Scholarship Program – NWIA League of Cities
** PRESS RELEASE **
NW Iowa League of Cities – High School Senior Scholarships!
Supporting the next generation of leaders is key to strong communities!  The Northwest Iowa League of Cities is proud to announce our High School Senior Scholarship Program.
Who can apply?
High school seniors in Northwest Iowa League member communities pursuing post-secondary education or training in fields that may lead to city government careers—like public administration, water/wastewater, law enforcement, firefighting, EMS, city planning, public engineering, and more!
How to apply:
- Contact your City Hall for an application
- Or email Angela Duitsman at angela@fondaiowa.com
Deadline:Â April 15, 2026
Scholarships:Â Up to five awards of $1,000 each! (Funded entirely through private & commercial fundraising)
The Northwest Iowa League of Cities brings together leaders from over 100 cities across 27 counties to improve public services through education, networking, and shared experience.
Don’t miss this opportunity to kickstart your career in city government!
Angela Duitsman
Eggs and Issues
Saturday, January 31 – 8:30am
December 5, 2025 – USDA Rural Development – Home Repair Grants – 2024 Floods
USDA Rural Development now has home repair grants available for homeowners who made repairs or still need to make repairs as a result of the June 2024 floods and storms in NW Iowa.
They have grants available up to $44,000 for homeowners 18 years old and older.
There are household income limits for this program. They are as follows:
| County | 1-4 Person Household | 5-8 Person Household |
| Buena Vista | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 78,700 | Â $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 103,900 |
| Clay | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 78,250 | Â $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 103,300 |
| Dickenson | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 84,700 | Â $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 115,400 |
| Emmet | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 73,600 | Â $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 97,200 |
| Lyon | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 76,150 | Â $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 100,550 |
| O’Brien | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 80,800 | Â $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 106,700 |
| Osceola | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 73,600 | Â $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 97,200 |
| Palo Alto | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 79,750 | Â $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 105,300 |
| Sioux | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 87,700 | Â $ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 115,800 |
People interested in applying for the program are encouraged to reach out to iowahomeloans@usda.gov or 515.284.4444.
Kate Sand
Deputy State Director
Iowa Rural Development
Pink Friday
November 21
Holiday Craft & Vendor Fair
Saturday, November 22
Holiday Open Houses
Make plans to attend Holiday Open Houses Nov. 5-8.
Participating businesses will be open until 6 pm on Thursday, Nov. 6.
Socktober
Socktober Sock Drive
October 1-31
Drop off new socks of all sizes (kid & adult) in original packaging to Chamber office, Sunshine, Details & Rosies.
Socks will be distributed in Lyon County.
Sponsored by Retail Trade.
Rocky’s Round Bales
We have Our Winners!
Family Fall Fest – October 9, 2025
Make plans to attend the Family Fall Fest, October 9, 2025!
Owner found – Lost Dog 9/24/2025
Owner Found – Lost dog was found near DGR Engineering 9/24/2025. Please contact the city office at 712-472-2553 to claim.
9/26/2025 No power at Westside Park
Westside Park will not have power at the campsites or restrooms on 9/26/2025 starting in the morning and will continue until mid/late afternoon. Once maintenance is completed, the power will be turned back on.
Recycling Notices and Updates
Link to Information:Â Click Here
THE BIG CHALLENGE – Build – Innovate – Grow in Northwest Iowa
The BIG Challenge
Build – Innovate – Grow in Northwest Iowa
The BIG Challenge allows entrepreneurs the chance to submit their dreams to start or expand a business, then encourage friends, family, and customers to vote for them online. Five finalists will present their idea to an audience and judges in a pitch competition with $10,000 in prize money to be awarded. The deadline to submit an entry is September 28 at 11:59 PM.
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible, you must:
- Be located in Lyon, Osceola, Sioux, O’Brien, Plymouth, Woodbury, or Monona County.
- Have a for-profit business.
- Have fewer than 5 full-time employees.
- Have been operating your business for 3 years or less.
- Have not been awarded prize money in a previous BIG Challenge or Dream Big Grow Here competition.
Click here for additional information
To Apply: Â https://contest.iawestcoast.com/the-big-challenge-2025/
Seal coating – Weather Delay – Will now be done 08/21/2025
-South 3rd Ave.: Greene St. to Carroll St.
-South 3rd Ave.: Carroll St. to Adams St.
-South 3rd Ave.: Adams St. to Union St.
-South 3rd Ave.: Union St. to Louis St.
-Louis St. and Park Drive
-South Dickinson St.: 2nd Ave. to 3rd Ave.
-South Randall St.: 2nd Ave. to 3rd Ave.
-South Bradley St.: 2nd Ave. to 3rd Ave.
-South Bradley St.: 3rd Ave. to 4th Ave.
-South Bradley St.: 4th Ave to 5th Ave.
-South Story St.: 6th Ave to 7th Ave.
-South Story St.: 7th Ave to 12th Ave.
Temporary Closure – Rock Rapids Municipal Airport
Rock Rapids Municipal Airport
Important Notice: Temporary Airport Closure
August 18, 2025
This letter is to inform you that the Rock Rapids Municipal Airport (KRRQ) will be temporarily closed for a planned airfield lighting upgrade project. The closure is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 2nd, and will last for approximately 30 days. We anticipate reopening the airport on Wednesday, October 1st.
During this period, all runways and taxiways will be closed, and no aircraft operations, including takeoffs and landings, will be permitted. This project is a crucial step in modernizing our facility and ensuring the continued safety and reliability of our airfield for years to come. The new lighting system will enhance visibility and operational efficiency, especially during low-light conditions.
A formal NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) will be issued to alert all pilots to the closure. We encourage you to check for the official NOTAM before any planned flights to or from KRRQ.
We understand that this closure may cause inconvenience, and we appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to improve our airport. We are committed to completing this project as quickly and safely as possible.
If you have any questions or require additional information, please feel free to contact Micah Freese at 712-472-2553 or city@rockrapids.net.
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
Micah Freese
Rock Rapids Municipal Airport
Seal Coat Notice for August 20, 2025
City of Rock Rapids                                                            Â
411 1st Avenue, PO Box 403, Rock Rapids, IA 51246, Tel 712-472-2553, city@rockrapids.net
RE: Seal Coat Notice
The City of Rock Rapids will be seal coating the following streets on Wednesday, August 20 with rain dates of August 21st and 22nd:
           -South 3rd Ave.: Greene St. to Carroll St.
-South 3rd Ave.: Carroll St. to Adams St.
-South 3rd Ave.: Adams St. to Union St.
-South 3rd Ave.: Union St. to Louis St.
-Louis St. and Park Drive
-South Dickinson St.: 2nd Ave. to 3rd Ave.
-South Randall St.: 2nd Ave. to 3rd Ave.
-South Bradley St.: 2nd Ave. to 3rd Ave.
-South Bradley St.: 3rd Ave. to 4th Ave.
-South Bradley St.: 4th Ave to 5th Ave.
-South Story St.: 6th Ave to 7th Ave.
-South Story St.: 7th Ave to 12th Ave.
If you have questions, please call the city office at 712-72-2553 or email city@rockrapids.net.
Sincerely,
Micah Freese
Operations Officer
City of Rock Rapids
Crazy Days is Back!
Aug. 14-16
07.31.2025 – Tornado Siren Update
The city has installed a new tornado “main” siren, just north of Sunshine Foods. This has been installed to replace the siren located by the Street Department Maintenance Shop. Last week the contractor was here and installed the new siren. It was tested and worked, but due to programming will not shut back off. The remaining three sirens should sound in inclement weather. The contractor was hoping to be back up here this week but will not be able to. They are hoping to be up here in the coming weeks. When they do come again to install the programming portion of the siren, we will likely be testing again to make sure everything is working as it should. This siren will be used to sound during weather events as well as sounds at 6:00PM.
Garbage Pick up (7/28) – East Side Rock Rapids – delayed
Town and Country disposal had one of their trucks not working this morning(7/28). They are planning to still get garbage picked up today, but it will be delayed until later today.
UPDATED 2:25PM New Tornado Siren – being installed today 7/22/2025
UPDATE 2:25 PM: The Tornado siren will need some additional programming prior to being put into service. The contractor is currently planning to be back next week to update. In the meantime, the new siren will not sound in inclement weather nor at 6:00PM. We will update with further information once we have a date to complete the programming.
The contractor is planning to install the new tornado siren, today, July 22. This new tornado siren will go up just north of sunshine foods, by the bike trail.
During the installation, they may test the siren, and potentially the other sirens in town as well. Please be aware that we could test the siren several times through the afternoon.
