Stay updated with breaking news from Dream playground. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
The Daily Herald Spring is underway and that means the members of the Columbia Civitan Club are busy gathering Vidalia onions for a special fundraiser. Funds raised would help to enhance a neighborhood playground to accommodate children with special needs. This month, the community group will host its annual sale of Vidalia onions as part of its ongoing effort to fund new playground equipment, specifically designed for children with disabilities. An annual event, the drive is held in memory of Mt. Pleasant’s Jared Buckner the inspiration for an inclusive and accessible playground that now stands at Maury County Park. ....
Though snow piles still towered above parking lots throughout town, Winonans embraced last weekend’s warmer temperatures by getting outside to partake in more summery activities. Young children wearing light jackets rode their bikes past snow piles in a parking lot near Winona State University (WSU) as adults supervised. A couple barbecued on a back patio at a residence on a side street. The smoke from the barbecue curled upward into the afternoon sunlight that would stick around until well past the usual winter sunset time of 4:30 p.m. The temperature may have been just about 57 degrees on Saturday, but that did not stop some from enjoying the great outdoors at Lake Park wearing short-sleeved shirts, shorts or sandals. At the same time, others wore light jackets or sweatshirts. ....
IowaWatch Lake Manawa State Park was the most visited state park in 2020. The Council Bluffs park offers beach activities and rentals, boating, fishing and hiking. A record 16.6 million visitors frequented Iowa’s state parks in 2020, according to data from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Iowans turned to the outdoors with indoor activities interrupted or cancelled by the coronavirus pandemic. Over the last decade, the Iowa DNR saw between 13.7 million and 15.5 million visitors to their state parks yearly. The system with 83 parks and forests recorded its 100th anniversary in 2020 just as the coronavirus came to Iowa in March. The Centers for Disease Control has recommended people remain six feet apart and meet outdoors to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, making spacious state parks popular destinations. ....