Blog
Successful Christmas at Four Oaks 2022
Thanks to your generosity, Christmas at Four Oaks was special for the kids who had no where else to go. Listen to Kaci Vandeventer talk about what it's like for those kids. Read More
New Year’s Resolutions
The New Year’s Resolution is a tradition in which a person resolves to make a significant change in theirlife. Going forward, the start of a new year is the perfect opportunity for one to settle a wrong or makea conscious decision to improve themselves.Some choose to change their health habits in order to lose weight.... Read More
Holiday Blues
Christmas is often touted as “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” In fact, there’s even a song aboutit!But what if Christmas doesn’t spark a sense of joy inside of you? What if Christmas brings up feelings ofhurt, or loss, or disappointment? Instead of magic and wonder, you’re filled with anxiety and dread.There are people... Read More
Making Christmas Dreams Come True
Making Christmas Dreams Come True People often use the phrase “like a kid at Christmas” when describing their excitement level. It makes perfect sense, really. When I hear it, my mind instantly thinks of happy, smiling children amongst a pile of torn wrapping paper. Of families gathered in a living room with a beautifully decorated... Read More
Celebrating World Kindness Day
Celebrating World Kindness Day by Rachel Wumkes Celebrated each year on November 13th, World Kindness Day is an international holiday formed in 1998 to promote kindness throughout the world. The purpose of the holiday is to spread kindness as a result of small gestures. It encourages everyone to be kind and to advocate for kindness... Read More
Mason City Chamber Earns Prestigious Award
Chamber of Commerce organizations work in a variety of ways to support local businesses, helping them grow and thrive in every economic atmosphere. Some work is done behind the scenes, unbeknownst to the public, and some is out in the spotlight, front and center for all the community to see. For over a hundred years,... Read More
End of Summer Fun in North Iowa
We’ve officially entered the dog days of summer. As a kid, I used to wonder what that term meant. I always thought it had something to do with youngsters being lazy because they’d become bored. You know that spell in between playing ball and school starting where we just… survived. Turns out, it’s called the... Read More
North Iowa Staycation
With inflation on the rise across America, many families are feeling the crunch in their bank accounts. Between gas and groceries, the squeeze is tightening on disposable incomes, making our vacation budgets dwindle into oblivion. But that doesn't necessarily mean you have to skip the scheduled summer-time fun! By: RACHEL WUMKES Read More
Mason City & The Music Man
There’s nothing quite like the sound of a marching band. The toot of the trumpet. The deep timbre of the trombones. The cadence of the drumline as they pass by in their perfectly straight lines. The rich history of marching bands runs deep in Mason City. In fact, over Memorial Day weekend, there was an entire weekend celebration dedicated to these bands. Read More
De-Cluttering in North Iowa
By: Rachel Wumkes For years, Americans have been accumulating stuff, thinking the more options we have available at our fingertips, the more satisfied our lives will be. Studies have shown people tend to tie their piles and piles of stuff to their self-worth. Rather than viewing our many objects as “mine” we tend to view... Read More