Nina McMillen, daughter of Teresa and Rob McMillen of rural Ida Grove and granddaughter of Mary Ann and the late Marshall Sohm of Danbury and Don and the late Patricia McMillen of Nevada, IA, dreams of things most high schoolers dream of - easy tests, good friends, and wonderful experiences. Unlike most high schoolers, the MVAOCOU sophomore also dreams of going to New York City and to France. Okay, other high schoolers may also dream of going to those cities, but possibly not for the same reason Nina does. With a special glint in her eye and smile on her face, Nina dreams of attending fashion events such as Fashion Week in NYC and experiencing similar events in Paris.
    Her love of fashion has led Nina to bring a little touch of fashion to Battle Creek. Her clothing consignment shop, Cinderella's Closet caters to the princess in all girls looking for dresses for special events such as snow formals and prom. The shop, located at 651 1st St. in Battle Creek (also known as the former ISI building) sells previously loved formals for a fraction of the cost. She has numerous dresses for princesses of most sizes and shapes as of this printing, and more are arriving in the future. Because of a number of dresses she has also are received for princesses who have children getting married (in other words, mothers of brides and grooms), Nina also has a rack of dresses for the princesses who have been out of school for a couple years or decades.
    "I liked the thought that I could give prom dresses a new life," said McMillen who, ironically, is too young to attend prom without a junior or senior asking her to attend. "A lot of girls want cheaper prom dresses, so I thought that this was a good way, and I could incorporate my love of fashion into it."
    While some dresses have been donated to her cause, most are consigned between McMillen and the former dress owner. Nina said that she suggests the former owner sell the dress for 1/2 the cost of which it had been purchased. She emphasized that her goal is to provide quality dresses at a fraction of the cost. Nina retains a small portion of the profit to pay for her expenses and hopefully make a little profit.
    "I am very grateful for Bev and Hank Jessen for letting me use the building at a reasonable cost," continued Nina. "I got the idea for the store in November, so Mom and I went to their house to see if I could use the old middle school which they own. After looking at it, Hank mentioned that he had this (the ISI building) building which might work. It is perfect."
    Cinderella's Closet has been open for sales for just a couple weeks, but Nina has been pleased with the response of her endeavor. She said that princesses from as far away as Manning have stopped to shop. She also has a former Battle Creek resident who now lives in California shipping dresses for her to use and is trying to coordinate receiving dresses from the Omaha area.
    "I was just very happy that it worked, and it gave me hope for other people," commented Nina in regards to her first sale.
    Cinderella's Closet is open on weekends from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. and by appointment. To contact Nina, please email her at cinderellascloset51006@gmail.com, go to her Facebook page: Cinderella's Closet, or find her on Instagram: @cinderellascloset_51006. The plan is to have the store remain open for just a couple months to accommodate the proms in the area. When she closes, Nina will return the unsold consigned dresses to their owners. Those that are donated might go to The Foster Closet so that foster children can also feel like princesses. Nina isn't sure yet. Hopefully her princesses will keep coming to find their perfect dress to wear with their princes and all will enjoy prom happily ever after.

    The Monona County Cattlemen's Association will be holding their Annual Banquet and Meeting on Saturday, January 17th at Ute Town and Country. Social hour will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a steak dinner catered by Staley's at 6:30. Entertainment this year will be provided by comedian Kris Covi with trophy auction, gun raffle and door prizes following.
    Tickets are $30.00 each and may be purchased from one of the following directors: Dave Jensen, Bob Otto, Ron Hausman, Ron Amunson, Gale Miller, Alan Cumming, Brett Davis, Dave Bruning, Barry Erickson, Jeff Mordhorst, Joel Bubke, Colin Mordhorst, Beau Hanson, Craig Reisburg, Keith Zediker, or Michelle Kane.

    Bingo is a fickle game. People sit around looking at cards and hoping their numbers are called so they can holler the game's title. There isn't much skill involved in the game, just luck for good cards and hope that you are the one who earns the Bingo honor. This game of hope and luck is simple to play, and the thrill of getting oh so close to filling a line can be much fun.
    Please join the crowd at Cord Memorial Library in Danbury and play Bingo on Wednesday, January 21st from 1:30 -3:30. There is no cost to play, but please bring a non-perishable item for each game you want to play.

    Sioux City, IA, January 6, 2026: The Siouxland District Health Department is promoting January as National Radon Action Month and encouraging people to test their homes for radon. Radon is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that causes no immediate health symptoms, but long-term exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Iowa has the highest percentage of homes with elevated radon levels in the nation.
    Radon is a breakdown product of uranium found in soil, rocks, and water. Radon gas seeps into a house from the soil around and under the home. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); "You can't see, smell, or taste radon, but it could be present at a dangerous level in your home. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in America and claims the lives of about 21,000 Americans each year. In fact, the EPA urges all Americans to protect their health by testing their homes, schools, and other buildings for radon. Exposure to radon is a preventable health risk, and testing radon levels in your home can help prevent unnecessary exposure. If a high radon level is detected in your home, you can take steps to fix the problem to protect yourself and your family".
    Test kits are simple to use and inexpensive. Siouxland District Health Department, 1014 Nebraska St, offers low-cost radon test kits for $8 at the front reception desk. This price includes the test kit, postage to mail the kit to the lab, and the analysis and results. Kits can also be purchased in many hardware stores or by calling the Iowa Radon Hotline at 800-383–5992.
    If radon is found at elevated levels, there are steps that can be taken to decrease it. Iowa certified radon mitigation contractors can install a radon mitigation system that will lower radon levels in your home.
    If you would like more information on this topic, please contact Alicia Sanders at 712-279-6119 or asanders@siouxlanddistricthealth.org.

    AMES, Iowa – Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with C-CHANGE: Grass2Gas, will host a virtual field day on Thursday, Jan. 22, at 1 p.m. Central time. The event, which is available at no cost, will feature a live discussion with Hyeonji Song, postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Agronomy at Iowa State University.
    Grass2Gas is examining the production of renewable natural gas and related bioproducts through the anaerobic digestion of plant biomass and manure. To help determine the environmental impact of the system, the team is comparing greenhouse gas emissions produced by different plant biomass feedstocks that are being considered and utilized in bioenergy production.
    "Nitrous oxide is one of the major greenhouse gases, and agriculture accounts for 50% of nitrous oxide emissions, mainly through fertilizer applications," said Song. "Cropping system emissions of nitrous oxide is an important factor in calculating the carbon intensity of biofuels. Our core hypothesis is that adding nitrogen fertilizer to prairie to increase its biomass production as a bioenergy feedstock will not increase nitrous oxide emissions."
    Any person interested in bioenergy production systems is welcome to attend the virtual field day. Participants are also encouraged to bring any questions they would like to ask.
    To participate in the live virtual field day, visit Iowa Learning Farms Field Days - Grass2Gas - Comparing Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Feedstocks for Bioenergy Production or join from a dial-in phone line (dial 646-876-9923 or 646-931-3860, with meeting ID 914 1198 4892). The field day will be recorded and archived on the ILF Virtual Field Day Archive for future viewing.
    Participants may be eligible for a Certified Crop Adviser board-approved continuing education unit. Information about how to apply for and receive the CEU will be provided at the end of the event.
About Iowa Learning Farms
    Established in 2004, Iowa Learning Farms is building a Culture of Conservation by encouraging adoption of conservation practices. Farmers, researchers and ILF team members are working together to identify and implement the best management practices that improve water quality and soil health while remaining profitable. Partners of Iowa Learning Farms include the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Iowa Department of Natural Resources, EPA Section 319 Grant Program, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture and GROWMARK Inc