NEWTON, Iowa —

After a years-long battle in court between the City of Newton and Chedester Properties, a building damaged in the derecho in August 2020 has been torn down.

The city first filed its lawsuit against Chedester Properties in 2021 to get the company to fix or demolish the building at 209 W. 2nd St. N. It was set to go to trial in 2023 before a settlement was reached between the two parties, with Chedester Properties agreeing to tear the building down and cover the cost.

The settlement required that the building be demolished by February 2024. In May 2025 , Chedester Properties was ordered to pay a $500 fine and have an engineer's report for demolition by July 15.

A request for a status hearing filed by the City of Newton says that, as of Sept. 4, 2025, the building had not

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