Presidents Day will be observed on Monday, Feb. 16 throughout the country. The post office, banks and most offices for federal, state and local government will be closed. The Daily Freeman Journal will not be printed, nor will there be an online edition. The newspaper will resume printing and delivery on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
The Hamilton County Legislative Forum will be held from 8 to 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 20. Registration is required. To register go to https://hamiltoncountygrowthpartnership.com/events or elizabeth@amesalliance.com
The All Cultures Equal —ACE Center located at 637 Second St. will be starting the spring session for free English and Spanish classes. The classes start at 6:30 p.m. and last until 8 p.m. Beginners will meet on Tuesday evenings. Advanced beginners will meet on Monday evenings. Classes continue for 12 weeks, with the last day scheduled for May 5. All materials for class are provided, but bring paper for taking notes. These free classes are sponsored by a grant sponsored by People’s Credit Union.
The Domestic Sexual Assault Outreach Center—DSAOC cake auction opens at 10 a.m. on March 26, and ends at 7 p.m. on March 30. The auction, which began as an in-person fundraiser for DSAOC, has been online since covid in 2020. To view the auction items, they are located at https://cakeauction2026.givesmart.com Auction items are begin gathered now and added to the site daily. For more information call 515-955-2273 .
The grant program that is funded through the Hamilton County hotel motel tax is open for applications. This grant is available to support projects in Blairsburg, Jewell, Kamrar, Stanhope, Stratford, Randall, Ellsworth and Williams. Residents and businesses in Webster City are not eligible for this grant. This grant opened for application on Feb. 2, and can be applied through the Hamilton County website at https://www.hamiltoncounty.iowa.gov/departments/hotel_mote_tax_grant.php. The grant deadline is March 5.
The Hamilton County Conservation board is sponsoring a workshop to build rain barrels on Feb. 28. This is located at 2490 Briggs Woods Trail. Registration can be done online through www.mycountyparks.com . The registration deadline is Feb. 26 at 8 am. All participants must be 18 years old. There is a registration fee of $45 per rain barrel. Participation is limited to 20. Questions can be directed to 515-297-0423.