The Clarinda Chamber of Commerce was thrilled to celebrate the new ownership of Akin Building CenterClarinda with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Congratulations to Adam Bock and Ryan & Michele Draper on this exciting new chapter. Located at 1201 East Garfield Street in Clarinda, Akin Building Center has proudly served Southwest Iowa since 1927. The new ownership is committed to continuing Akin’s long-standing legacy of exceptional customer service, quality products, and expert knowledge while fostering a positive culture, strong community engagement, and an outstanding experience for every customer
Classifieds
AUTOMOBILES
2008 Ford Coachman RV, runs good, everything works, $10,000, 712-314-1609
1990 Chevy 2500 4WD, long bed, rough, but solid engine, transmission and tires, 712-246-5016
2011 RAM 1500 Hemi, SLT, with topper, 92,000 miles, 218-639-0686
Lady will clean, cook, house-sit, people or animal care, 402-547-3712
FOR RENT OR SALE
Crystal Glassware and dishes, rent or buy, 402-5473712. FOR SALE
Danielle Steele books, $1 each (712) 310-5987
HELP WANTED
City Clerk Administrator Farragut, Iowa
The City of Farragut is accepting applications for City Clerk Administrator. The job requires experience/ proficiency in accounting, business and public administration or related field and proficient with computer programs and skill. The job requires preparation and responsibility for the city budget, financial and legal aspects of the city, maintain records and being responsible for payroll along with other administrative duties. The applicant must have a valid driver’s license and pass a physical and drug screen. You must be available for off-hour meetings/assignments and emergencies.
This is a part time position up to 30 hours. The position offers IPERS, paid holidays and vacation pay and health insurance negotiable.
Resumes will be accepted by mail or at the City Hall Drop Box in a sealed envelope directed to the ATTN: City Mayor and Council until 1pm Feb. 6, 2026 at 518 Hartford Ave., Farragut, IA 51639. The position will start March 2, 2026. Equal Opportunity Employer
Car cover for a 2021 Toyota Avalon, half price, never used, 712-246-9999
For Sale in Shenandoah, IA: Turn-key upscale ladies consignment shop. In business nearly two years with currently 200 +/- consignees. Selling due to owner's ongoing health problems. $45,000. Contact Jackie Travis @ 712-2159027 or 712-581-9071
ProForm electric fold-up treadmill, L18, wide deck, $100, 712-246-9999.
4 Brand New Trash Barrels with wheels, Rubber Neck, 32-gallon, never been used712-246-5440
Vintage Huffy Dr. Pepper Bike, boys 26-inch, 712246-5440
4 metal lawn chairs, 712246-5440
Professional decorative silver wooden frame, 6 inches wide. For 12X16 picture. Hangs horizontally or vertically. 712-202-6333
Restored antique furniture and weather vanes, Clarinda, 712-438-1940
Deadline for classifieds is Thursday at Noon for the following Tuesday's publication.
Classified ads run until the item sells. Please notify us when the item sells.
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Clarinda Foundation’s 2026 scholarship applications available
The Clarinda Foundation announces the availability of scholarships for high school graduates in our local area. Select scholarships are also available to area students already in college. These scholarships are designed to support and empower students as they pursue their higher education goals, helping to ease the financial burden of tuition and other academic expenses.
Twenty-seven (27) different scholarship funds will be administered by the Clarinda Foundation and awarded in May 2026. The variety of scholarships includes award opportunities for students that plan to attend an accredited university, college, junior college, trade school, or vocational school. Last year, the Clarinda Foundation presented over $130,000 in scholarships. Since the first scholarship in 1991, over $1,000,000 in Clarinda Foundation scholarships has been awarded to area youth.
“Scholarships are one of the most powerful ways we invest in our community’s future, opening doors to education and opportunity for local students,” said Beckie T. Finch, Clarinda Foundation Executive Director. “We’re proud to help decrease financial barriers so students can focus on achieving their goals and giving back in meaningful ways.”
In May 2026, the Clarinda Foundation will present four new scholarships: the Audrey Buck & Carlene Buck Memorial
Scholarship, the CHS Class of 1970 Scholarship, the Joel Herzberg Memorial Scholarship, and the Joe & Diane Newton Operation Blessing Scholarship.
Audrey Buck & Carlene Buck Memorial
Sons & Daughters of Imogene group hosts
By LIZ SKILLERN lizskillern2@gmail.com
For one evening, the St. Patrick Catholic Church hall traded its usual small-town gatherings for an atmosphere of elegance and celebration as the Sons & Daughters of Imogene hosted their firstever formal gala Saturday, Jan. 17.
Guests arrived in cocktail and formal attire for a 6 p.m. social hour before sitting down to a plated dinner catered by Classic Café. Tables of eight shared conversation, music and anticipation for what would become one of the night’s most talked-about highlights - a pie auction.
The gala marked a new chapter for the nonprofit organization, which was founded in 2010 with just five members and has since grown to more than 100 dues-paying supporters dedicated to strengthening and sustaining the Imogene community.
CONCERTED EFFORT
Friends and neighbors dressed in formal attire enjoy dinner and conversation during the inaugural Sons & Daughters of Imogene Gala on Jan. 17 at St. Patrick Catholic Church hall.
supreme pie earned the highest bid of the evening.
Throughout the night, musician Drew Morelock provided live entertainment, adding to the upscale, yet welcoming feel, organizers hoped to create. “Our hope was that our guests would leave feeling they had experienced something truly special, an evening that was both fun and deeply meaningful,” Laughlin said. “The gala was designed as a moment for our community to come together, celebrate what has been accomplished since our launch in 2010, and reflect on the shared vision that brought us this far.” While the evening focused on celebration, its purpose was rooted in progress. Funds raised will advance the organization’s mission of community betterment, with
Dinner was served at 7 p.m., followed by dessert with a competitive twist.
Sixteen pies, one for each table, were created and donated by local favorite
“This was the first time the Sons & Daughters of Imogene has hosted a gala,” said treasurer Rita Laughlin. “At our annual meeting last March, when we opened the discussion for future community ideas, a couple members mentioned doing something formal. Over the next few months, it morphed into a gala.”
Marleen McGargill, known as “The Pie Lady.” Bidding for each pie began at $200, turning dessert into both entertainment and fundraising. “Marleen has been very supportive of us,” Laughlin said. “She donates pies to our golf tournament each year, but having 16 of her masterfully crafted pies for the gala made it extra
Drew Morelock provided live music and entertainment during the Sons & Daughters of Imogene’s first-ever gala Jan. 17 at St. Patrick Catholic Church hall, setting an elegant and festive tone for the evening.
• Lowell Thomas & Nina G. Sweeney Scholarship
by the CHS Class of 1970 Scholarship Committee. It will be awarded to a graduating senior from Clarinda Community School District who has attended CHS classes in-person and holds a cumulative GPA of a minimum of 3.0. This award gives preference to students who have been involved in extracurricular activities.
The Joel Herzberg Memorial Scholarship was established in memory of Joel by his parents. It will be awarded to a Southwest Valley High School, Stanton High School or Red Oak High School senior entering any field of agriculture. Preference will be given to applicants with a GPA of 2.5 or higher.
The Joe & Diane Newton Operation Blessing Scholarship was established by retired Chief of Police Joe Newton and current Chief Keith Brothers. This scholarship will be given to a Clarinda High School graduating senior or a homeschooled graduating senior living within the Clarinda Community School District who plans to pursue any field of study.
Other Clarinda Foundation scholarships available in 2026 include:
• Vernon J. Baker Educators’ Scholarship
• Ralph & Gladys Borden Memorial Scholarship
• Ethel Brockman Nursing Scholarship
• Michael Burns Memorial Scholarship
• CHS Alumni Scholarship
• Evelyn Herzberg
Educational Scholarship
• Gary Knox Memorial Scholarship
• Clarinda Public Library Foundation Scholarship
• Hugh Loudon
Agricultural/Business Scholarship
• Maxine S. Loudon
Scholarship
• Tad Madden Memorial Scholarship
• Harold & Dale McKinley
Educational Scholarship (For College Students)
• Norm Mier Memorial
Scholarship
• John & Michael Minard
Memorial Scholarship (For IWCC-Clarinda Students)
• Dave Tackett Page County Pheasants Forever
Scholarship
• Larry Scherf Memorial Scholarships
• Swisher Family Vocational Scholarship
• Ben & Marilyn Tomlinson Agriculture and Engineering Scholarship
• Lois Wagoner Education Scholarship (For College Students)
• Clarinda Veterans Scholarship
• Alec Woldruff Memorial Scholarship
• Norman and Wanda Wynn Scholarship
Descriptions of each of these scholarships, applications, and the corresponding requirements can be found at the Clarinda Foundation’s website at https:// clarindafoundation.com/ receive-funds/#scholarships. Applications are due to the Clarinda High School Counselor or the Clarinda Foundation office no later than March 15, 2026. For more information on the scholarships, or if you are interested in contributing to an existing scholarship or establishing a new scholarship fund, please contact the Clarinda Foundation office at 712-542-4412 or email clarindafoundation@ clarindafoundation.com.
GALA, Page 5
first pie selected was a chocolate mousse cheesecake, while the lemon
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JESSICA SNYDER PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JESSICA SNYDER PHOTOGRAPHY LOCAL TALENT
particular emphasis on housing.
“A key priority right now is exploring options to create more suitable and sustainable housing in Imogene,” Laughlin explained. “By improving housing opportunities, we aim to attract residents back home, welcome new families, and support long-term economic and community vitality while preserving Imogene’s unique character.”
For Laughlin, seeing the community rally around the cause was especially significant. “Seeing this level of support is both humbling and deeply meaningful to me,” she said. “The generosity and trust shown by our supporters affirm that people truly believe in this organization and our mission. It motivates me to steward these resources with care and integrity.”
That support stretches far beyond town limits. “The Imogene community extends well beyond the town itself and even beyond southwest Iowa,” Laughlin said. “Many people across the country proudly claim Imogene roots. Our growth reflects that strong sense of connection and commitment.”
The Sons & Daughters of Imogene welcomes new members who share a passion for the town’s future. Those interested can contact the organization at sonsanddaughtersofimogene@ gmail.com.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JESSICA SNYDER PHOTOGRAPHY
Traveling exhibit celebrates Iowa literary great Ruth Suckow
By LIZ SKILLERN
lizskillern2@gmail.com
Readers and history
lovers will have a unique opportunity in February and March to step into Iowa’s literary past as the Ruth
Suckow Traveling Exhibit makes stops in Clarinda and Shenandoah.
The exhibit, which celebrates the life and work of acclaimed Iowa novelist and short story writer Ruth Suckow, will be on display at the Lied Public Library in Clarinda throughout February and at the Shenandoah Public Library in March.
Created to share Suckow’s legacy with communities across the state, the traveling display features informational panels highlighting her life, writing career and lasting influence on American literature.
Suckow, who lived from 1892 to 1960, was once considered one of the nation’s most respected short story writers. Literary critic and magazine editor H.L.
Mencken praised her as “unquestionably … the most remarkable woman writing short stories in the Republic,” publishing every story she submitted to him.
The daughter of a Congregational minister, Suckow spent her childhood moving from town to town across Iowa as her father served different churches.
Those experiences shaped her writing. Her
work of numerous short stories, novels, and essays closely examined the rhythms of small-town and rural Midwestern life from the 1880s through World War II.
Through realistic characters and everyday settings, Suckow preserved the voices, struggles, and strengths of Iowa communities.
The exhibit gives visitors a chance to learn more about Suckow’s journey, explore her literary achievements, and rediscover an author whose work helped define regional American fiction.
The Ruth Suckow Traveling Exhibit can be viewed during regular hours at:
Library staff encourage the public to stop in, explore the
and
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Iowa author Ruth Suckow, known for her authentic portrayals of small-town life, is featured in a
