Le Mars City Council Approves Centennial Building Demolition Plans
The Le Mars City Council approved plans to award a contract for the demolition of the Centennial Building during their meeting Tuesday afternoon. The council set yesterday’s meeting as the time for public comment, but no comments were heard. Bidding for the contact will open on October 1st, and will be awarded at the council’s next meeting on October 7th.
Other items on the agenda included the awarding of a contract with Nystrom Electric Co. for new traffic signals downtown, at the price of $1,162,404 for the project, as well as approving the rezoning of the Floyd Valley Apartments.
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Akron Scarecrow Festival Starts Saturday
The Great Akron Scarecrow Festival is celebrating 25 years of scarecrows and family fun. The event is set for Saturday, September 20th at the Akron City Park. LeAnne Philips says the festival is a great way for families to kick off the fall season.
She says kids love the festival.
The annual scarecrow decorating contest is the highlight of the festival.
New for the 2025 event will be BINGO games from 10 a.m. till 1 p.m.. A 50/50 cash raffle will also be held.
The festival is hosted and organized by the 41 members of the Akron Friendship & Service Club with funds donated to projects, programs, and events in Akron and Westfield.
The Great Akron Scarecrow Festival kicks off on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m..
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Le Mars Public Library to Host Holocaust Speaker
The Le Mars Public Library will host a presentation by a local Holocaust speaker as part of the library’s Adult Fall Reading Program tomorrow night.
Hosted by Iowa Holocaust Council member Brad Wilkening, the presentation will give an overview of the Holocaust, with survival stories from victims that Wilkening encountered. Wilkening has presented over forty times this year on the Holocaust, and he says his goals are to educate people, and to inspire individuals to become more compassionate and empathetic members of society.
This presentation will occur tomorrow, September 18th, at 5:30 p.m. in the library’s meeting room. The presentation is free and open to the public, but the library recommends registering online due to space concerns at www.lemars.lib.ia.us.
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Clay County Fair Reports Strong Attendance for 2025
The Clay County Fair wrapped up this past Sunday, ending a nine-day run that drew an estimated 316,000 visitors, fair officials said. That figure isn’t final, but it would represent an increase from 2024’s fair.
Grandstand shows, highlighted by acts like Jeff Dunham and the All-Star Monster Trucks, drew over 15,000 attendees. 457 commercial exhibitors and vendors came to the fair, with 51 new vendors in 2025. 774 4H and FFA exhibitors from Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota showcased livestock and human sciences events, and over 10,000 entries were made in both livestock and non-livestock competitions.
Fair CEO Jason Brockshus said in a statement that it was “always rewarding to see our community and visitors come together to create something truly memorable”.
The countdown to next year’s fair is on, with opening day set for September 12, 2026.
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