Fort Dodge Watch

05/28/2026

ISG, on behalf of the Fort Dodge Community School District, will again present to the Fort Dodge Board of Adjustment regarding some proposed changes at Fort Dodge Senior High.

This time, the request before the Board is to allow for a public owned and operated building and signage in a residential district.

This is part of an ongoing, voter-approved, large scale project to refresh and enhance many areas at the school. This portion pertains to a multi-purpose building. The proposed building is to house a variety of school activities including athletics support, physical education, and theater uses.

The Board of Adjustment will meet June 2nd, 2026 at 4:30PM in the Council Chambers at the Fort Dodge Municipal Building.

05/28/2026

Chief Steve Hanson
Webster City Police Department
For Immediate Release: May 28, 2026

Ongoing Investigation Arrest – Webster City, Iowa

On Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at approximately 12:11 p.m., an off-duty officer with the Webster City Police Department observed wanted subject Jeffrey Scott Johnson, 42, of Woolstock, Iowa, at the Days Inn in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The officer contacted the Webster County Law Enforcement Center and provided the information.

Local law enforcement agencies responded to the area, and at approximately 2:58 p.m., Johnson was taken into custody without incident on active arrest warrants out of Hamilton County. Johnson was transported to and booked into the Hamilton County Jail on the following charges:
- Pretrial Violation
- Violation of Probation (Count 1)
- Violation of Probation (Count 2)

The Webster City Police Department was assisted at Days Inn by the Fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and Fort Dodge Fire and Rescue.

As part of an ongoing investigation involving four separate incidents occurring between March 2, 2026, and April 12, 2026, Johnson has additionally been charged with the following criminal offenses:
- Kidnapping 1st Degree – Serious Injury (Class A Felony)
- Kidnapping 1st Degree – Intentionally Subject to Torture or Sexual Abuse (Class A Felony)
- 3 counts of Assault Committed by a Person Against Whom a Protective Order is Issued (Class D Felony)
- 2 counts of Domestic Abuse Assault 3rd Degree (Class D Felony)
- Sexual Abuse 1st Degree (Class A Felony)
- Sexual Abuse 3rd Degree (Class C Felony)
- Stalking – Violation of Protective Order (Class C Felony)
- 3 counts of Violation of No Contact Order (Simple Misdemeanor)
- Theft 3rd Degree (Aggravated Misdemeanor)

As with all cases, Johnson is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. He is currently being held in the Hamilton County Jail.

The Webster City Police Department was assisted in the ongoing investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Hamilton County Attorney’s Office, and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.

05/28/2026

Former Iowa chief judge Adria Kester is seeking to prevent the release of records related to her drunk driving arrest, citing privacy concerns.

05/28/2026

The City of Fort Dodge has scheduled a strategic planning workshop for Monday, June 1st 2026 in the Council Chambers in the Municipal Building. The meeting will take place at 4:00PM. As noted on the notice, no formal action would be taken during this time period.

05/28/2026

The Fort Dodge City Council has authorized the issuance of a Notice of Forfeiture related to the real estate installment contract for the sports pavilion property currently under agreement with MandM, LLC.

Because multiple material defaults have occurred under the applicable agreements, the City is now required to use the remedies available to protect the project, the public interest, and all stakeholders.

This action is not an eviction in the traditional landlord-tenant sense. It is a forfeiture process involving terms in the real estate installment contract and governed by Iowa law.

A forfeiture is similar to a cancellation process for a contract sale. The City will formally notify the buyer that it believes the contract has been violated and give the buyer a legal deadline to correct the problems. If the issues are not corrected within that time, the buyer may lose its rights under the agreement, and the property may revert back to the City.

The City appreciates the community’s continued interest in the success of the sports pavilion project. Recent media reports and public announcements suggested that ownership and operational control of the facility had formally changed hands. That is not accurate.

Under the governing development agreements, any transfer of ownership interests, management authority, guarantor obligations, or major operational control requires prior approvals from the City. Those approvals have not been granted.

The City remains committed to the long-term success of the facility and continues to support a compliant, transparent, and sustainable path forward.

Additional information may be released as the legal process moves forward.

05/27/2026

Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for M**h and Co***ne Conspiracy

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05/27/2026

EMS Week Concludes with 2026 Paramedic Pinning Ceremony at ICCC

EMS Week Concludes with 2026 Paramedic Pinning Ceremony

05/27/2026

Webster County is accepting Janitorial Services & Building Services Proposals. The request for proposals and scope of duties, including bidding due date, is available at the link below:

https://www.webstercountyia.gov/news_detail_T10_R156.php

05/27/2026

Here is an update to a story from February: Earlier this month, the City of Fort Dodge took ownership of the Trolley Center in downtown. The building was acquired under Iowa's abandon or unsafe buildings law. Original story in comments below.

05/27/2026

The Fort Dodge City Council will meet tonight for a special meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to review a resolution authorizing the issuance of Notice of Forfeiture of Real Estate Contract to MandM LLC, the entity buying the sports Pavilion located in Corridor Plaza.

According to the resolution, 'the Buyer has failed to perform its obligations under the Contract thereby resulting in 'Events of Default' under the Contract'. The resolution does not outline the exact nature of default.

The meeting is scheduled for 5:00PM at the Council Chambers at the Fort Dodge Municipal Building.