By Amanda Greenwood
Publication Date: 2026-10-13 14:58:00
A man was forcibly removed from a heated community meeting in Iowa after confronting officials over plans for a new Microsoft data center, as opposition to the rapid expansion of the facilities continues to grow across the state.
The confrontation took place on Monday at the Woodward-Granger High School auditorium, where residents gathered to hear about Microsoft’s proposal to develop a data center campus in Woodward, a small city northwest of Des Moines.
Troy Bellon, 53, challenged Woodward Mayor Todd Folkerts during the meeting, asking whether residents could vote on the proposal. After Folkerts answered “No,” the exchange escalated, and Bellon was removed following a physical confrontation involving security personnel and Woodward police.
Bellon was not arrested, the Des Moines Register reported.
The clash came as residents expressed concerns about the development’s scale, its potential environmental and quality-of-life impacts, and how the project has been…
