The Clay County Fair is set to host an exciting new program this year — Bacon Buddies.

The new program gives local athletes with learning or developmental challenges a chance to show a pig competitively in the county fair’s swine show ring. Each athlete will be paired with one or two experienced area 4-H youth who will act as their guides and mentors while the athlete shows their pig.

The 4-H building at the Clay County fairgrounds has been a hub of learning, competition and community for area youths over the decades, but the structure started showing its age in recent years.

A leaky roof, dark walls, outdated fixtures and a few loose doors made the building feel like it was on its last legs. That is until the Spencer Sparks 4-H club stepped in to give the space a bit of physical therapy.

The Spencer City Council approved a set of exemptions to city ordinances and building codes to accommodate temporary mobile housing units for residents displaced by the June 22 flood.

Sept. 1, at approximately 3 p.m., Wayne Sorgdrager, 44, of Hartley, was operating a 1996 Honda Shadow motorcycle in the 3100 mile of 330th Avenue near Lost Island. Sorgdrager failed to negotiate the curve while traveling southbound, leaving the roadway and entering the west ditch. During the incident, Sorgdrager’s motorcycle struck the ditch, throwing him from the bike where he landed in the ditch. The motorcycle came to rest just short of his landing location.

Everett Titterington, a native of Milford, who died aboard the USS Oklahoma during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, will be buried at 10:45 a.m., Monday, Sept. 9, in the Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, California.

Titterington was born in Terril in August of 2020 and listed as Milford as home prior to enlisting in Feb. 13, 1939.

SPIRIT LAKE — Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host the third annual Northwest Iowa Parkinson’s Disease Conference on Thursday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Milford. The conference is free to attend, but preregistration is required.

The program is designed to be a day of learning and networking for individuals with Parkinson’s, their care partners, loved ones and anyone with an interest in learning more about the disease.

The Spencer City Council, on Sept. 3, approved a $10,000 match from the Spencer Cares fund to help secure a $20,000 grant from the Clay County Community Foundation to help Spencer residents cover the cost of cleaning up right-of-way areas on their properties following the devastating June 22 flood.

Iowa Lakes Community College is excited to announce the upcoming Stay Active in Learning program will offer two enriching courses designed for lifelong learners on the Spencer campus this fall.

The Vietnam War with Dr. John C. McManus

• Class ID: 7796
• Instructor: Mr. H. Schar
• Dates: Monday, Sept. 16 to Dec. 9
• Time: 9-11:30 a.m.
• Location: Room 108A, Spencer Campus

The Spencer Chamber Ambassadors visited Plaza Mexico on Tuesday to celebrate their grand reopening. After being heavily impacted by the flood, they have worked incredibly hard to get the restaurant back up and running — all new carpet, drywall, kitchen equipment and more. (Photo submitted)

Disaster recovery funds held by the Spencer Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Clay County Community Foundation got a shot in the arm from Community State Bank on Sept. 3.

A Spencer man was due to be arraigned on Sept. 3 on a felony burglary charge for entering an apartment abandoned due to the catastrophic June 22 flood and stealing purses, electronics and women’s underwear.

DES MOINES ― The Wellmark Foundation, a nonprofit created by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, has stepped up to help Iowa school districts recover from unprecedented flooding and violent tornadoes.

EMMETSBURG ― The Northwest Iowa RSVP program has hired Gabrielle Janssen as the new Northwest Iowa RSVP director on the Emmetsburg campus of Iowa Lakes Community College.

"My experiences with service groups like Alpha Phi Omega and PALS Programs built strong skills in volunteer leadership,” Janssen said. “My ability to foster cooperative relationships in diverse environments will help me develop my passion for community building and engaged curiosity.”

The Everly dance sponsored by Dance 4 Fun, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Hap Kettleson Community Center in Everly. The doors are open at 6:15 p.m., the dance is from 7-10:30 p.m. The band will be Prairie Thunder. Put on your dancing shoes and come join for a fun evening of dancing. Feel free to bring snacks to share. Singles and married couples are welcome. (Photo submitted)

BROOKINGS, S.D. ― South Dakota State University Extension is pleased to welcome the public to its fourth annual Specialty Crop Field Day.

This free, family-friendly event will feature a series of presentations and field tours related to small- to mid-scale commercial vegetable production research trials. Field tours will feature SDSU Extension research plots of cucumbers, tomatoes, melons, onions, peppers and broccolini.