North Iowa Elementary School welcomed 31 children for the annual Kindergarten Roundup on Thursday, May 7, as the kids had a chance to meet the teachers and get a preview of what school will be like when they enroll this fall. Kids taking part in the morning session for Kindergarten Roundup on Thursday included, in front: Gabriel Burkhow.

Community Chapel in Lakota will host this year’s Answers in Genesis VBS, “Emerald Crossing,” the week of June 1-5. VBS will be held Monday through Friday that week from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. All children coming out of grades K-6 are welcome to attend.

Ava Meinders of Buffalo Center is the local recipient of the Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) Everett Kneece Scholarship. Ava is the daughter of Bruce and Stacie Meinders, and she plans to attend Iowa State University this fall, to pursue a degree in Animal Science.

Registration is open for “Snowball Mountain Challenge,” the summer Vacation Bible School program at Winnebago Lutheran Church. VBS will be held June 1-4, from 9-11:30 a.m., and registration is open now through May 22.

The Avenue of Flags will honor approximately 200 veterans when the flags fly at the Buffalo Center cemeteries this Memorial Day, and more additions welcome.

The Buffalo Center Volunteer Fire Department fired up the grills for their first burger feed of the year on Wednesday, Apr. 29. The firemen served upwards of 300 meals during the drive-thru fundraiser, with proceeds supporting the department. The firemen were joined by family members who helped them serve the to-go meals. (Submitted photo)

The Winnebago County Conservation Board will once again work with NIACC this summer to host Critter Camp, a week-long series of day camps for kids going into grades 1-5. The camps will be held from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at several locations throughout the county June 8-12. The cost of the camps will be $9, and that cost will cover all five days. 

The City of Fertile is proud to announce it has officially joined more than 125 Iowa communities and counties in becoming a designated Home Base Iowa (HBI) Community – a meaningful commitment to honoring and supporting our nation’s veterans and active service members.

The Forest City Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center, alongside the Forest Theatre, hosts the Forest Theatre’s Business After Hours at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 21. The theatre is located at 215 N. Clark St. in Forest City.

The Hanson Nature Center located north of Leland will be open several Saturdays this summer. It will be open on the three holiday weekends, as well as an additional Saturday in August when there will be a program. As always, it is free to visit the center.

The next community blood drive in Lake Mills is scheduled for Thursday, May 21 from 1-6 p.m. at Salem Lutheran Church, located at 401 S. Lake St.

The blood drive will be conducted by LifeServe Blood Center, and anyone interested in donating can make an appointment by visiting lifeservebloodcenter.org or by calling 800-287-4903.

The Forest City Kindergarten class dressed up as farmers and animals for a fun spring concert, “Barnyard Moosical,” last Tuesday, Apr. 28 at the Boman Fine Arts center. The show featured songs like “Pigs Who Clean,” “The Funky Chicken Strut,” and “Goat Cheese Pizza.” (Submitted photo)

Three candidates seeking the Republican Party’s nomination in the June 2 Primary Election will take part in a meet and greet on Monday, May 11 in Lake Mills. US Senate candidate Jim Carlin, Iowa Governor candidate Brad Sherman, and Iowa District 5 Senate candidate Stacy Besch, will be the featured speakers at the meet and greet at the Truman Helgeson Civic Center from 4-6 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

The Forest City Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center alongside Charit-Able Donations Thrift Store will host a ribbon cutting at noon on Tuesday, May 19, to celebrate Charit-Able Donations’ move to a new location. The store is moving to the former Trinity Lutheran Church, located at 145 E. M St. in Forest City.

Hello from Timely Mission! There is still a chill in the air, so we did not get outside this week. We kept busy inside with exercise and activities!

We enjoyed playing Farkle on Monday. The residents helped Ann Larson celebrate her 100th birthday on the 28th. She celebrated again on Saturday from 2-4 with the rest of her family and friends!