(Radio Iowa) – A coalition of churches in the Carroll area is hosting its annual “Blue Christmas” service this weekend. Reverend Terry Plocher is pastor of the United Methodist Church in Carroll, where the event will be held Saturday, December 11th. “Anyone might find themselves in a place where they’re grieving during the holiday season, where they find that they’re sad or blue and this is for everybody,” he says. “It’s not just for people of a particular church or people of a particular denomination.” Plocher says the service aims to provide a quiet time of reflection for people experiencing a loss.

“It is a difficult time for people who have lost someone they love or I like to emphasize other losses as well — losing a job, losing the opportunity to do some of the things they wanted to do. losing a dream,” he says. “Those things are all hard on us come the holidays.” Plocher says the holiday season can be difficult for people who are grieving or have been diagnosed with a mental illness. “All around them are these lights and people having fun and the parties and people smiling and cards and they just don’t feel it,” Plocher says. “It’s just not there for them and whatever the reason for that is, whether it’s a biological cause or if it’s a situational cause after the death of a loved one or the loss of a job or something, we want to let them know that it’s o.k. to feel however you feel at Christmas time, during the holidays.”

The Carroll County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and two funeral homes in Carroll are co-sponsors of what has become an annual event. This year’s “Blue Christmas” service in Carroll will begin at 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 11th.

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  At its first annual grant celebration event, the Cass County Community Foundation honored 32 nonprofit organizations and community projects that received grants throughout the past year. These honorees included both spring and fall grant recipients, who were awarded a collective sum of over $137,000.
Spring 2021 Grant Recipients:

Throughout 2021, the Foundation received a total of 48 grant applications from community
organizations, with over $280,000 requested. As a part of its two grant cycles, the Cass County
Community Foundation awarded $137,525 to 46 of these 48 applications. “In 2021, we’ve been able to fund a wide array of projects and programs,” said Board Chair Kristi Burg. “Grants were awarded to
support a variety of recreational opportunities and building renovations, as well as many more projects that will have a positive effect on our community members—both young and old. We’re proud of the impact of the Foundation, and we’re glad to have this opportunity to celebrate the important work of these organizations throughout Cass County.”

Each year, the Cass County Community Foundation holds two grant cycles with an objective to fund projects that will have a lasting impact in the county. “Since the Foundation was established in 1998, it has distributed over $2.4 million in grants and scholarships,” said Iowa Foundations Director Stacey Goodman. “Through the generosity of donors and charitable funds allocated through the community foundation, along with our participation in the County Endowment Fund Program, we are able to continue to invest valuable resources back into communities across Cass County.”

The Cass County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Omaha Community Foundation, which meets National Standards for Community Foundations, and is one of nine county members of the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa. It annually receives funds from the State of Iowa County Endowment Fund Program for endowment building and grantmaking throughout the county. The spring grant cycle is made possible through the County Endowment Fund Program and is funded by a percentage of the state’s commercial gaming tax revenue, which is distributed annually to participating community foundations associated with counties without a state-issued gaming license.

The Foundation’s fall grant cycle is made possible through the generosity of donors to the Cass County Community Foundation. The Foundation works with individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to create permanent and expendable funds that address changing, vital community needs and interests. Gifts to permanently endowed funds through the Cass County Community Foundation may be eligible to receive a 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit.

The Cass County Advisory Board Members are Chair, Kristi Burg of Massena; Vice Chair, Mark D. Kyhnn, CPA of Atlantic; Secretary/Treasurer, Sue Hunt of Atlantic; Sandy Bierbaum of Griswold; and Gaylord Schelling of Atlantic. For information about donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact Stacey Goodman, Iowa Foundations Director, at 800-794-3458 or stacey@omahafoundation.org.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A Christmas tradition that dates back nearly 50-years in rural Montgomery County, continues this weekend, much to the delight of those near and far. The Baird family Christmas light display between Red Oak and Elliott will be switched-on each evening at dusk for a few hours, beginning Saturday, Dec.11^th, and continuing through the end of the year. The lights are shut-off each night at 10. The elaborate display of illuminated structures, characters and machines can be viewed at Baird farm, located at 1233 E. Avenue. Jack Baird started the tradition about five decades ago. He says family members have taken advantage of the good weather since Oct. 1^st, to set-up numerous displays, the glow from which is visible for miles.

He said some new elements have been added to this year’s display.

The airplane will appear to be landing in a field. Each year, new attractions are added to the display. Jack Baird’s 90th birthday is Sunday.

Baird Christmas display (2020 image)

He said while illness has kept him from getting out and helping to set up the lights and the related framework, his family stepped-up to take over, leaving him in a supervisory position. Jack said he appreciates their efforts, and the “Get well” and “Happy Birthday” cards and letters he’s received.

You can drop-off a card when you come to see the display, if you like. And, your free-will donation helps to defray the cost of keeping the displays lit during the season.

More information is available on Facebook by searching for “Baird’s Christimas Lights.” (Listen for the full “Heartbeat Today” interview w/Jack Baird, on the Programs page at kjan.com)