Jordan Killian holds her daughter, Sage.

Jordan Killian opens home daycare to help meet the community’s growing childcare needs.

By Rich Wicks | Panora Times

A new daycare center has opened in Panora. Puddle Jumpers Home Daycare is located at 310 W. South St. in Panora, between Lenon Mill Park and the Guthrie County Historical Village.

Owner Jordan Killian explained that she understands daycare options can be scarce in a small town, and when Panorama Schools changes to a four-day week this fall, the need will increase further.

A beautiful day calls for lunch outdoors.

“That was one of the ideas behind opening this. It can be hard for parents to find daycare around here,” Killian said.

Killian and her sister, Trinity, are the two staff currently working at Puddle Jumpers. Killian explained that most of her childcare experience came at home.

“Personal experience. I am the oldest of many siblings. Each of my parents had five kids, but I’m the only one they had together. I’ve been babysitting my whole life,” she said. “I also nannied for a set of twins and their sister. That was a few years ago.”

Killian expects to provide care for mostly younger kids. But because the business is new and the need for daycare is ever-changing, she intends to flex to the needs of the community. 

“We’ll do anywhere from newborns to whatever is needed,” Killian said. “I don’t anticipate we’ll get too many older school-age kids, but we expect a lot of younger ones.”

Puddle Jumpers operates only on weekdays.

“Our hours are Mondays through Fridays, 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.,” Killian said.  

Understanding that daycare can become a significant cost for parents, Killian has developed a schedule of rates so parents can pick the specific schedule to meet their needs. Details can be seen on the Puddle Jumpers Home Daycare page on Facebook. 

Clockwise from left: Josiah, Sage, Athena, Scotti and Delilah enjoy coloring.

Puddle Jumpers also offers something unique to parents when dropping kids off.

“Not only have I been watching kids my whole life, but my sister and I together have 15 years of coffeemaking experience,” Killian said. “So, we also offer coffees to-go in the mornings. That will be a fun little extra for people. They can put in an order the night before, and then they don’t have to make an extra stop for coffee.”

Killian noted that the location of Puddle Jumpers provides some nearby fun for the kids.

“We have the big back yard. We’re outside quite a bit,” she said. “We’re also right next to the Historical Village, too, so we’re able to walk over there.”

Currently, Killian serves an average of five kids each day. She believes in fostering creativity in kids, both her own and those who visit Puddle Jumpers.

“I love to see how kids act and how they figure things out,” she said. “We like to let kids explore.”

Killian shared that she enjoys being a part of the Panora community and especially enjoys the annual Panorama Days celebration. 

“I’ve been here in Panora for three years now,” Killian said. “I lived in Des Moines, but I’m not a city person. I really like it here.” n

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

A jailbird waves to the crowd. Photo by Rich Wicks

The Yale Fourth of July celebration was held on Friday and Saturday. Betty Cooper, who led the planning for the event, provided her thoughts following the weekend.

“Overall, I think the weekend went well. We pulled in good crowds, people hung out in town for quite a bit, and we received great feedback about having the round gym open for the day,” Cooper said. “We heard positive feedback about crowd sizes being bigger than other years into the late afternoon but would have liked to have seen more people in the evening. We will continue to try to add events that are appealing to make this happen.

Cooper also pointed out specific parts of the celebration that were new or otherwise noteworthy.

Fair Queen Brooklyn Haines. Photo by Rich Wicks

“We had several great events that pulled in good crowds. We saw some more families join us on Friday with the added Chalk the Block event and ice cream truck. The 5K had 26 participants. Several people showed up to play pickleball, and bingo and the kid zone were big hits. But the biggest hit of all was the three-on-three basketball tournament in the round gym,” she said. “People showed up to watch the teams play basketball, but we also had crowds show up just to see the inside of the gym for the first time or to reminisce about old memories of the gym.

Cooper offered her thanks to all who helped make the weekend in Yale a success.

“It seems impossible to be able to thank everyone who helped make this event happen. We had several businesses make monetary donations and raffle donations. The kids and coaches from the Panorama Schools really showed up. The Panorama cross country coaches and team hosted the 5K, the Panorama boys basketball coach and team hosted the three-on-three basketball tournament, and the Panorama Junior Class helped with set-up, ran some stations, hosted the softball tournament and the popcorn and ice cream fundraiser in the evening.”

Lilah and Sadie Simpson pose on the oversize chair. Photo by Rich Wicks

Cooper also gave kudos to several other individuals and organizations.

“I could not have done this without Dale Louk, Buffy Louk, Joel Cooper, Emma Guzinski, Eli Cooper, Heather Beaudet, the Sloss family, Nathan and Courtney Hodges, Arilyan Steenblock, Micky Durbin Gymer, the Bagley Fire Department, Clint and Heather Deardorff, the Yale City Council, Jonetta Long, Duane Chaloupka, Kile and Susan Jackson, Miles Boatman, Grace Tripple, Ashley Hummel, the Lopez family, Jenny VanGundy and Jadyn Lawrence. I am so sorry if I am missing anyone. I am also sure that there are other people who did things that I am not even aware of. It truly takes a village to pull off something like this and I am thankful to be a part of the best community around. I felt so supported,” she said.

The following photos were taken by Eli Cooper.

Click images to enlarge.

Special to the Times Vedette

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig encouraged Iowa farmers and landowners who are planning to seed cover crops this fall to enroll in the state’s annual Cover Crop Cost-Share Program. This program is open to first-time and returning cover crop users in all 99 counties and offers cost-share assistance on up to 160 acres per participant.

“More Iowa farmers are choosing to plant cover crops because they’ve seen the benefits in their own fields, while also delivering cleaner water for Iowans downstream. Cover crops prevent runoff, hold nutrients in place, improve soil health, reduce weed pressure and can provide forage for livestock, making them one of the most effective tools we have to protect Iowa’s water quality,” Secretary Naig said. “Cover Crop Cost-Share has become one of our most popular conservation programs and has helped drive record adoption of cover crops in recent years. I encourage farmers and landowners to visit their local USDA Service Center or cleanwateriowa.org to explore the conservation programs available and sign up early because demand continues to build each year.”

Cover Crop Cost-Share

Farmers planting cover crops for the first time are eligible for $30 per acre. Farmers who have previously planted cover crops are eligible for $20 per acre. Cost-share funding through the statewide program is limited to 160 acres per participant.

Additional cost-share assistance for first-time users

Farmers transitioning acres to no-till or strip-till are eligible for $10 per acre. Farmers can receive $3 per acre for utilizing a nitrogen inhibitor when applying fall fertilizer. Cost-share funding through these programs is limited to 160 acres per participant. The statewide program complements the Department’s recent conservation announcements including expanded incentives for cover crops and streamside buffers in the Greater Des Moines Watershed.

Additional opportunity for farmers and landowners in the Greater Des Moines Watershed

Farmers and landowners located within the 22-county Greater Des Moines Watershed may be eligible for additional cost-share incentives. The Greater Des Moines watershed cover crop program provides $25 per acre on up to 500 acres to accelerate adoption of cover crops. Together, those programs offer eligible farmers the opportunity to receive state cost-share assistance on up to 660 acres of cover crops, subject to the requirements of each program.

Applications are now being accepted through county Soil and Water Conservation District offices located within each county USDA Service Center and costshare.iowaagriculture.gov. Funding is limited and demand for the program remains strong each year. Farmers and landowners are encouraged to enroll in the statewide cost-share program as soon as possible.

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By Shane Goodman | Times Vedette

It wouldn’t be the Fourth of July at Lake Panorama without the painting of the American flag on the lawn of Lyle and Paula Hansen on the west side of the lake at 6312 Panorama Drive. This tradition is a family affair, led by Lyle and Paula’s son, Chip Hansen, who, along with his friend Graydon Schmidt, create this patriotic scenery. Chip shares the flag-waving at his home, which was built in the past year directly behind his parents across Panorama Drive.