×

News

Dysart Lions Club 2025 Christmas lights contest winners

Local News

DYSART – As has become tradition, the Dysart Lions Club sponsored an annual Christmas lights contest. On Dec. 15, 2025, out-of-town judges picked the first, second, and third best displays in Dysart. Judges do the same in the neighboring town of Traer. The first place winner received $50; ...

Traer Nostalgia: Photos from the Traer Historical Museum

Local News

Beginning in January 2026, the Traer Historical Museum will be sharing photos from the past as a regular feature in the North Tama Telegraph. The photos will be selected and captions written by members of the museum’s board. Current board members include Carol Boyce, Brenda Cook, Kim Howard, ...

MercyOne Waterloo welcomes first baby of 2026

Local News

WATERLOO – MercyOne Waterloo Birth Center’s first birth of 2026 was recently announced. “Please join us in congratulating Kimberly, Nathan and family on the arrival of baby Calvin,” MercyOne wrote on social media on Jan. 3. “Calvin was born on January 2, 2026, at 6:49 a.m., marking ...

Over and done in 15

Local News

TOLEDO – The final Tama County Board of Supervisors meeting for 2025 was held on Monday, Dec. 29, and was over and done within a mere 15 minutes. The rocket ship of a meeting started like always with Tama County Engineer Ben Daleske giving his weekly report. He stated they hauled sand to ...

Dysart man stops for coffee, leaves Kwik Star a ‘millionaire’

Local News

DYSART – William “Bill” Zak made what he thought would be a simple stop for coffee and a quick check of his lottery tickets at a gas station in Vinton on the morning of Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, while on his way to a pheasant hunt. He ended up leaving the store $1,000,004 richer. “I ...

Four minutes in the Circle

Local News

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – I had hours remaining before my return flight, and timed tickets were going to be the end of me. I had lucked out with a slot at the Hermitage, the estate of former president Andrew Jackson, that got me in the door right as a downburst of rain stalled over the place ...

Finical serves with Navy Medicine in Virginia

Education

PORTSMOUTH, Va. – Petty Officer 1st Class Cody Finical, a Traer native and North Tama Class of 2013 alumnus, serves with Navy Medicine assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Portsmouth, in Portsmouth, Virginia. The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are ...

Grant Gibbons named new Tama-Grundy publisher

Local News

MARSHALLTOWN — Grant Gibbons has been named the new publisher of The Times-Republican and the Tama-Grundy weekly publications. Gibbons, who has worked in the newspaper industry since 1988, started in his new position Dec. 15, replacing Terry Christensen who retired Nov. 21. He holds a ...