Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
RPL hosts Easter ceramics painting event: Royal Public Library hosted a festive and fun ceramics painting event last Friday evening at the Royal Community Center. The space was filled with children and adults alike painting Easter-themed ceramics, ranging from Easter baskets, eggs, bunnies and crosses to lawn gnomes and more. Ceramics were provided by D&L Ceramics, of Everly. The event was a fundraiser for the library and will go towards future library-sponsored events and improvements.
Everly library wins paint grant
Diamond Vogel and Keep Iowa Beautiful announced the grant awards for the 2022 Paint Iowa Beautiful program. The program provides free paint to a wide variety of public service projects throughout Iowa.
One hundred fourty-five community projects in Iowa were awarded grants. Included among them was the Everly Public Library for a project in the front area and middle-teen section. Jeannett Palmer submitted the application
"Over the years, the Paint Iowa Beautiful program has awarded paint grants to projects in every county in Iowa," Executive Director of Keep Iowa Beautiful Kevin Techau said in a news release. "The program provides the paint for beautification and clean-up projects that improve the economic vitality and cultural climate of Iowa communities in every corner of Iowa."
In the 19-year partnership with Keep Iowa Beautiful, Diamond Vogel has awarded over 12,564 gallons of paint for 1,286 community projects in Iowa.
Residential tree distribution events offered
Iowa residents and Alliant Energy customers can purchase landscaping trees for their homes at deep discounts this spring.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is once again collaborating with local nurseries and organizations to provide a mixture of hardwoods, low-growing ornamental and evergreen tree species. Regionally, trees can be picked up on Thursday, May 5 in Storm Lake.
The DNR will offer discounted trees through its Residential Tree Program in Council Bluffs on Saturday, May 21. Any Iowa resident can purchase up to two trees per planting address at $25 per tree, plus a small credit card processing fee.
Alliant Energy's One Million Trees initiative helps plant more than one million trees – one tree for each utility customer – by the end of 2030. Alliant Energy customers can participate and purchase up to two trees per planting address at $25 per tree.
NWI fishing report
The walleye season for the Iowa Great Lake chain is currently closed. The season opens back up May 7. Area lakes are almost entirely ice free allowing for open water fishing, although no courtesy docks are yet in place.
East Okoboji Lake: The majority of the lake is now open and free of ice.
Black crappie, fair. Bluegill, fair. Try jigging with tube jigs or a tungsten jig and live bait. Yellow bass, good. With a little movement on the basin you should be able to get on a decent bite as well as catch a few other species while your at it.
Lost Island Lake: The lake is mostly free of ice.
Yellow perch, fair. Lots of sorting may be needed.
Minnewashta Lake: The majority of the lake is now open and free of ice. Black crappie, fair. A nice crappie bite can be found with a little bit of movement around the lake. Bluegill, fair. Try jigging with tube jigs or a tungsten jig and live bait. Pumpkinseed, fair.
Silver Lake (Dickinson): The majority of the lake is now open and free of ice.
Walleye, fair.
Spirit Lake: The lake is almost entirely free of ice.
Black crappie, fair. Are mostly being caught along with the perch. Try tube jigs with wigglers or pilkies. Bluegill, fair. Are mostly being caught along with the perch. Try tube jigs with wigglers or pilkies. Walleye, slow. Season is currently closed till May 7. Yellow perch, fair.
West Okoboji Lake: There are large portions that are now open and free of ice, but there is still a lot of thin coverage.
Black crappie, fair. Try jigging with tube jigs or a tungsten jig and live bait. Bluegill, fair. Many anglers have been successful off Triboji on the north end of the lake. Try jigging with tube jigs or a tungsten jig and live bait.
Megan Ten Kley accepted at Iowa Lakes
Megan Ten Kley, daughter of Shane and Heather Ten Kley, of Hartley, has been accepted into the Early Childhood Education program at Iowa Lakes Community College, on the Emmetsburg campus, for the Fall 2022 semester. She is a senior at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School.
The Early Childhood Education program includes options to obtain a two-year Early Childhood Education Associate in Applied Science degree or a two-term diploma in the Early Childhood Education program.
With hands-on field experiences coupled with courses in child growth and development, curriculum planning, childhood guidance, awareness of current education issues and child health, safety and nutrition, students develop the special skills needed to pursue a career working with young children.
Board member to discuss resource management
Join the O'Brien County Conservation Board for Conversations with Conservation on Thursday, April 7 at 5:30 p.m. This adult-focused series will be held at the Prairie Heritage Center.
Conversations with Conservation will focus on learning about a different topic each month with a guest speaker who is passionate and knowledgeable about their topic. April's speaker will be Conservation Board Director Travis Scott. He will discuss natural resource management and the history of conservation in the state of Iowa.
The presentation will begin shortly after 5:30 p.m. O'Brien County Conservation hopes that this series will help you fuel connections with others interested in learning and having great conversations about the world around us.
To see the upcoming schedule for Conversations with Conservation, visit http://www.prairieheritagecenter.org. The program series will be held at the Prairie Heritage Center on the first Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m., unless noted differently. For questions or more information about Conversations with Conservation please contact (712) 295-7200.
