Prairie Smokin’ Festival just around corner

The first (of what we hope to be an annual event) Prairie Smokin’ Festival will be held in Hillsboro at the Marion County Fairgrounds and Hillsboro Museum Complex. In addition to some great food from the BBQ Contest, there will be music by Sam Unruh from 6-8 p.m., Museum Tours, Antique Cars, Antique Tractors, Kids Activities, Rope Making, Ninja Warrior Course, Animal Vaccination Clinic, Drive to Feed Booth and a Grill Raffle! Sounds like a lot, well it is. I believe that Hillsboro needs more events like this to bring folks to town and I am very appreciative of Troy Tate and Craig Leppke for bringing the idea forward. I also very much appreciate Anthony Roy our Economic Development Director and Steve Fast, our Museum Director for their help and leadership.

Of course there are a host of others who are helping and I am very grateful for our many local businesses who have generously donated money and labor to sponsor the event; City of Hillsboro, Countryside Feed, Barkman Honey, Wheatbelt Inc., Carwash Solutions, Hillsboro Hardware, State Farm Insurance, PrairieLand Partners, Hillsboro Museums, Staci & Fred Silhan and Hillsboro Animal Clinic.

Come on out Saturday, May 4! Activities start at 1 p.m., the meal starts at 5:30 p.m. Come cheer on the BBQ competitors and enjoy some Prairie Smokin’ in Hillsboro!

Other community events

This week there are a couple other fun and or important events taking place in Hillsboro. On Tuesday (tomorrow), April 16 come on down for the annual Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce Spring Community Block Party. We will be closing off the 100 block of North Main for a Hot Dog & Hamburger meal. Stores will be open late and there will be Sidewalk Chalk Art fun for the kiddos.

This Thursday the Red Cross Bloodmobile will be in town for our spring Hillsboro Community Blood Drive. This event is sponsored by Coleen Koop & Farm Bureau Financial Services, Hillsboro Kiwanis and Dale’s Supermarket, Inc. Donating blood saves lives. Hillsboro has a strong history of helping the Red Cross in this way, but we there is always more need than resources. Please come out and give blood. Help save lives!

Spring Cleanup

The citywide garage sale is coming up April 26 & 27. What doesn’t get sold will be picked up (on your regular trash day) the following week (w/o April 29). Be sure to take this opportunity to clean up the “stuff” that we all seem to accumulate but ends up cluttering up our houses, yards and property. Let’s take advantage of the opportunity to “shine up” Hillsboro.

Our new trash truck was delivered last Wednesday! We are in the process of getting ready to launch the new trash & recycling services. You should have received a letter from the City about the new services in the last month. I am very excited to launch our new curbside recycling, and in spite of some naysayers, I believe that it will increase our recycling participation and with the new containers, help to keep our city cleaner.

Stay tuned for more updates as the new truck gets ready to roll!

Hospital

The City of Hillsboro put out a press release last week to announce that an attempt to change the venue of the bankruptcy proceedings to Federal Bankruptcy Court in Greenville, NC has been averted. You can read more details about it in this week’s Hillsboro Free Press.

Keeping the proceedings local is extremely important and while being advised by our attorneys not to comment, I feel compelled to make the following statement; Hillsboro continues to enjoy the benefits of our Hospital and Clinic. The dedicated team of medical professionals continues to save lives in Hillsboro. While there are many people I would like to thank for this, the most important thanks I can give is thanks to God. There is no question in my mind but that he is working in this situation.

Please join me in praying for his continued blessing!

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