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Fatal shooting determined to be in self defense

The July 24 shooting that claimed the life of a Fort Dodge man was determined to be an act of self defense and no criminal charges will be filed, according to the Police Department. Police identified the deceased as Thomas H. Ahrens, 45, of Fort Dodge. He was shot July 24 in the 1300 block of Third Avenue North. The shooting was reported at 1:52 p.m. Police also identified the shooter as Josiah Byram, 31, of Fort Dodge. In a statement issued Wednesday, the Police Department reported that its investigation showed that Byram was “actively retreating from an attack made by Mr. ...

Humboldt County regulates turbines

HUMBOLDT — Humboldt County officials have passed a new ordinance regarding wind turbines, as they sought to strike a balance on where any future turbines could be placed on private land. Bruce Reimers, chairman of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, said the details on county rules ...

Lloyd appointed as County Auditor

Krystal Lloyd was appointed Tuesday by the Webster County Board of Supervisors as the new Webster County auditor and commissioner of elections. “I’m thrilled to start my new role as Webster County auditor,” said Lloyd. “I am happy to make this move to continue to serve the citizens ...

‘It’s taken a beating’

The one room in the Webster County Jail designed to keep people from hurting themselves has been torn open, cracked and beaten to the point that jail staff can no longer trust it. “It’s taken a beating,” said Jail Administrator Mark Gargano. “We’ve struggled to keep people in there safely.” The Webster County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved spending roughly $24,000 to replace the safety padding in the jail's padded cell, after Gargano showed nearly a dozen photographs of split walls, damaged doors, broken cameras and light fixtures, and padding ripped to pieces ...

FD council handles real estate deals

The Fort Dodge City Council on Monday bought a piece of property and sold another one. The council purchased a home at 1518 Fifth Ave. S. from Patrick House for $44,100. The property is next to a couple of lots already owned by the city. Several years ago, the council bought those properties and demolished the buildings on them to create a space that will be offered for redevelopment. The property bought Monday will be added to those lots once the house is demolished. The council sold a property at 1801 First Ave. S. to Gary and Annie Wilson for $3,500. They plan to use it as a ...

Fatal shooting ruled self defense

The July 24 fatal shooting that killed one man in Fort Dodge has been determined to be a case of self defense, according to the Fort Dodge Police Department. Police identified the dead man as Thomas H. Ahrens, 45, of Fort Dodge. According to police, Ahrens attacked a man in the 1300 block of Third Avenue North and the man fired one shot in self defense, striking and killing Ahrens.