Blog

Memento Vivere. Remember, you must live. This phrase was the concept behind Fertile’s new home away from home. The 122-year-old home was transformed into a modern farmhouse for short-term rentals by North Liberty, Iowa residents Matt Wiskus and Tracy McDowell-Wiskus. The couple spends much of their time at...Continue Reading

After roughly two years of updating and construction, Little Angel’s Child Care and Preschool owners Katie and Carl Douglas opened their third location on the northern edge of Forest City in October. “I would encourage anyone who’s been here before to come see it because it’s awesome, night and...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2022 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the Department is investing $981 million to help create new and better market opportunities and expand essential services for rural people, businesses and entrepreneurs in 47 states, Guam and the Virgin Islands. “Rural...Continue Reading

Beth Bilyeu has worked as the executive director for Forest City Economic Development for 20 years and has assisted in dozens of projects. Tell me about your job and what you specifically do for Forest City Economic Development. Bilyeu: I handle economic development for Forest City; that includes...Continue Reading

If you walk into the garage of Jim and Judith Miller of Hanlontown, you will not find a car, lawn mower or anything typically stored in a garage; you will instead see a pottery studio, home of Blue House Pottery, a business the couple has been running for 45 years...Continue Reading

Bison Graphics & Awards in Buffalo Center is “your one-stop print shop,” according to long-time owner Alan Carson, drawing in business within an hour radius. Most of his business lies in commercial printing, from business cards to note pads to catalogs to sales forms and much more. Carson also...Continue Reading

“BrickStreet Theater is a surprisingly good theater,” according to one audience member. This double-edged remark became the motto of Forest City’s community theater that provides local adults and children the opportunity to feed their hunger for performance. The theater produces four shows a year, working nearly year-round. Each summer,...Continue Reading

With no place to store the town’s memorabilia and some locals discarding historical items, Pam Angstman founded the Buffalo Center Historical Society in 2007 to be able to preserve the town’s history. Based at the Heritage Museum located within the Heritage Town Center, the Buffalo Center Historical Society has...Continue Reading

The Worth County Historical Society works to preserve all aspects of life within the county’s history, including farming, school, business, military and much more. The group was formed in 1970, and members stored artifacts in local homes. Now, the society is based in the Worth County Museum in Northwood...Continue Reading

The Winnebago County Historical Society has found innovative ways to dig up the past for all to explore while preserving/presenting artifacts and encouraging community involvement. The society was slowly formed throughout the 1960s as locals began collecting and storing artifacts in a home. When the Mansion Hotel in Forest...Continue Reading

The Grafton Heritage Depot Museum remains a hidden gem of North Iowa, standing firm in its original location by the railroad tracks. While passenger transits stopped running in 1938, the building stayed open until 1974, when the last depot agent left. Motivated by the fact that Grafton was founded...Continue Reading

ADA Enterprises Inc. in Northwood is proof that small-town businesses can succeed and conduct business worldwide, including in Canada, Europe and Saudi Arabia. ADA started in 1974 in Minnesota as an animal flooring manufacturer and later purchased Premier Polysteel to manufacture playground equipment and outdoor furniture in 1998. Finally,...Continue Reading

On June 23, roughly two dozen local interns gathered at the Clear Lake Arts Center to network and discover how to become innovative leaders in the workforce. “Change is going to happen,” said speaker and workplace psychologist Celina Peerman. “Being change ready is a choice.” The night started...Continue Reading

By Kaylee Schuermann, Winn-Worth Betco Marketing Director Thompson welcomed a new mayor, Mike Hauan, last November who is looking forward to “improving the quality and life of Thompson.” The city is working on one major project: the water department. It has completed the first phase, water treatment, and...Continue Reading

Pictured in the photo from left to right: Kris Singelstad; Eric Eden; Aaron Olson, Representative Henry Stone; Marisa Koeppen ; Krystal Thoe; Ashley Hoffman; Richard Schwarm; Mike Piper; Kris Belica; LuAnn Scholbrock ; Heidi Fedders; Scott Drexler; Nancy Khudtson Winn-Worth Betco and the Lake Mills Chamber Development Cooperation partnered with...Continue Reading

Lake Mills Motor Sports, Inc. has been serving Lake Mills with recreational vehicles since 1999. The business sells products like razors, side-by-sides, snowmobiles and ATVs, as well as Cub Cadet and Gravely lawn mowers. The business also offers a complete service shop for Polaris products. A second store...Continue Reading

Last November, the City of Northwood welcomed Douglas Moehle back for his fifth year as mayor. Moehle is most looking forward to continuing to help Northwood sustain itself. “My fear is small-town Iowa is disintegrating, so I’m hoping to help Northwood survive,” said Moehle. “I’m hoping it becomes...Continue Reading

At AMO Craft Barn, located in Joice, the world is its oyster. Annette O’Donnell opened her shop nearly three years ago, and the walls are lined from floor to ceiling with “one of a kind arts, crafts, upcycle, collectibles and antiques.” “I’ve got more stuff than I even...Continue Reading

Arnie's Pump Services & Well Drilling, based in Rake, has been serving the area since 1974 with no plans of slowing down. Some of the business’s major functions are pump services and well drilling, as well as working with water softening equipment, plumbing fixtures, septic systems and pressure tanks...Continue Reading

From a lumberyard to a breathtaking event center, The Timbers - Northwood’s Event Center serves the community in a way unlike any other. The lot was bought by a group of contractors who planned to use the land to build apartments. They soon realized the building’s structure was “too...Continue Reading

Hanlontown mayor Rick Scholbrock has been serving his town since 1995 and is looking to stay through his 30th anniversary. Scholbrock got his start in politics when the previous mayor convinced him to join the city council. He participated for two years before being encouraged to take over as...Continue Reading

Buckets Bar & Grill has been bringing communities together one drink at a time since 2019. Brian Andersen, owner, worked part-time for Squid Willy’s in Thompson for 15 years before coming into ownership of the bar in 2019. While the bar did not close during the transfer of ownership,...Continue Reading