Tom Nelson, longtime chairman of the Spencer Renaissance Initiative Committee, informed members of the funding organization, it would no longer be serving as a funding entity for organizations in the city of Spencer.

Tim Sikora was the winner of the March Bracket contest sponsored by Veteran Roofing and the Spencer Reporter. From left to right: Chad Wuebker, Tim Sikora, Jesse Yeager and Jason Roberts. (Photo by Celia Brocker)

Recreational marijuana is illegal in Iowa and only available for medical purposes under certain circumstances. However, even in states where recreational cannabis is illegal, 4/20 Day is still celebrated by many.

Cannabis companies are directly involved in 4/20 events like The Cannabis Cup or Hippie Hill. It's another opportunity to promote the industry and its products, much like alcohol companies use the Super Bowl or St. Patrick's Day.

CHEROKEE — The Cherokee Symphony will be presenting its “Young Artist Showcase” concert on Sunday, April 30, at 4 p.m., in the upper level of the Cherokee Community Center. This will be the 67th season of the Cherokee symphony. Ted Hallberg, an educator and cellist from Le Mars, will be entering his 10th season as the conductor of the symphony.

The student soloists featured in the final concert of the season will be as follows:

Spencer High School student Gabe Cauthron was recognized as the Rotary Student of the Month for March. Spencer staffer and Spencer Rotarian Elli Wiemers introduced Gabe to her fellow Rotarians, and he shared information about his activities at the high school. (Photo submitted)

Trinity Preschool youngsters ushered in spring with song before parents, grandparents, friends and church members on the night of March 28. The Trinity Preschool Spring Concert featured children in the one, two, three and all day Pre-K classrooms performing music about sharing, the beautiful seasons and God’s love for the whole world. Children and their families celebrated the performance afterwards with a reception of cookies and cupcakes. (Photos submitted)

SPIRIT LAKE — The award winning Spirit of Harmony Chorus will present to their audience a Friends and Family program on Monday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m., at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 2300 27th St., in Spirit Lake, just south of Lakes Regional Healthcare.

SHELDON — RISE Ministries has announced Cory Asbury will be joining an already great lineup for RiseFest 2023.

"We couldn’t be more exçited to have Cory lead worship at RiseFest 2023,” founder and President Rob Roozeboom said. “Cain, Anne Wilson, We The Kingdom, Ben Fuller, Crowder and now Cory. The festival is shaping up to be awesome.”

RiseFest 2023 is scheduled for June 9-10.

The Clay County Board of Supervisors approved the fiscal year 2024 budget and certification of taxes on Tuesday.

County Auditor Ann Baschke reported the countywide levy rate is approximately $9.8 per $1,000 of taxable value. The county levy rates have decreased by 10 cents from fiscal year 2023 levies.

“A decrease of 9 cents is going to be in Debt Service, and the County Assessor will decrease by just one penny,” Baschke said.

Clay County’s portion of what will become a continuous trail running from Spencer through the Iowa Great Lakes Area is anticipated to have a bid letting date of July 18. Engineer Brian Schmidt from Kruse, Cate and Nelson — the engineer for Clay County’s portion of the trail — informed the Clay County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday the earliest the project was expected to be let out for bids was July.

On Tuesday, the Clay County Board of Supervisors proclaimed April to be Child Abuse Prevention Month. The request was made by representatives from Upper Des Moines Opportunity — Jesse Hansen, KIDS Program director and 1st Five Project director, and Teresa Ball, 1st Five Project coordinator.

A tennis court project at Spencer Middle School shared between the city of Spencer and the Spencer Community School District will begin construction this year. The project plans, contract and an agreement between the city and the district was approved by the Spencer City Council on Monday.

City officials received an update on odor control from an egg processing plant owned by Symrise during Monday night’s Spencer City Council meeting. Complaints about the odor coming from the plant in the Industrial Park on the west side of town arose last spring, and this January the city gave Symrise until April 15 to begin eliminating the odor by covering its tank.

Several speed zone changes might be coming to the city of Spencer. The city’s Public Safety Committee made a recommendation to the Spencer City Council on Monday night to alter the speed zones in three different areas.

Police Chief Mark Warburton informed the committee he had been contacted by First English Lutheran Church — located on East 18th Street — about putting in a school zone in the area to protect the church’s students.

The Upper Des Moines Opportunity Inc. Housing Program, in collaboration with the Iowa Balance of State Continuum of Care, will be awarded $1,491,339 over three years.