Preliminary Cause of Granville House Fire
A preliminary cause of Monday’s deadly house fire in Granville has been released by local fire officials.
Preliminary findings by the Granville Fire Chief indicate an accidental electrical fire in the living room area of the home. The cause of the fire still remains under investigation in conjunction with the Iowa State Fire Marshal.
The fire broke out early Monday morning at a house two and a half miles outside of Granville. Three teenagers were killed in the fire, while a fourth remains in critical condition in a burn unit in Minnesota.
Several Northwest Iowa communities and businesses have organized fundraisers for those affected, while MOC-Floyd Valley High School has made counselors available for students and staff.
++++++++++
Saturday Le Mars Farmer’s Market
Saturday morning means another Le Mars Farmer’s Market at the Olson Cultural Events Center in downtown Le Mars. Hours tomorrow will be from 9 a.m. till noon.
The final Farmer’s Market of the season will take place September 27th and will feature a “Touch-A-Truck” attraction presented by Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative. This will be held in the Olson Events Center parking lot, behind the stage, in conjunction with the Farmer’s Market.
The event on the 27th will feature emergency vehicles, a garbage truck, a school bus, utility service trucks, a semi-truck bobtail, and more. There will also be live music, food trucks, and kids’ tattoos will be offered.
++++++++++
Youth Fishing Derby
Registration for the 4th annual Youth Fishing Derby hosted by Beginner’s Luck Tackle and Supply ends tomorrow. The derby itself will be held next week (Saturday, September 13th) at the Hillview Recreation Area in Hinton.
The event is free to participate in, and is open to kids aged 3 to 15. Prizes will be awarded for the largest catches of the day, and food will be provided after the derby.
Beginner’s Luck owner David Skou told KLEM that his goal is to give kids a love for fishing.
Registration for the derby ends this Saturday; you can enter by calling 712-540-1825 or by visiting Beginner’s Luck’s location in Le Mars. If you’re interested in volunteering for the event, contact Beginner’s Luck.
++++++++++
Grand Meadow Heritage Festival
There’s a full weekend of family fun at this year’s Grand Meadow Heritage Festival. The annual event takes place Saturday and Sunday (September 6th and 7th) near Washta.
Bethany Grell says the festival blends living history with everything great we have today.
Grell says the food is all homemade including their “world famous” banana bread.
She explains the tractor-made ice cream is a delicious attraction.
Go to GrandMeadowHeritage.com for more information.
+++++++++++
Northwest Iowa Community College Records Largest Fall Enrollment Ever
Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon has recorded their largest fall semester enrollment in the school’s history. 2,009 students will take classes this fall, a 5% increase from enrollment from 2024, and a 25% increase from 10 years ago in 2015.
In a press release, Kristin Kollbaum, Director of Marketing & Communications at NCC, stated that the college was “grateful to see our fall enrollment reach new heights again this year,” and that it shows students and families “trust NCC to deliver on our promise of quality, affordable, hands-on education”.
NCC has been recognized as one of the top 20 community colleges in the nation by the Aspen Prize, and its graduation rate of 56.2% is higher than both the state and national average.
++++++++++
Yard Waste Pickup Moved
A reminder from Van’s Sanitation that yard waste pickup has been moved from Friday morning to Saturday morning this week, due to the Labor Day holiday.
Van’s Sanitation asks that totes and bags are out by 5:00am Saturday morning. Regularly-scheduled service will resume next week.
