Mayor Douglas Foster is seen here swearing in new Lamoni Police Officer - Anthony Cray into office on Monday, May 22nd. Cray is no stranger to the City as he was a 2021 graduate of Lamoni High School, has been on the Lamoni Volunteer Fire Department since October, and is currently enrolled as a Criminal Justice major at Graceland University. Cray joins the force under the direction of Chief of Police - Jonathan Mullock. . . .
The 11th annual Bethany's Race was held on May 6th. 49 participants turned out in spite of the rain and hail that came about an hour before the race. Bethany Gruich was a beloved member of the community who was diagnosed with glioblastoma (a rare brain cancer) in October of 2012, just shy of her 16th birthday. The community surrounded the Gruich family with love and to raise funds for her support, the race was born. Gruich . . .
The Lamoni Area Chamber of Commerce presented their annual Citizen of the Year award to Diana Jones. This surprise announcement was made during an award ceremony at Graceland University where Diana is the Director of the Intercultural Office. The recommendation came as an anonymous submission. The narrative provided noted Jones' great smile and friendly demeanor as will as the fact that Diana is most frequently seen at not just . . .
Tanya McLain is the Manager of the recently opened Family Dollar / Dollar Tree located at 217 East Main in downtown Lamoni. McLain is from Kellerton, where she's lived most of her life. She is a 2000 graduate from Lamoni High School, now married, and has 3 girls. The 10,000 square foot retail space opened to a lot of traffic on April 27th and has an official grand opening scheduled for May 20th! If you haven't already... . . .
The Lamoni Area Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting for Obscure Ink at 12:30 p.m. on April 1st. Owner Bailey Coleman will hold an Open House then from 1-5 p.m. at (the former Southern Comfort space) 124 East Main Street. Tattoo Artist, Bailey vows to provide a clean and friendly shop and is planning to host many items from friends' local small businesses. These include photography, signs, candles, and art. "I am . . .
Samantha Durrow recently held the Grand Opening of Whiskey Bella Boutique at 138 North Linden Street here in Lamoni. Samantha is seen here with her husband Bryson and daughters Brinsley and Bristol. Durrow's recently purchased the former Clip Joint salon from longtime owner Joyce Shields. The new shop will initially feature some house signs, and Easter creations and will be open by appointment only. Durrow will work . . .
Down South Creative is a space where adults and kids can embrace their inner child and get creative! They will offer a variety of classes and events, some are skill based like hand knitting or acrylic pour painting and others are just for fun like BINGO and holiday themed crafts. They hope to bring in more events this year like trivia nights and STEAM summer camps for kids. Owner Sarah Burke says, "We really love teaming up . . .
(Pictured: Mayor Doug Foster presents a framed copy of the "Special Edition" of the Lamoni Chronicle to Gary Rees.) It has just been a couple of months since a Special Issue of The Lamoni Chronicle was published, and it has already had a second printing. The Special Issue has six pages of the best of Lamoni and Decatur County and is intended for guests, visitors, and prospective businesses. It leads off with an overview of . . .
Mayor's Youth Council participated in Make a Difference Day by painting posts and benches at the Lamoni Municipal Airport on Tuesday, November 8th. "Many hands made light work", said sophomore Ambrose Savage.
The city has worked with freelance editor Gary Rees for many years on what is commonly tabbed "Around Lamoni". Rees came to the city months ago with the idea of another publication. The idea was run by the Lamoni City Council, who so generously voted to fund the project with Hotel/Motel tax dollars. For several weeks, preparations were made on a "Special Edition" of the Lamoni Chronicle. The purpose of the . . .
