February 2026

The Humboldt boys wrestling team had a banner day at the Class 2A district meet in Sergeant Bluff on Saturday, Feb. 14. The Wildcats advanced eight to the state tournament Feb. 19-21 in Des Moines. Humboldt also was runner-up in the team scoring.

State qualifiers include Henry Kramer at 126, Karson Reinhardt at 132, Jonny Hayden at 138, Caleb Vinsand at 144, Jaxson Kirchhoff at 150, Braden Downs at 157, Tate Halverson at 175 and Broedy Hendricks at 190.

State tournament action begins Thursday, Feb. 19, 2 p.m. inside the Casey's Center in Des Moines and wraps up on Saturday, Feb. 21.

See full story in the Humboldt Independent. Subscribe today for print/digital access by selecting the link on this page to get started.

One person was killed and multiple others were injured when an Iowa Lakes Community College baseball charter bus rolled in Calhoun County. The following is a statement released by the Calhoun County Emergency Management Department.

CALHOUN COUNTY — On February 11th, 2026, at approximately 11:06 a.m., the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office received multiple 911 calls reporting a rollover crash involving an Iowa Lakes Community College bus on State

Highway 4 near 220th Street in Calhoun County. An Iowa State Patrol Trooper arrived on scene at approximately 11:09 a.m. Due to the number of individuals involved and the extent of reported injuries, a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) was declared.
Local fire departments, emergency medical services, law enforcement agencies and mutual aid partners responded to the scene.

Gregory G. “Greg” Beekman, 66, of Humboldt, passed away Saturday morning, Feb. 7, 2026, while in hospice care in Fort Dodge.
Gregory was born March 16, 1959 in Storm Lake, the son of Robert and Gloria (Nielsen) Beekman. He grew up on a farm near Pocahontas and helped on the family farm. After graduation he began working for Hy-Capacity in Humboldt. Greg was united in marriage to Cynthia S. Garton on June 16, 1980 in Laurens. The couple made their home in Humboldt where they raised their family. Greg worked for 46 years at Hy-Capacity, retiring in 2025. He especially enjoyed time with his family and grandkids, watching the Iowa Hawkeyes and Hawkeye Girls, bowling, riding his Harley Davidson, trips on the bike with his friends and his bi-annual trips to Las Vegas with his wife.

Jeffrey D. McKibban, 64, of Humboldt, passed away unexpectedly at his home in Humboldt on Thursday evening, Feb. 5, 2026.
Jeffrey Dean McKibban was born July 7, 1961 in Fort Dodge, the son of Paul and Catherine (Malkmus) McKibban. He grew up in Livermore and graduated from Twin Rivers High School in 1980. Jeff enlisted in the United States Army and served in Germany. Following his discharge, he returned to Humboldt where he made his home and raised his children. He was employed for a number of years at Hy-Capacity and joined his current employer, Ag Parts in 2003. Jeff cherished time with his children and grandchildren, was a Vikings fan even when seasons were not going their way, enjoyed selling tractor clutches on E-Bay, his flower gardens, fishing and bowling. He had a knack for fixing things and never met a stranger.