January 2022

The students of Every Child Has Opportunities Charter School, Echo, recently received a donation of 2,200 KN95 and N95 masks from the Upper Sioux Community. Director Hellen Blue-Redner dispensed the masked and asked all the students of the school to pose for a picture last week. The ECHO Charter School runs under a mask mandate, and Blue-Redner explained that these styles of masks were more effective that those previously worn. JODY ISAACKSON

On Friday, February 4th, Marshall artist Krystl Louwagie is hosting an Interactive Art Opening at Bluenose Gopher Public House. The event kicks off a gallery display of her works that will be in Bluenose Gopher throughout the month and will feature the opportunity to create art, purchase art, and enjoy snacks and beverages. Following the event will be an Open Mic Night featuring Betsy Pardick at 7 p.m.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee, one of the nation’s oldest competitions, is 97 years old this year. The National Spelling Bee was started in 1925 by a group of nine newspapers who got together and hosted a spelling bee. Now, this literacy effort reaches 11 million students each year. Local spelling bees were completed at Yellow Medicine East schools last week. Jazmine Ornelas, winner of the 5th and 6th Grade Spelling Bee, and Alana Almich, winner of the 7th and 8th Grade Spelling Bee will be advancing to the Regional Spelling Bee in Redwood Falls on February 1, 2022 (snow date February 2). The top four spellers from the regional competition will advance to the Multi-Region State Spelling Bee on February 22, 2022 (snow date February 23) in Fergus Falls. The Scripps National Spelling Bee Week 2022 will take place the last week of May in Maryland. Congratulations and best of luck to Jazmine and Alana at the Regional Spelling Bee!

The Department of Public Transformation (DoPT) is launching the Say YES! Creative Capital Campaign to renovate and transform a formerly vacant, historic Main Street building in Granite Falls into a multi-use facility for regional residents of all ages and backgrounds to gather and connect with each other – The YES! House. The public launch of the fundraising campaign for The YES! House will begin with a Virtual Say YES! Capital Campaign Kick-Off Party on Friday, February 4, 2022 from 3-4 pm CST featuring local and national rural artists and partners. This free, online event will be followed up with a series of in-person events later this year, pending COVIDsafety protocols. Find out more and register for the event at www.theyeshouse-.org.

Yellow Medicine East hosted the "Happiness is Dancing" dance competition Saturday with competing schools from over 20 districts in attendance, despite the snowy weather. The Silhouettes dance team took home a number of titles from the day including 1st Place titles for JV B Jazz, JV A Jazz, JV High Kick, and Varsity Kick.