From house garden to multiple greenhouses to wedding venue, Jane Hogue and her husband Jack have created an artistic piece of land. 20 years ago the Hogues moved their house garden to what is now known as the Prairie Pedlar north of Odebolt. Jane Hogue says it was not too long after they opened their place to the public that someone wanted a small wedding of 20 out there amongst the gardens. From then, they would have a few every summer, but after her daughter had a big wedding out there, it launched into a wedding venue.
The Odebolt Community Foundation has awarded four Odebolt Revival Grants to the following businesses and groups: Sunrise Coffee - $1,000 (for new business/economic development); Lil’ Wranglers Childcare - $1,000 (for new business/economic development); Odebolt Swimming Pool - $1,000 (for the new pool liner); Odebolt Avenue of Flags - $750 (for flag repair and replacement).
Deb Ulrich has been serving the community with her Chiropractic services for 10 years now. She offers electrical muscle stem, spinal traction, acupuncture, and the activator occasionally. When asked why she decided to get into this profession, she responded,
Wendy Jepsen offers her retail and so much more. Lined around her room, is the rustic decor she has built. She started building 5-6 years ago. Her husband tears down old acreages and barns. She created things from what he tore down. She also does epoxy. Jepsen has been going to fairs and markets with her creations. Her children started making their own line of clothes and got in on the act.
The Ida Grove Rec Center has been up and running for 20 years now, and Rec Center Director Scott Clark is eager to have people participate in all the facility has to offer. Clark highlighted some of the activities offered at the center, including youth events.
The Ida County Fair will be here soon. July 18-23 are the dates. The Open Class Coloring contest picture has been chosen, you can pick it up from the Ida County Extension Office. Coloring pages may be colored with any coloring media. To enter the picture (or any other projects you so choose), come see us at the South end of the Exhibit Hall at the Ida Co. Fairgrounds on July 18 from 4 to 7:15 p.m. You will need to show your season fair pass to enter projects! Projects are released on July 23 at 4:30 pm.
Golden Horizons of Ida Grove is hosting the 2nd Annual Ida County Health Fair on Wednesday, March 8 at the Cobblestone Event Center in Holstein, Iowa. Doors open at 11 a.m. with a free lunch being available from 11:30 to 12:30, sponsored by Denise Van Dusen of Farm Bureau Financial Services.
Starting at noon, three speakers will share information and knowledge on the topics of “Caregiver Burnout”, “Fall Prevention” and “Advance Care Planning.”
Roger Rector, former owner of the Ida County Courier newspaper, tells of growing up living on the Adam’s Ranch near Odebolt. Rector’s grandfather (Ross) and later his father (Bill), were superintendents of the Adam’s Ranch. That means they were in charge of hiring and firing, what crops would be planted on which section, taking care of machinery, and mules and such.
Neil Anders is the Middle School Band director at OABCIG. Anders states passionately,
“For me, it is just seeing how far the kids have come. We recently attended the Festival in Le Mars. The kids did very well. They got second place. When we first started in the year, they could barely get through the warm-ups. Now look at them!”
When you walk through the dwellings of Kidzone Child Care Center in Ida Grove, all you see are little happy faces. Each room is full of kids in their joyous activities of learning and fun. The 2-4 year olds do curriculum learning, then free play inside or outside. When they have to be inside because of weather, they do exercise workouts. Director Sarah Sholty says,
