across these departments and act as City Manager periodically in Ilczyszyn’s absence,” the release states “Mark’s deep understanding of our city’s financial operations and proven leadership make him an ideal candidate for this role,” Ilczyszyn said Friday in the release announcing the appointment “I am confident that his appointment will greatly benefit Cape Coral as we grow and advance.” who has been serving as interim assistant city manager will receive an annual salary of $237,806.40 according to a status change notice signed by Ilczyszyn on April 23 listed under “proposed,” is greater than the position’s midpoint compensation point of $214,011.20 and less than the maximum of $266,489.60 Mason’s current annual salary is $221,665.60 “The addition of a second Assistant City Manager is a strategic move by the City to better manage its growing operations and ensure more focused oversight across various departments,” the release states “As Cape Coral continues to expand and evolve the need for enhanced leadership and streamlined management has become essential to meeting the demands of our rapidly growing community City Council approved this position in the FY24 Budget and Mason has been serving in this role in an interim capacity since then.” Mason’s career spans 25 years in Florida including tenures as the city of Cape Coral’s Financial Services director from 2003 to 2010 and from 2021 to August 2024 His experience includes in-state roles in Sebastian and Tamarac as well as Midland Mason is a Certified Public Accountant with a bachelor’s degree in accounting Copyright © Cape Coral Breeze | Contact | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy (ABC 6 News) — A renovation project for the Mason City Police Department that started in November 2023 is coming to a close MCPD will be holding a grand re-opening for its police station next week work has been done to update the 1978 building to meet current day needs Those in the community are invited to attend the event next Wednesday Mason City Mayor Bill Schickel speaks to voters on his decision not to run for re-election Mason City Mayor Bill Schickel will not seek reelection in the fall Schickel is Mason City’s longest-serving mayor “It is certainly not an easy decision because I love this job and I’m more optimistic about the future of Mason City than I have been in my lifetime,” Schickel said in a social media post “My initial thought was to run for reelection City Council members had high praise for Schickel's leadership this council and mayor have worked well together over the last eight years At-large council member Tom Thoma died in August 2023 Thoma and Schickel had a positive working relationship "Bill Schickel was my first boss when I came to Mason City in 1981 We've served for eight years together in this administration He's got a quality that that really gets us to work together for a common goal There's gonna be a big hole to fill unless we find someone like that." In a video released with his resignation letter Friday Schickel said after careful consideration he has decided it is time to step aside “As many of you know I’ve been at this for a while The Psalm says there’s a season for everything And so at the end of this year this season will come to a close for me,” Schickel said a representative," At-large Council Member Tim Latham said Schickel said there’s still a lot of work to be done to make Mason City the best city of its size in the Midwest Second Ward Council Member Will Symonds agreed "This administration has done a lot with Mayor Schickel at the helm but we've had a strong council and I think we'll continue on a path to better Mason City." "Bill Schickel has been the consummate public servant — no one has loved Mason City more or worked harder to champion its growth His four decades of service have left a lasting impact I’ve been honored to serve alongside him on the councilman and next to him as mayor Third Ward Council Member Josh Masson said “As I said during my State of the City Address in January the best thing each of us can do to make that happen is to look in the mirror and ask ourselves ‘what can I do every day in every way to make this city we love better and better and better,’” the mayor stated none of the members of the City Council have determined whether they will run to fill Mayor Schickel's seat Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter Iowa 2nd Congressional District Republican Rep Ashley Hinson held an in-person town hall in Mason City Thursday It was her first in-person town hall of the new Congress and voters pushed back on several of her positions Hinson reaffirmed her support of many of President Donald Trump’s policies She has been a longtime supporter of the president with Trump having endorsed her campaign for re-election in 2024 She faced loud jeers as she discussed her platform during Trump’s first 100 days “I believe we’re doing everything we’ve been elected to do,” Hinson said She cited big successes in immigration policy parental involvement in education and legislation preventing transgender athletes from competing in women's sports One constituent was concerned about what he saw as the diminishing authority of Congress against the rapid executive orders issued by the Trump administration He feared the Republican congressional majority has been too compliant with the changes from the executive branch “When will you and your Republican colleagues in Congress take back your legislative power to rein in President Trump’s tariff policies?” he asked was concerned that Congress hasn’t been doing enough to protect necessary federal workers “What I see in Congress right now is an absolute war on competence a war on science and a war on truth in order to get power and influence in this economy,” he said “I’ll put my question very simply,” he continued “You obviously care about whether or not we can compete and lead in the world How in the world do you expect us to do that when you come here and repeat lies and support the activities of DOGE in firing people who are competent?” Hinson argued that the federal workforce had swelled to an unmanageable size — and with it "I see that as one of the greatest risks to our ability to be competitive on the world stage One in four of the jobs created over the past few years under President Biden was in government and I think that’s the wrong way to grow our economy." Hinson also reiterated her defense of the Department of Government Efficiency saying that the money saved on government expenditures could be meaningfully redirected toward economic channels “I would much rather see that go to places that are going to incentivize that trade access and market development which are going to make us more competitive,” she said “I think the point of DOGE is to make sure those services are available to Americans long term one Mason City resident who said he had closely followed the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan and Iraq said he didn't see a viable solution to keeping refugees and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) individuals in the country have failed to pass any kind of bipartisan legislation to grant them permanent status We’ve got a million people who want to live here and you haven’t provided any means for that to happen," he said Hinson replied that she had been supportive of several immigration issues including programs for guest workers and skilled labor visas but argued that those programs aren’t a part of the asylum-seeking process in the United States “I’m willing to work on immigration-related issues,” Hinson said we must focus on deporting the people who should not be here We’ve got millions upon millions of illegal immigrants in this country who abuse the asylum process.” Hinson also provided a brief update on the Farm Bill though she didn’t unveil a specific timeline or policy say she felt encouraged by the ongoing bipartisan conversation and support around drafting the new bill a Mason City man was arrested by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office for possession of meth and a stolen firearm was charged with possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine According to the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office investigators executed a search warrant in the 1400 block of North Adams in Mason City where Harris was arrested and methamphetamine and the North Central Iowa Narcotics Task Force Tactical Team assisted at the scene (ABC 6 News) – Organizers say more than 250 protesters gathered in Mason City on Saturday for North Iowa’s rendition of the nationwide “Hands Off!” protests against President Donald J Trump and advisor Elon Musk’s sweeping cuts to federal spending through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Amid chants of “Hands-Off,” protesters responded with programs government services and other things they fear would be targeted for dismantling by DOGE: “Social Security and we have a government that’s trying to destroy it,” said Susan Nelson of Marble Rock Nelson’s handmade sign reads “I started paying into Social Security in 1969 “He has no legal basis for destroying government agencies,” Nelson said “But our own government and our congress isn’t willing to stop them so all that’s left is for the people to stop them “This mass mobilization day is our message to the world that we do not consent to the destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies and protesting to demand a stop the chaos and build an opposition movement against the looting of our country.” The White House has not commented on the global demonstrations (ABC 6 News) – The two center lane of Highway 122 through Mason City are now closed for construction. According to the City of Mason City these closures extend for Maple Drive to east of Indian Avene Officials expect the lanes to re-open again on Wednesday Drivers are encored to take alternate routes until the repair work is completed please proceed with caution and be observant of crews working on site by | Apr 21 The Mason City Police Chief believes a body found this weekend is that of a 19-year-old reported missing by his family on April 4th MCPD was called to a report of a body in the Winnebago River at East Park in Mason City Officers arrived on the scene and worked with the Mason City Fire Department to remove a body from the water Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley said in a statement “While the formal identification and autopsy are yet to be completed the preliminary information points to this being Dominic Garrett’s remains Foul play is not suspected in Garrett’s disappearance.” The body has been sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy RadioIowa is a division of LEARFIELD © Learfield News & Ag, LLC. All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy  | Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information (ABC 6 News) – An Iowa family’s suit against Smithfield Foods moved to federal court last week In March of 2023, Sheila Shipman was performing yard maintenance at Smithfield Foods had used a step ladder Smithfield gave her to help maintain trailers at the meat processing plant Shipman died several days later at Mercy One hospital Her family now claims Smithfield Foods owed Shipman a “duty of care” as the employee of a contractor and had given her an unsafe ladder with no fall hazard training The estate has requested recompense for Shipman’s ambulance and medical treatment “pre-death physical and mental pain and suffering,” and general economic losses a meat processing company with a plant in Mason City Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInMASON CITY, Iowa. (KTTC) – According to a post on the Mason City Police Department’s Facebook page the department is asking for the public’s help in searching for a missing teenager was reported missing by his mother on Friday and was last seen at his home early that morning he was wearing black and red checkered pajama pants police believe Dominic left home on his own If you have any information on Dominic’s whereabouts you are encouraged to contact the Mason City Police Department at 641-421-3636 This story has been returned to its original version after an inaccurate update reported by KTTC Find stories like this and more, in our apps (ABC 6 News ) – Iowa Representative Ashley Hinson got plenty of pushback from the community on Thursday as she heard from North Iowans on issues such as tariffs and immigration and of course we have expansive tariffs on those right now Despite a lot of concern on the tariff topic one member of the community said he was in support of the recent tariffs at the national level “They’ve been unfair against us for a long time and if we don’t do something about it but we’re also renegotiating,” said Mike Lease from Osage And in regards to other topics like immigration and Medicaid he thinks change has been needed for a long time “Now all of a sudden something’s happening It sounds like a double standard to me and people need to just stop and reflect on what it was like when they were young and face reality,” Lease said others mentioned the focus by the government isn’t being put in the right place “The federal government subsidizes Starlink $38 billion that’s with a ‘B.’ Nobody’s looking at those programs and why is that?” said former IA legislator Sharon Steckman Some saying they left the meeting with more questions than answers “Frankly she was like a robot talking just speaking whatever she’s been told to say I don’t think people were satisfied with the answers by the reaction of the audience Around 200-250 people were in attendance on Thursday and those in attendance said they won’t stop showing up until they feel like they are getting their voices heard by | Apr 24 About 150 people attended a town hall meeting at North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City this morning with Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson There were cheers and jeers as the Republican from Marion answered a number of questions She was asked about national security and the flap last month over a group chat on the app involving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and says it’s important to make sure classified information remains secure “It’s my understanding that nothing that was actually classified was communicated in those chats,” Hinson says There were loud jeers from the crowd as she continued “What I do think is important though is that we make sure that we make sure that no classified information is actually being communicated on non-classified channels So that is where Congress’s role is in making sure we’re protecting the integrity,” she says Hinson defended the Department of Government Efficiency cuts to a number of programs due to the country’s 36 trillion dollar debt ten million dollars for male circumcision in Mozambique or 20 million dollars for Arab Sesame Street do you think we should be funding Sesame Street in the Middle East or should we be funding priorities for the American people?,” she asked so I’m focused on making sure we continue to reel in that growth of government we restore as much power to the American people as we can.” Hinson drew more crowd reaction when addressing the immigration situation in the United States “This is the number one issue that I heard about on the campaign trail last cycle from my constituents Securing the border is critical to national security,” she says “We need to start deporting illegal aliens with criminal track records and we need to disincentivize illegal immigration I am so proud that we are at that point where we have record-low border crossings Hinson also addressed questions about the Farm Bill Representative Ashley Hinson of Iowa will hold a town hall in Mason City on Thursday morning Hinson will join the Cerro Gordo County GOP for a forum at North Iowa Area Community College She has served in Iowa’s first and second congressional districts since 2021 ABC 6 News will be at the event on Thursday morning (ABC 6 News) – A North Iowa preschool and daycare provider confirmed Thursday that the Mason City location will close its doors Friday Katie Powell with Little Angel’s Child Care and Preschool said the decision to close was made “unexpectedly” after personal and family issues made it difficult to continue operations A staffer at Little Angel’s Childcare and Preschool said management was working with Mason City client families to find new care providers The Forest City Little Angel’s Childcare center is “expected to run per normal at this time,” Powell said Parents looking to connect with childcare providers following the provider’s closing can do so by clicking here ABC 6 News will update this article as more information is available