On Tuesday, July 18, approximately 70 Kiwanians from Clay, Dickinson, Emmet and Palo Alto counties gathered at the Milford Community Center to meet, enjoy a light evening meal and assemble personal care backpacks. An estimated 400 individual backpacks were filled with personal hygiene items such as soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, wash cloths and towels.

The Spencer Chamber of Commerce Board is seeking nominations for one upcoming seat opening on the board. The initial term would be Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2026. Board members can serve up to two, three-year terms. The chamber is a 501(c)(6) organization.

The Spencer Retail Kickstarter Committee is pleased to be assisting Mr. B’s Flooring with a loan for business expansion.

Jason and Tammy Brown, owners of Mr. B’s Flooring, said in a statement, “We would like to thank the Spencer Retail Kickstarter Committee for allowing us to be part of the nine businesses that they have assisted to date. …”

Annette Duffy lost both of Alzheimer’s, and the experience is reflected in a few scenes presented in “When Jack Came Back,” a new feature film which was shot over three weeks in Des Moines, Waukee and the Iowa Falls area last year.

For 70 years, the Boys Town nonprofit has offered its youth an annual summer camp opportunity at Camp Okoboji. As the camp’s 70th season started wrapping up, campers and their families celebrated last Saturday with the annual Blue Water Bash Fundraiser.

BOOKED INTO CLAY COUNT JAIL

Clay County Sheriff’s deputies attempted to initiate a traffic stop on Michael Daniels, 48, of Dickens, in the 2200 mile of 320th Street at 12:10 a.m., July 22. Daniels allegedly failed to stop his vehicle for deputies, and a pursuit ensued.

Spencer Hospital is moving forward with two budgeted projects for the 2024 fiscal year. The addition of a second behavioral health security room, as well as some roofing repair, received approval from the Spencer Hospital board of trustees on Thursday. Both projects will cost approximately $125,000 each.

Jen Dau, vice president of nursing, requested an additional behavioral health security room so the hospital could treat more at-risk patients.

As part of the Clay County Jail’s updated surveillance system, 12 additional fisheye cameras will be purchased. The cameras will cost $750 each and will be installed by Alpha Wireless.

The purchase was approved by the Clay County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. The board had discussed and reached a consensus to approve the additional purchase at its July 11 meeting after learning 12 of the jail’s cameras couldn’t be switched over to the new surveillance system.

Spencer IowaWORKS office held an open house Thursday to celebrate its rebranding. The local office has joined Iowa Plains Local Workforce Development Area to provide greater access.

The Farmers Bank Stage will feature six different acts at the 2023 Clay County Fair, powered by SMU, Sept. 9-17, just a portion of the $180,000 in free entertainment that will be offered to fairgoers every day at the fair.

“There is a little bit of something for everyone at the Farmers Bank Stage,” fair manager Jerome Hertel said. “The tent is in the southwest corner of the fairgrounds and is always a great source of free entertainment at the fair.”

Bustling sidewalks downtown and seasonally warm temps marked the first of three Crazy Days in Spencer Thursday. The celebration of late summer deals will continue during business hours through Saturday.

“Like so many things in Spencer, Crazy Days has a long and rich history and it's become a tradition for many families,” said Nancy Naeve, Spencer Main Street director. “We love that the city affords us the opportunity to use the sidewalks for sales for three days.”

Experienced and aspiring birders joined birding workshops at Oneota Park Wednesday, hosted by the Clay County Conservation. Kelly McKay from BioEco Research and Monitoring Center taught participants to distinguish different birds and led several hikes to find them in their natural habitat.

The Building Better Birder workshop was possible because of a grant provided by the Resource Enhancement and Protection-Conservation Education Program (REAP-CEP).

On July 16, Rev. Dr. Barrie Tritle presented the Spencer Sparks and Meadow Busy Bees 4-H clubs with a check for $1,000 from the Grace United Methodist Church Foundation. The 4-H Clubs have been working all year on their Citizenship Project, Backpacks 4 Kids. The club is providing 63 supplied backpacks and 63 earphones/earbuds for students from Preschool to eighth grade. (Photo submitted)

The Spencer Community School District and the Spencer Chamber executive director and board announced the appointment of Kelly Kuehler as the new Work Based Learning coordinator. Born and raised in Spencer, Kuehler reportedly brings a deep understanding of the community and a passion for fostering connections between education and local businesses.