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A sampling of my past work

Globe Gazette •

Technology utilized by local law enforcement agencies make policing safer, more efficient

Since 2022 and 2017, the MCPD and sheriff's office have utilized their current body camera and audio recorder systems. Dash cams are also in use in every deputy and police vehicle. While not new to the world of law enforcement in general, the recording devices have proved themselves invaluable to officers and deputies in the field, as well as providing footage for prosecutors to help convict criminals.According to Brinkley, the system helps ensure accuracy in incident reports filed by officers a...
Globe Gazette •

PHOTOS: On the job and behind the scenes of Mason City-based first responders

Photographer Lisa Grouette recently followed along with the Mason City Police Department, Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office and Mason City Fire and Ambulance, and curated a series of photos which highlight a work shift for each respective agency.Cerro Gordo County Deputy Mitch Kruse returns to his vehicle after checking on a driver whose truck had no brake lights.Officer Steve Klemas of the Mason City Police Department tags evidence bags after returning from the scene of an investigation.Alex...
Globe Gazette •

Homeless numbers continue to grow in North Iowa

The Fieldings are sheltering in the apartment building after having hopped from friends' couches to a place on the southeast side where they were about to begin paying rent before it burned down and left them with a few days' vouchers at a local hotel and nothing beyond.Locally, data on the homeless is difficult to come by as it is not tracked by local government, any person or organization, said Cerro Gordo County Auditor Adam Wedmore. As part of the 2020 Census, Wedmore had to supply data abou...
Globe Gazette •

‘Every name has a story.’ Iowa runner honors Osage cancer patients in unique way

Zortman, 47, an avid runner, began coordinating his route to spell the names of people affected by cancer. On Friday, July 24, he made his way across Osage doing just that.After losing his 3-year-old son, Armstrong, to cancer in 2009, Zortman began running in his honor. But in 2017, while looking at his live-tracking outdoor app on his phone, he wondered if the red streaks that highlighted the path of his run could be used to spell out a word or phrase.That year in September, which is Childhood...
Globe Gazette •

‘He had one heck of a heart:’ mourners gather to honor missing Mason City boater

Friend Justin Cooper read a statement from the VanSyoc family near the beginning of the service. “It’s so apparent how many lives Adam has touched,” Cooper read. “Everywhere he went, a new friend was found; he was loved by so many.”“I’m trying to speak to you all, but I just can’t,” she said through tears. “But please know how much we appreciate everything that everyone is doing.”“Everything you guys are doing to help, Adam would be doing for you,” said VanSyoc’s sister Amy. “He had one heck of...
Globe Gazette •

'Know justice, know peace:' Mason City activists take message to streets

Dozens of demonstrators assembled in Central Park late Friday afternoon to take part in the Mason City Coalition for Justice and Equality inaugural March To Make it Stop and Black Joy event.Masks (which were mandatory) and buttons that read "Black Lives Matter" and "Know justice, know peace," a play on words, referring to the popular chant, were seen worn among the attendees, who ranged from toddlers to older adults.Sen. Amanda Regan and a number of the Cerro Gordo County Democrats were on hand...

Fight for your right to park there: North Iowa man challenges citation

Pete Kiroff, of Mason City, received a ticket in August while parked in front of his well-known deli, Pete’s Kitchen, located on Sixth Street Southwest. Kiroff said he parks his truck every day the same way he has for the last 34 years, with the passenger-side wheels up over the short curb that hugs the walkway.The strip of sidewalk in front of Pete’s Kitchen and the adjacent buildings, unlike neighboring structures, has no grassy right of way between it and the curb, making the paved walkway co...
Globe Gazette •

GROUETTE: A lesson learned the hard way

In that column, I also revealed that I had an underlying illness in bipolar 2. At that time, the diagnosis was relatively new — even though I knew I had something wrong for as far back as I can remember — and I still was very leery about talking about it.Because, I myself had often used the term “bipolar” as an insult. Maybe someone was disagreeable or overreacted about something. “Man, that chick’s bipolar.” Maybe someone was just moody that day. “Bipolar.” Angry? “Bipolar.” Basically, for anyo...
Globe Gazette •

At age 97, Mason City Walmart's Miss June hangs up her smock

If you've been shopping in Mason City in the last couple of decades, chances are you've seen her. With snowy white hair and a big-dimpled smile, June Brasser has been a familiar face at Walmart for 22 years.But at age 97, "Miss June" (as her name badge reads) decided that after serving in numerous roles, making friends with hundreds of coworkers and helping thousands of customers, she's ready to clock out and see what retirement has to offer.A reception was held for Miss June on Wednesday, so fr...
Globe Gazette •

GROUETTE: A belated thank you

But my mom was always upfront about our money troubles. She wanted us to learn how far a dollar could be stretched. We got jobs as soon as we were old enough – I was 14. I started paying for my own clothes and shoes. I paid my own school registration and bought my school pictures. Paid for my own gas and car insurance. We were well-prepared to move into adulthood.Many Christmastime charity platforms are designed so the kids are none-the-wiser. They can open their gifts with no suspicions their p...
Globe Gazette •

PHOTOS: #BlackLivesMatter protest in Mason City in 2020

A peaceful #BlackLivesMatter protest was held along North Washington Avenue Sunday night, in the wake of numerous high-profile killings of black people, notably George Floyd, who was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis on Memorial Day. Police were on the scene for several minutes to issue a traffic ticket to a driver who squealed his tires in support of the protesters. During that time, an officer approached the crowd and a loud but measured conversation took place, but was finished with ou...
Globe Gazette •

Without his 'angels,' Mason City man's YMCA workout would've been deadly

Hanson, of Mason City, works out frequently at the Y, under the guidance of his personal trainer, Health and Wellness Director Jeremy Nicholson. Shortly before 9 a.m. on Feb. 11, Hanson had just finished a warmup on the elliptical when Nicholson saw him collapse.“AEDs are so easy to use; they basically tell you what to do,” Nicholson said. “We placed the paddles on Gary’s chest, it said ‘No pulse detected. Shock recommended.’ So Shelly shocked him once, his pulse came back, and I began chest com...
Globe Gazette •

GROUETTE: Globe awards reflect small but mighty newsroom

That doesn't mean, though, that we don't still pour our blood, sweat and tears into our work. We do. Every day. And every day, in between the phone calls and interviews and research and planning, we also get the typically not-so-fun task of combing through hate mail and nasty Facebook comments.Some of the criticism is harsh (sometimes way harsh...like soul-crushing.) But I know the truth is that most of our readers probably don't know how newsrooms really function or what all we really do in a d...
Globe Gazette •

Iowa Caucus: Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg tours downtown Mason City businesses, project sites

Presidential candidate Mayor Pete Buttigieg, affectionately known as Mayor Pete, showed great interest in the development projects of downtown Mason City, on Saturday afternoon, offering insight as to how he, as president, might solve problems plaguing Midwest cities.During the tour of small businesses, the mayor made stops at Market 124, Historic Park Inn, the future site of the Southbridge Mall ice arena, Willow Creek, wrapping up at Fat Hill Brewing.Katie Wold, owner of Market 124, showed May...