(Estherville)--The annual Emmet County Relay for Life to raise money for the American Cancer Society will be held this Friday evening from 5 to 9 pm at the Regional Wellness Center in Estherville. Becky Olk with the Relay for Life Committee says this will be the 3rd year the event has been held indoors.

The evening will start with a community meal at 5pm featuring pulled pork sandwich, chips, baked beans, coleslaw and a bottle of water for $10. She says the opening ceremony begins at 5:30.

There will also be recognition of this year’s honorary cancer survivors: Lee Evans, Conner Haukos, and Chase Cummins.  The luminary lighting ceremony will be held at 6pm. Luminaries can be purchased during the relay. A closing ceremony will be held around 9 pm. Olk says everyone is invited to attend the relay.

Olk says there will also be a golf tournament on Saturday at the Hillcrest in Graettinger.

Emmet County Relay for Life has raised more than $2 million since it began in 1997. The funds are used for cancer research, early detection, prevention programs, patient services and advocacy. Again to register for the golf tournament contact Becky Olk at 712-209-1910.

(Spencer)--The 2026 Clay County Fair, powered by SMU, has announced the lineup of free entertainment at the Farmers Bank Stage.

September 12^th-14th will feature Parker William, a comedy mentalist and magician known for blending sharp humor and audience interaction and the country music and comedy duo of Minnesota based Poppa Bear Norton.

September 15^th-17^th will feature the storytelling of Jack Gladstone, known as “Montana’s Troubadour,” and the iPolka Band.

The final weekend of the fair, September 18^th -20th will feature Duelly Noted, a high-energy all-female dueling pianos act and Uncle Muskrat, a five-piece string band playing traditional American roots music.

Each act will perform multiple times daily during their scheduled dates. Official show times will be available in the Clay County Fair Daily Guides, which will be released later in August. For more information, visit claycountyfair.com.

?

(Okoboji)--The Dickinson County Nature Center will host the next Kenue Coffee Hour at Maser Monarch Lodge on June 4th at 10:30 a.m.

The featured speaker is John Wenck, Water Trails Coordinator with the Iowa DNR, who will present about details and future plans of the Little Sioux Water Trail.

Kenue Coffee Hour is an adult program held monthly with a speaker who presents about conservation or nature-related topics. The event offers a friendly, inviting atmosphere with complimentary coffee and conversation with neighboring nature enthusiasts. No registration is required to attend.

(Spirit Lake)--An Ames woman is facing multiple charges after a traffic stop Monday night in Spirit Lake.

The Spirit Lake Police Department says shortly before 11 am, 32-year-old Sirena Lindsay was stopped at the intersection of Highways 9 and 71 and was cited for illegal use of an electronic communications device, failure to obey a traffic control device, failure to provide proof of financial liability, improper registration plate lamp and improper lane change.

Police say further investigation turned up less than a gram of cocaine. As she was being arrested Lindsay allegedly kicked an officer in the shoulder and the stomach. She was additionally charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance-1st offense; and interference with official acts and two counts of assault on persons in certain occupations.

Lindsay was booked into the Dickinson County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

(Estherville)--The Superintendent of Estherville Lincoln Central Schools is wrapping-up his first year on the job. Andy Armstead says one of the biggest accomplishments during his first year has been the implementation of a new literacy program.

Armstead details some of the benefits of the program.

He says changes are also being made to the ELL program.

Armstead says a new assistant principal position has been created for the elementary school.

Armstead made his comments on the ELC Superintendent Spotlight program which can be heard every Saturday at 8:45 am on KILR FM 95.9.

(Jackson, MN)--Federated Rural Electric in Jackson recently presented donations totaling $30,000 to the four main food shelves in Jackson and Martin counties. The four food shelves are located at Heron Lake, Lakefield, Jackson and Heaven’s Table in Fairmont/Sherburn.

Federated took advantage of matching funds from two organizations to triple the impact. General Manager Scott Reimer says Federated donated $5,000 per county and then secured matching funds from CoBank’s Sharing Success Program and Basin Electric Cooperative.

CoBank provides Federated with long-term financing for line construction and fiber projects, while Basin Electric is a wholesale power provider for Federated. Federated’s tripled donation was split among Jackson and Martin counties.

Since Heaven’s Table serves all of Martin County, they received half of the donation, or, $15,000. The three Jackson County food shelves in Heron Lake, Lakefield and Jackson divided the other half, receiving $5,000 each.

(Estherville)--Emmet County Conservation and the Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Club will be hosting a Youth Free Fishing Day on Saturday, June 6^th at Jordet’s Pond near Wallingford. KILR Outdoors Expert Steve Weisman says the event will be held from 10 am to 1 pm.

A free meal will be served from noon to 1 pm. No fishing license is required. Weisman says the event is for kids in K-12^th grade.

He says there will be fishing lessons for the kids.

Jordet’s Pond is located at 3971 240^th St.  Again, you can register online by going to emmetcountyparks.com/events. A link can also be found on the Emmet County Conservation Facebook page.

(Wallingford)--The 3rd annual Founders Day celebration will be held on Saturday, June 6^th at the Brugjeld Peterson Point Historic Farmstead near Wallingford from 11 am to 4 pm. Stacie Berg-Nelson, President of the Peterson Point Preservation Foundation, says the day is a celebration of Pioneer Heritage and Norwegian roots.

Berg-Nelson says some new events have been added for this year’s celebration.

She provides more details about the musical entertainment.

A pork patty sandwich meal will be available for $7. Admission is free. Free will donations will be accepted to help with the upkeep of the farm.

(Estherville)--The Estherville Fire Department was requested by the Jackson Fire Department Monday to assist in the search for an 11-year-old child who wandered off near the Des Moines River.

According to a Facebook post, Estherville firefighters deployed their boat and UTV at Neppl’s bridge to search the West Bank of the river.

Aerial support was also provided to aid the search and rescue efforts.

The child was found safe and sound next to the road approximately an hour into the search.

(Estherville)--A suspect is in custody after a large law enforcement presence Monday morning at Ft. Defiance State Park.

According to a preliminary news release, the Emmet County Sheriff’s Office along with several assisting agencies had a large presence in Fort Defiance State Park as part of an investigation. Out of an abundance of caution, an exterior perimeter was set up around and just to the north of the park.

Law enforcement was able to deploy boots on the ground, with assistance from police K9’s and drones. During the search, the suspect was located and taken into custody without incident. The Emmet County Sheriff’s Office says the incident remains under investigation and there is no safety threat to the public.

Additional details will be released in the coming days.

(Estherville)--Memorial Day ceremonies were held around the area on Monday. In Estherville, a community service and flag dedication ceremony was held at the Army National Guard Readiness Center. The invocation and benediction was given by Pastor Jeff Griffith.

The ceremony also included readings by three recent high school graduates. One of them was Caden Hoffman.

The Master of Ceremonies for the service was Perry Russell, US Navy Retired. The ceremony also included patriotic music by the Estherville Lincoln Central Band and Choir and a presentation to the families of the seven newly departed veterans. The service concluded with a 21 gun salute and the playing of taps. Prior to the community service, American Legion Post 91, Estherville VFW and VFW Auxiliary and the Iowa Army National Guard held services at local cemeteries and the Central Avenue Bridge.

(Spencer)--A Spencer first responder, who helped a mother deliver her baby on the side of a road, is being recognized for her heroics.

The Spencer Hospital Ambulance team, Spencer Police Department and Clay County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday surprised City of Spencer dispatcher Andrea Ring with a “Stork Pin,” an award often given in EMS to someone who helps with childbirth emergencies.

In March, emergency responders from Spencer Hospital, Dickens Fire & Rescue, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a patient in active labor along Highway 18 near Dickens. Before crews arrived, the mother delivered her baby along the side of the highway while dispatcher Andrea Ring calmly guided and supported the family over the phone. According to Dispatch Supervisor Mel Peterson they have no instructions for handling emergency childbirths, it was all Andrea who has birthed five children of her own.

Mom and baby were safely transported to Spencer Hospital, where they were welcomed by Birth Center staff.

(Milford)--Iowa Lakeside Laboratory is seeking volunteers for its annual water monitoring program known as CLAMP. Environmental Lab Analyst Megan Vigdal says CLAMP stands for Cooperative Lakes Area Monitoring Program.

Vigdal says 10 lakes in Dickinson County are included in the program. She explains how the test results are used.

She says there are only a few requirements to become a volunteer

The training sessions will be held on Tuesday, May 26th at 10 am and Thursday, May 28^th at 6 pm at the Mahan(Man) Hall building at Iowa Lakeside Lab. For more information or to volunteer, send an email to: megan-vigdal@uiowa.edu.

(Spirit Lake)--The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is reminding boaters and anglers this Memorial Day weekend to protect Iowa lakes and rivers from aquatic invasive species or AIS. Andrew Carlson a fisheries biologist with the Iowa DNR Office in Spirit Lake, outlines three ways to prevent the spread of AIS.

Carlson says the introduction of zebra mussels and Eurasian watermilfoil can have a significant negative impact on people’s ability to enjoy the lakes.

It is illegal to possess or transport prohibited aquatic invasive species, transport any aquatic plants on water-related equipment, and transport boats with drain plugs intact in Iowa. It is also illegal to introduce any live fish, except for hooked bait, into public waters.

(Des Moines)--Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has issued a disaster proclamation for two more area counties impacted by last weekend’s severe weather. The counties are Clay and Kossuth. Disaster proclamations were issued Wednesday for Emmet and Palo Alto counties.

Reynolds’ proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe weather and activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program and the Disaster Case Advocacy Program for those counties. The proclamation is effective immediately and will remain in effect for 30 days unless terminated or extended.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants up to $7,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of personal property or food, and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery.

The Disaster Case Advocacy Program addresses serious needs related to disaster-related hardship, injury, or adverse conditions. Disaster case advocates work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice, and referrals to obtain a service or resource. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program; it closes 180 days from the date of the governor's proclamation.

The Disaster Assistance Request Form and instructions can be found on the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management website.

(Armstrong)--A Memorial Day program in Armstrong will begin at 9 am Monday in the Armstrong Community Center.

David Grussing will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Glenn Henrickson will lead the music, Cub Scout Pack 159 will speak on Folds of the Flag and Brayden Brown will be reading his essay.

A service at the cemetery will follow to honor deceased veterans with Phil Henricksen playing taps.

The Armstrong Heritage Museum will be open from 8 to 11 that morning serving coffee and donuts.

(Graettinger)--As we reported yesterday, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has issued a disaster declaration for Palo Alto County in response to the severe weather that occurred this past weekend. Reynolds’ proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program and the Disaster Case Advocacy Program for those counties

To provide direct support, Palo Alto County has established a Disaster Assistance Center in Graettinger where residents can meet with advocates and apply for grants in person. The center will be open from 11 am to 7 pm on Wednesday, May 27^th at Graettinger City Hall, located at 106 South Cedar Ave.

Residents are encouraged to bring identification, proof of income (for grant applications), and any original receipts for storm-related expenses to expedite the process.

(Armstrong)--The North Union School Board is exploring the possibility of building a larger gymnasium at the High School in Armstrong. North Union-North Kossuth Superintendent Travis Schueller says the school board earlier this week approved an agreement with Site Logic to develop preliminary plans for the project.

Schuller says a portion of the project would be funded through a bond referendum.

He says the current gymnasium has limited seating capacity.

Schueller made his comments on the North Union Spotlight program which can be heard every Thursday at 5:45 pm on KILR FM 95.9.

(KILR)— The Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial beginning to Iowa’s boating season. In an interview with KILR News, Susan Stocker, boating law administrator and education coordinator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, said safety should be the top priority when getting ready to take your boat out on the water.

Stocker says when you’re on the water be on the lookout for tree limbs or other large objects that can damage your boat.

She says it’s a good idea to file a float plan with a friend.

She says drunk boating can be just as dangerous as drunk driving on the road.

Stocker also urges boaters to take a boater safety education course. The top two safety violations in Iowa are having inadequate life jackets and operating too fast and too close to other vessels.

(Des Moines)--Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has issued a disaster declaration for eight counties including Emmet and Palo Alto in response to severe weather that occurred this past weekend.

Reynolds’ proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe weather and activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program and the Disaster Case Advocacy Program for those counties.  The proclamation is effective immediately and will remain in effect for 30 days unless terminated or extended.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants up to $7,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of personal property or food, and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. 

The Disaster Case Advocacy Program addresses serious needs related to disaster-related hardship, injury, or adverse conditions. Disaster case advocates work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice, and referrals to obtain a service or resource. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program; it closes 180 days from the date of the governor's proclamation. The Disaster Assistance Request Form and instructions can be found on the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management website.