Former West Marshall SRO charged with failure to report abuse

September 12, 2026

A former School Resource Officer (SRO) with the West Marshall School District is facing a simple misdemeanor charge of failure to report child abuse over allegations that ultimately resulted in the school board terminating their SRO contract with the State Center Police Department earlier this year. A criminal complaint was filed against Joel Dennis Westendorf, 58, of Maxwell, on Sept. 3, and Westendorf, who is no longer employed with the SCPD, made a court appearance and pleaded not guilty the following day. A pretrial conference is scheduled for Oct. 7 at 9:30 a.m. According to the ...

Clean Energy group calls for more public scrutiny of data center energy costs

September 12, 2026

A clean energy group is calling on the Iowa Utilities Commission and policymakers to ensure utility companies don’t use data center energy demands to build new facilities and pass the costs on to ratepayers. Iowa Business for Clean Energy, in a news release Thursday, said Alliant Energy ...

McCready, White crowned BCLUW Homecoming Royalty

September 12, 2026

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO King Patrick McCready, left, and Queen Ceanna White, right, were crowned the 2026 BCLUW Homecoming Royalty during a homecoming ceremony at the high school gym on Thursday night. The Comets took on Lake Mills in their homecoming football game on Friday.

Building on the foundation

September 11, 2026

As Marshalltown Community College (MCC) prepares to turn 100 years old in 2027, its leaders are reflecting on the institution’s storied past while simultaneously looking toward its next century. On Thursday morning, they celebrated a key investment in the college’s future by breaking ...

Competition, auxiliary gyms at Miller get new floors this year

September 11, 2026

Progress continues on the Reimagine Miller project, and some details were approved on the finalization of Franklin Field. At the Tuesday meeting of the Marshalltown School Board, members were updated on the large construction project at Miller Middle School. There will be a lot of activity ...

9/11 overshadows other major events of the past 25 years for many Americans, new poll finds

September 11, 2026

WASHINGTON — Twenty-five years later, the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, are still remembered as among the most important historic events in many Americans’ lives, according to a new poll. A new Ipsos poll finds that about half of U.S. adults name the 9/11 attacks in an open-ended question ...