EIGHT FOOT OWL SPOTTED IN MASONIC GROVE

Cerro Gordo: Farmers put out a general alert on July 2nd when early in the evening a huge barn owl was seen swooping out of a hilly and forested area to buzz passing motorists. The bird was witnessed snatching up a cuddly Scotty dog and heading back for the trees from which it came. The owner of the dog, Frances Kennedy, suspects that the owl is escaped from captivity. "As it flew away with my little Sandy, I noticed broken belt-like straps dangling from its leg," she tearfully stated to the police. Escaped pet, scientific experiment, or freak of nature, this winged nocturnal giant is being blamed for the recent disappearances of pigs from local farms. The bird of prey is still at large, and parents of children in the area are urged not to let them play out of doors unsupervised.

     If anyone has any further information on the matter, they are encouraged to contact the Masonic Grove Police Department and/or the Cerro Gordo County Animal Shelter. Sighting reports and any photographs would be welcomed by this publication.