The past weekend’s first-ever American Cancer Society Relay For Life® of Clarke County raised $22,483 to support the society’s mission of saving lives from cancer.

Clarke County-SCICF board held a grant awards presentation at Expressions by Mosaic May 29 to award nearly $18,000 in grants to local non-profits.

Diego Hurtado, a Clarke fifth-grade student, was informed June 1 that his submission in the annual American Legion, Department of Iowa, Fifth Grade Flag Essay Contest, had taken first place at the state level.

In the past, Clarke County Fair has always held its fashion show and queen contest together, but a few things will be different things this year.

CENTERVILLE — With high water levels at Rathbun Lake this spring, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake has crested and is lowering and that park facilities are open and ready for use.

The public is invited to see “Ceramics Show 2013” at Des Moines Art Center, featuring wheel-thrown and handbuilt pieces by Deb Jushak of Murray and Mary Ellen Kimball of Osceola.

A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to the illegal taking, or “killing,” of a whitetail buck in Clarke County.

Ever wonder about the declaratory-judgment process for Clarke County Reservoir Commission’s (CCRC) Squaw Creek Watershed project?

Changes are coming to Clarke’s middle-school handbook, and students might want to take heed.

The public is invited to the second annual Taylorcraft Fly-in/Drive-in, which is scheduled all day Saturday at Osceola Municipal Airport.

Clarke County Hospital may be getting bigger.

DES MOINES – Iowa State Executive Director for USDA Farm Service Agency John R. Whitaker announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 39 Iowa counties as part of a Presidential Major Disaster Designation. Eligible family farmers with qualifying production and physical losses caused by severe storms, straight-line winds, and flooding from April 17 through April 30 may be eligible for low-interest emergency loans.

Nearly a year ago, Clarke Area Arts Council began planning a chair event, a fundraiser for the organization.

Dan Wardell, popular host of the IPTV KIDS Clubhouse, will travel to 67 local communities this summer as part of the seventh-annual Reading Road Trip.

Kristin Klemesrud, a 2010 graduate of Clarke Community High School, graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Northern Iowa at commencement ceremonies May 11. 

This year’s Clarke senior class celebrated its final day of school on Friday, May 17. Graduation was held 2 p.m. Sunday, May 19, in the high-school gymnasium. 

The piano students of Rachel McCoy gave two recitals on Saturday, May 11.

DES MOINES – Iowa Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers to submit their annual acreage report to their local FSA county office by July 15 to meet FSA program eligibility requirements.

The Relay For Life of Clarke County is scheduled 6 p.m. Friday, June 14, to 6 a.m. Saturday, June 15, at Clarke County High School track in Osceola.

City departments need to be organized efficiently.

Creston's loss is Murray's gain.

Farmers, ranchers and other agricultural producers may begin nominating eligible candidates to serve on local Farm Service Agency county committees, announced Joyce Frost, county executive director for Clarke-Decatur County Farm Service Agency (FSA) office.

During the entire month of June, Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) is offering four weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in the form of patches and gum to Iowa smokers who choose to make a quit attempt using Quitline Iowa. Quitline Iowa offers tobacco cessation coaching services over the telephone or the Internet, 24 hours a day.

The deadline to enroll land into the Farm Service Agency’s general Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) sign up is June 14.

A settlement has been reached.

Join the fight against cancer.

Clarke County Cattemen’s family picnic is scheduled 5 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at the upper level of East Lake Park.

The Southwestern Community College LPN class of 1978 will hold a reunion Saturday July 6, at the Pizza Ranch, 520 Livingston St., in Creston.  Social time will be 10 a.m. to noon with a buffet lunch at noon. The cost is $8.25 per person. 

Clarke Community Elementary students who had perfect attendance for the 2012-13 school year were Montana Morgan, Alexander Garrison, Ashlin Hardy, Ashley Saucedo, Kassandra Saucedo, Nathan Saucedo, Samantha Cowling, Allyson Abbas, Victoria White, Carlos Yanez, Jennifer Felipe-Francisco and Nathan Manternach.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) will provide about $175 million in funding for up to 12.6 million additional acres enrollment this year.

Clarke High School looks into starting soccer program

“Very impressed.”

An Osceola community blood drive is scheduled 1 to 6 p.m. June 7, at The Meeting Place, 1003 N. Main St.

Robert McCann honored for 60 years as American Legion member

There will be a few less familiar faces at Clarke Community School District when the 2013-14 school year starts.

MISSOURI VALLEY — Sixth generation Iowa family farmer Andrew Pittz is visiting all 99 counties to celebrate Iowa agriculture and the highest antioxidant "Superfood" — the aronia berry. The Pittz family reintroduced the then-endangered aronia berry nearly two decades ago at Sawmill Hollow, just down the road from the family's Century Farm.

Clarke County Farm Bureau congratulates Kimberly Eddy for being one of the recipients of the local Clarke County Farm Bureau $250 scholarships.

Does my emergency response plan include ethanol? Am I confident in my knowledge concerning ethanol safety standards? Can I treat ethanol like regular gasoline? What should I do in an ethanol emergency? Why is ethanol safety important?

Matthew Eddy, son of Marlin and Sandy Eddy of rural Osceola, graduated from Clarke Community School District and will be the keynote speaker for the 94th Clarke County Farm Bureau annual meeting, Thursday, June 6. The Clarke County Cattlemen will begin serving their hamburgers at 6 p.m. then Eddy will take the floor.

When it comes to education, $8,000 can go a long way.

Public hearing on changing business district speed limit scheduled June 4

Cross Ministries Thrift Store celebrates fifth anniversary

An outdoor-cooking contest designed to promote Iowa meat is being planned by Clarke County Farm Bureau. Contest chairman Duane Phillips said you don’t have to be an expert chef to participate; you just need to enjoy cooking outdoors with quality Iowa meat.

TRURO — Students at Interstate 35 Community School raised an astonishing $4,046.63 recently to help fund blood-cancer research and provide help and hope to thousands of patients and their families through The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Pennies for Patient’s program. The society would like to thank not only the school, but the community as well for all their support.

MURRAY — While the cause of a house fire in Murray Thursday has yet to be determined, Murray Fire Chief Aaron Brammer said it most likely started in the living room.

Volunteers and those interested in learning about the Osceola Historic Preservation Commission and Intensive Survey and Evaluation of Downtown Osceola met at the Osceola Public Library Tuesday, May 14.

Clarke Middle School is one of more than 200 schools throughout the Midwest that are receiving the innovative technology tools this year through Hy-Vee’s SMART Points promotion, which ran from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30.

Spotlighting the extraordinary relationship between hospitals and the communities they serve, Clarke County Hospital (CCH) celebrated their nurse professionals and had several activities scheduled last week, in honor of National Hospital Week.

Registration is now open for the forthcoming Iowa Senior Olympics, which will be held this summer at various venues around the Des Moines area.

Low Vision Therapy can help those who need it, to overcome daily obstacles.

Joyce Frost, county executive director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency for Clarke-Decatur counties, reminds producers some farm program deadlines are fast approaching. June 3 is the deadline for enrolling in the 2013 Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) Program, and the final date to apply for the 2011 Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE) is June 7. May 31 is the final loan availability date for corn, grain sorghum and soybeans. These are statutory deadlines for all participants in these programs.

Clarke FFA chapter to receive Govenor’s Volunteer Award June 27

Kaitlyn Boyer named Norman Borlaug Scholar, attends Iowa Youth Institute program