News

St. Joseph to host holiday concert

John Moore, Jessica Schable and Drew Duncan will reunite in their hometown to spread holiday cheer through songs of the season with Jennifer Johnson at the piano. This free will offering concert will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Milford. All proceeds will go toward a new performing arts initiative, set to launch in 2022. The three Okoboji High School alums are working together to create an organization aimed at bringing more performing arts education and entertainment opportunities to the Lakes Area.

“The performing arts can create such a strong and meaningful community," Duncan said. "We are so appreciative to many in our hometown who have watched and listened to us grow into the people we are today. With it being a difficult couple of years for so many, we thought this would be a great opportunity to come together and share some seasonal joy through music.”

Local churches seek input on possible Catholic school

St. Joseph Catholic Church in Milford and St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Spirit Lake are in the midst of a feasibility study exploring the idea of opening a Catholic school to serve the needs of families in Dickinson County. The churches will have a hearing session specifically designed to gather input from parents of young children at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8. All are invited to join organizers for this meeting, which is expected to last approximately an hour.

Iowa Lakes offers Winter Music Recital

The annual Winter Music Recital featuring Iowa Lakes Community College student soloists will be held at 2 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Janice K. Lund Performing Arts Center in Estherville. The Winter Music Recital is free to attend. The recital will include selections from students who are currently receiving lessons in piano, voice, tuba and trombone. Music lessons from the college's private music instructors are available to all Iowa Lakes students. The private instructors are Duane Ites, Dan Cassady and Greg Forney.

University of Okoboji 2022 Winter Games apparel now available

Winter Games enthusiasts can now order their favorite apparel online at uofowintergames.com. The public can also stop in at the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce office located at 565 S Hwy 71, Suite 4 in Arnolds Park.

Respite Angels to host Christmas Bingo

Respite Angels will host Christmas Bingo at 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 9 at Calvary Methodist Church. Organizers invite the public to join them for laughter, a chance to win a prize and some great refreshments. Questions may be directed to Kelly at Respite Angels 712-229-6064 or Chelsie at the church 712-332-2447. This free event is open to anyone who would like to attend.

Chili Cook-off mugs on sale

This year's University of Okoboji Chili Cook-Off sponsor is Ruthven Locker. Chili mugs are now available at Ruthven Locker, The Three Sons and the IGLA Chamber office. Those who purchase their mugs ahead of time are able to skip the line the day of the cookoff.